2026 marks the 150th anniversary of the American Library Association (ALA). To kick off the year’s festivities, ALA President Sam Helmick has penned a thoughtful piece on ALA’s anniversary and the year ahead for the Association, ALA members, and library and book lovers everywhere.
“The Librarians,” filmmaker Kim A. Snyder’s acclaimed documentary about librarians in Texas, Florida, and other states who unite to combat book banning in the United States, is one of several docs in the running for the Cinema Eye Honor’s Audience Choice Award. And you can help it win by voting online.
Award-winning librarian, author, and new host of “Reading Rainbow” Mychal Threets will serve as Honorary Chair of the next National Library Week, which will be observed April 19-25, 2026. National Library Week is a weeklong celebration of the important role libraries and library workers play in schools and communities across the U.S.
A Wyoming librarian who was fired from her job for refusing to remove books from the library that some in the community found objectionable has been awarded a $700,000 settlement in a lawsuit over her termination.
Librarian Amanda Jones has been named to the Time100 Next list, Time magazine’s spotlight on the world’s most influential rising stars, for her work fighting censorship and book bans.
“Reading Rainbow” has a new host—and it’s I Love My Librarian Award recipient Mychal Threets!
Nominations are now open for the 2026 I Love My Librarian Award. Ten librarians from across the U.S. will win $5,000 and the recognition of a lifetime—your librarian could be one of them!
Congratulations to librarian Mychal Threets for being named to the Time100 Creators: Most Influential Digital Voices list for 2025, Time’s inaugural celebration of the digital creators who have emerged to shape our culture. “They are changing what we watch, how we spend our time, what we buy, and how we vote,” says the magazine.
Dr. Carla Hayden spoke on Friday at the American Library Association’s 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, and librarians, library workers, and book lovers in attendance greeted the former Librarian of Congress with a wave of love, respect, and applause when she took the stage. It was an unforgettable, moving tribute to Dr. Hayden, who was unceremoniously fired from her position leading the Library of Congress by President Trump in May.
This September, Roadtrip Nation is sending three people across the U.S. in a green RV to meet librarians, community leaders, and innovators who’ve built careers helping others access knowledge and opportunity. Along the way, they will gain real-world insights, career inspiration, and invaluable mentorship—all while being filmed the Roadtrip Nation television series on PBS. And you can be part of it.
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