ALA News

2020 PR Xchange Award Winners Announced

CHICAGO — According to 2016 Pew Research Center survey data, Millennials are more likely to have visited a public library in the past year than any other adult demographic. But despite being core library users, millennials and other younger generations are often underrepresented on library boards and library advocacy groups, including Friends groups and Foundations.

CHICAGO - Join the Associaton of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) at 1:00 p.m. Central on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, for the e-Learning webcast "Project Outcome for Academic Libraries: An Introductory Workshop." If you are interested in measuring learning outcomes to drive change, making data-informed decisions, and demonstrating the impact of programs and services at your library, then jump-start your fall semester planning with this interactive virtual workshop.

CHICAGO — Today, the American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services awarded 2020 Spectrum Scholarships to 61 exceptional students pursuing graduate degrees in library and information studies. Since 1997, the ALA has awarded more than 1,240 Spectrum Scholarships. In the 2020 application cycle, the Spectrum Scholarship Program received four times as many applications as there were available scholarships, and the majority of this year’s applicants were deemed highly fundable.

LLLAMA webinar helps you understand your employees better by adding self-reflection to their evaluations

The American Library Association (ALA) announces the deferral of applications for the 2021 Lois Ann Gregory-Wood (LAGW) Fellowship Program.

CHICAGO — Nominations are being accepted for ALA honorary membership, the Association’s highest honor, which is bestowed on living citizens of any country whose contributions to librarianship or a closely related field are so outstanding that they are of significant and lasting importance to the whole field of library service.

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) and Capital One announced a new grant opportunity for rural public libraries that will support digital access and financial capability for 20 communities nationwide.

Through Community Connect: Digital Access at Home, 20 rural public libraries will receive resources to support financial capability and internet access for their patrons for two years.

Sen. Reed, Rep. Levin introduce bicameral legislation to support libraries

CHICAGO—In votes on Tuesday, June 23, and Saturday, June 27, the ALA Council voted to approve Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures as a new ALA division beginning September 1, 2020, and to dissolve the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) effective August 31, 2020. The vote to form Core was 163 to 1.

CHICAGO — The American Library Association’s first-ever virtual conference attracted 7,349 attendees and 651 exhibitors.

Created following ALA’s difficult decision to cancel its 2020 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, ALA Virtual-Community Through Connection, held June 24-26, 2020, provided a virtual space where librarians and library workers could remain connected during this time of change.

New programming grant seeks to propel climate change action in libraries across the United States

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) invites library workers to apply to be part of Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change, a pilot program to help public and academic libraries engage their communities in programs and conversations that address the climate change crisis.

Learn how to create a strong communication plan for your library with this LLAMA webinar

CHICAGO – The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the publication of “Hidden Architectures of Information Literacy Programs: Structures, Practices, and Contexts,” edited by Carolyn Caffrey Gardner, Elizabeth Galoozis, and Rebecca Halpern.

CHICAGO — The Library History Round Table (LHRT) is pleased to announce that this year’s Justin Winsor Library History Essay Award winner is Dr. Julie Park for her paper, entitled “Infrastructure Story: The Los Angeles Central Library’s Architectural History.”

CHICAGO — Ed Tech leader ProQuest announced the first winner of a scholarship presented in collaboration with the Film and Media Roundtable (FMRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA).

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has released Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) resources created by the 2019-2020 Presidential Initiative Task Force. Advised by AASL President Mary Keeling, the committee, hosted office hours, designed informative bookmarks, and presented a webinar on EDI in the school library. The resources can be found at www.ala.org/aasl/all/EDI.  

CHICAGO—Starting July 8, AL Direct, the e-newsletter of American Libraries magazine, will change to a weekly schedule and showcase an updated design. The newsletter, which is currently mailed on Tuesdays and Fridays, will mail every Wednesday.