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Chicago-Area Librarian Named 2026 Medical Librarian of the Year

Phil Morehart on May 19, 2026

Kristi Holmes, PhD, associate dean for knowledge management and strategy and director of Northwestern University’s Galter Health Sciences Library and Learning Center, has been named the 2026 Medical Librarian of the Year by the Friends of the National Library of Medicine, a nonprofit devoted to increasing public awareness and use of the National Library of Medicine. The award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, and sustained contributions to the advancement of health sciences librarianship at the local, national, and international levels.

Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry Inducts Tunes by Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, The Go-Go’s, Weezer, and More

Phil Morehart on May 15, 2026

On May 14, Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen announced the latest round of recordings that will join the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for 2026. The 25 acts were selected as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.

The History of School Library Month

Phil Morehart on April 29, 2026

April is School Library Month, when school librarians across the U.S. are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning. For more than 40 years, School Library Month has highlighted the vital role school libraries play in the lives and education of our nation’s youth. It has a fascinating history.

Have Books, Will Travel

Phil Morehart on April 22, 2026

Bookmobiles are a large component of library outreach—in fact, National Library Outreach Day was first called National Bookmobile Day. In honor of the bookmobile and its vital role in helping to get books and library materials to everyone, especially those unable to directly access their local library, we have a look at its history from the American Library Association Archives.

ALA Kicks Off National Library Week

Phil Morehart on April 20, 2026

It’s National Library Week, the weeklong celebration of the important role libraries and library workers play in schools and communities across the United States. It also marks the release of ALA’s 2026 State of America’s Libraries Report and the highly anticipated Top 11 Most Challenged Books List.

Safe Haven: New Mexico Library Transforms Community with Accessibility in Mind

Bill Furbee on April 15, 2026

Belén (N.M.) Public Library was awarded two rounds of grant funding via ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities initiative. Those dollars have helped the library reach its goal of becoming a safe place for everyone—including those with mobility disabilities, low vision or blindness, hearing loss, and those who are neurodivergent.

Show Us Your Library Joy and Win

Phil Morehart on April 13, 2026

This National Library Week, celebrated April 19-25, we want to know: What brings you library joy? Show us with your original creative work and you could win a $150 VISA gift card or an ALA READ poster!

A City That Plays Together: What It Takes to Run a 17,000-Player Library Game

Hannah Arata on March 26, 2026

City dwellers are used to seeing lawn signs for politicians, schools, or reminders to pick up after your dog. But during the summer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a different kind of sign begins sprouting up across the city. These colorful, circular signs aren’t for an upcoming election but instead “lawn codes” for the Ann Arbor District Library’s (AADL) Summer Game.