In response to results of the 2024 United States election, the American Library Association has vowed to continue its defense of the core values of librarianship in the face of political threats. What are the core values?
LeVar Burton, actor, director, author, and former host of “Reading Rainbow,” was honored this week with the National Humanities Medal for his acting and literacy advocacy work in a ceremony at the White House. Seventeen distinguished humanists and two humanities organizations were recognized at the event.
LeVar Burton Awarded National Humanities Medal for Work Championing Literacy Read More »
Hurricanes have devastated the southeastern United States this month, and libraries and library associations are stepping up to help their communities in the aftermath.
Libraries Respond to Communities Hit by Hurricanes Read More »
The Biden-Harris administration announced October 8 the participants of the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, a nationwide call-to-action for organizations to increase training on and access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone. The American Library Association (ALA) is one of more than 250 organizations and businesses that have made voluntary commitments to the challenge.
White House Recognizes Library Efforts to Combat Opioid Crisis Read More »
It’s Banned Books Week, when libraries, schools, bookstores, groups, and individuals around the world—including Banned Books Week Honorary Chair filmmaker Ava DuVernay—call attention to censorship and ways to fight it. Here’s how you can get involved.
It’s Banned Books Week! Help Protect the Freedom to Read Read More »
This week, the Public Library Association published its 2023 Public Library Technology Survey report which looks at emerging trends around technology, patron resources, infrastructure, digital literacy, and staffing in U.S. public libraries. This data is vital to understanding how libraries serve as hubs of knowledge and innovation and evolve to meet community needs.
The report addresses questions such as: How are library professionals advancing digital equity in their communities? What types of technology devices do libraries loan to patrons, and are more or fewer libraries offering these items compared to 2020? What are the primary challenges libraries face in providing technology resources and services?
New Survey Looks at Evolving Tech Trends in Libraries Read More »
From Congress to local library boards, our elected officials need to hear from library supporters at all levels of government—especially during election years. To launch ALA’s new Reader, Voter, Ready campaign, we’re asking library advocates to pledge to get informed, get registered, and get ready to vote!
Take Action for Your Library This Election Year Read More »
Want to get involved in your library at a higher level? Consider becoming a library trustee. Library trustees are powerful advocates for libraries. Through the coordination, hard work, and determination of trustees, new libraries have been built, budgets have been restored and increased, and new respect has been generated for the powerful role libraries play in communities and on campuses.
Get Involved! Become a Library Trustee Read More »
Within the walls of the library, or more often now, behind the authentication screen, is expertly researched and peer-reviewed scholarly literature that can help anyone make important decisions about their health or habits or inform their understanding of complex social problems. Unless you have a university login, however, you may not be able to access that scholarship or use it to improve your personal and professional life. Even those fortunate enough to have institutional access can’t get everything, not even at the richest universities.
Who You Gonna Call? Libraries and Open Access Are Busting Misinformation Ghosts Read More »
On September 20, the American Library Association (ALA) released new preliminary data that documents the continued rise in attempts to censor books and materials in public, school, and academic libraries during the first eight months in 2023. The data shows that, between January 1 and August 31, 2023, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles. The number of unique titles challenged has increased by 20% from the same reporting period in 2022, the year in which the highest number of book challenges occurred since ALA began compiling this data more than 20 years ago.
New Data Shows Record Surge of Book Challenges in Public Libraries Read More »
