American Library Association

Noah Wyle would be a great READ poster. We'll pass this request along to the team at ALA Graphics.

Public libraries on the line Funding cuts aren’t the only thing libraries are up against.

On @marketplace.org's Make Me Smart, ALA President @samhelmick.bsky.social explains how attacks on federal funding, book bans, and the shift to digital are threatening the future of public libraries and why it matters to every community.
www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...
#UniteAgainstBookBans

Why This English Teacher-Turned-Library Leader Is Optimistic About the End of Book Bans - EdSurge News “People want libraries, and they want the services that libraries provide. That's universal.”

"Most people don't want yelling and screaming and division at their township library board meetings or their school board meetings. They want well-resourced schools. They want well-resourced libraries with a lot of services." — Daniel Montgomery, incoming ALA ED
www.edsurge.com/news/2025-08...

Braille libraries offer community. What happens when funding cuts close them? Braille and talking book libraries are a lifeline for people who are blind. But budget cuts mean these services face an uncertain future. How are staff working to help patrons stay connected to readin...

Braille libraries and library services for the blind and print-disabled are vital sources of community across the country.

Cuts to federal funding could curtail their work: www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/...

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

IBPA is honored to become an ALA affiliate and help strengthen connections between independent publishers and library professionals. Andrea Fleck-Nisbet, IBPA CEO. Independent Book Publishers Association. American Library Association.

We’re proud to welcome the Independent Book Publishers Association as an official ALA affiliate—strengthening ties between indie publishers and libraries in support of diverse books and equitable access.
Learn more: www.ala.org/aboutala/aff...
www.ala.org/news/2025/07...

Profile of 2025 CSK Illustrator Award winner C. G. Esperanza From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Special Issue: ALA Awards.

From Jul/Aug #HBMag Special Issue: #ALA Awards: Profile of 2025 #CSK Illustrator winner C. G. Esperanza by @armyvet5.bsky.social: "C. G. brings Black culture to life, letting his characters show up + show out on every page" www.hbook.com/story/profil... @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social #alaac25 #alayma25

ALA Executive Board Member Sophia Sotilleo and librarian/archivist Rodney Freeman interviewed for this WTTW feature highlighting "Are You a Librarian?," the new documentary highlighting the untold story of Black librarians and their impact.

Today at 4:30 ET!

Raising Our Voices for Change: The New Everyday Advocacy Playbook The new Everyday Advocacy Playbook is a hands-on guide designed for educators and others who are ready to help change the public narrative surrounding schools and books.

Check out the NEW Everyday Advocacy Playbook: a guide for educators on changing the narrative surrounding the world of teaching & books.

You'll find:
An intro to Everyday Advocacy
Reflection prompts
A pathway to develop advocacy plans
A section on opposing book bans
And more! #UniteAgainstBookBans

My friend Lauren Kehoe (of @zinelibraries.bsky.social fame) & her editing partner Julie Hornick have a book out on critical information literacy in libraries. I contributed a lesson plan for overthrowing the ten-page paperarchy. Start overthrowing with homework assignments & progress from there! 📚🎓✊

U.S. Book Challenges Update: July 2025. Book bans are escalating across the U.S. but so is the resistance. From New Hampshire to Alabama, librarians, parents, students, and even psychologists are taking a stand to protect access to diverse stories. Illustration of U.S. map with markers of books on fire.

From closed-door school board votes to statewide directives, censorship efforts are growing bolder. But so is the pushback.
This month’s roundup tracks the latest book challenges and the people fighting to stop them.
ilovelibraries.org/article/u-s-...
📚💙
#FreePeopleReadFreely

Letter to the editor: Federal funding cuts will devastate local libraries - Evanston RoundTable My family makes regular use of the Chicago Public Library, and I write with deep concern over the federal government’s decision to eliminate funding for

As Nick Christensen explains, libraries in Illinois provide vital services using federal funds. But those services are at risk if funding goes away: evanstonroundtable.com/2025/07/27/l...

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries in Illinois and nationwide: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

SHHH! NO MORE Public libraries have widespread public support. It’s time to shout it from the top of the shelves.

Public libraries have overwhelming public support, so why are they under attack?
Thank you to @itpi.bsky.social for highlighting how the fight for libraries is part of a broader assault on public knowledge and democracy.
Read SHHH! NO MORE → inthepublicinterest.org/shhh-no-more/
#ForOurLibraries

My heart is filled with hope and my course more determined after an uplifting night listening and learning from Dr. Carla Hayden and Stacey Abrams with @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social Public Policy and Advocacy Office Associate Executive Director, Lisa Varga.

Promotional poster for AASL St. Louis event featuring Jason Reynolds. Scheduled for October 18, 2025, includes Jason Reynolds in conversation with Shannon Gile and Mia Gittlen. Details encourage to register now with red and white text on a black background.

Jason. Reynolds. #AASL25.

Acclaimed author Jason Reynolds will keynote the Saturday general session in a conversation with author co-chairs Shannon Gile and Mia Gittlen. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for their sponsorship.

You won’t want to miss this! Register today at national.aasl.org

Eight Libraries Selected for “Libraries as Literacy Centers” Initiative, A Major Milestone for Library-Driven Literacy Communities ALA in collaboration with World Education, a division of JSI, announces the selection of eight libraries to participate in the transformative “Libraries as Literacy Centers: Strengthening Libraries’ C...

ALA and World Education have selected 8 libraries for the Libraries as Literacy Centers initiative. Participants will pilot scalable models for community-based literacy, digital skills, and workforce development to strengthen how all libraries meet local needs.
www.ala.org/news/2025/07...

ALA Spectrum Scholarship Program

Congratulations to the 2025-26 Spectrum Scholars. Since 1997, the Spectrum Scholarship Program has supported more than 1,600 scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, connecting them with a powerful network committed to equity, leadership, and community. www.ala.org/news/2025/07...

Local libraries grappling with cuts to federal funding “We’re just trying to keep what we have."

In Greene County, Ohio, the public library director wants to retain the services and programs that patrons depend on. But cuts to federal funding put those programs at risk: www.whio.com/news/local/l...

Take action, tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

The Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards: 2025 Bravery in Literature Award Honorees. Margaret Atwood (The Hand Maid's Tale) Lifetime Achievement Award. Malinda LO (Last Night at the Telegram Club); Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson (And Tango Makes Three); Beccky Calzada: Librarians ans co-founder of Texas FReadom Fighters; Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison (Hair Love); John Green (Looking for Alaska); Juno Dawson (THis Book is Gay). Jennifer Finney Boylan, President Pen America.

Congrats to all the 2025 Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Award honorees! We especially love seeing @becalzada.bsky.social, Immediate Past President of @aaslala.bsky.social and co-founder of the #FReadomFighters, recognized among this year’s champions of the freedom to read.
ervk.org/banned-books/

"One of the things that, unfortunately, many people do not know about libraries — is that the library is YOURS."

Discover how librarians are creating vital community spaces where everyone is welcome. 👉 ForTheLoveOfLibrarians.org

❤️ @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social #ILoveMyLibrarian

Dr. Carla Hayden on stage at ALA Annual Conference.

The #ALAAC25 session everyone’s been talking about is coming to C-SPAN!
Tune in this Sunday, July 27 at 4:35 PM EDT to see Carla Hayden, former Librarian of Congress, talk with Kwame Alexander about her remarkable career & the unexpected firing that rocked the library world.
www.c-span.org/bookTv/

ALA Delegation Grows Its Global Network at UN Forum A delegation from the American Library Association discussed libraries’ economic and social importance in a July 21 panel at the United Nations 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Developme...

Libraries are catalysts for inclusion, education, and opportunity—locally and globally. At the UN 2025 Sustainable Development Forum, ALA leaders joined international partners to share how libraries drive progress on equity, employment, and lifelong learning.
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

Beyond Words: Callie Crossley Covers the Resistance to Book Bans Since 2020, the United States has seen a precipitous rise in book bans, often specifically targeting the works of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors. In response, Under the Radar with Callie Crossley launched t...

Book banning isn’t new, but the scale, coordination, and targets of today’s censorship efforts are. @wgbh.org‬'s Unbound Pages podcast is telling the stories behind the headlines and why it matters now more than ever. www.wgbh.org/foundation/h...

Beyond Words: Callie Crossley Covers the Resistance to Book Bans Since 2020, the United States has seen a precipitous rise in book bans, often specifically targeting the works of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors. In response, Under the Radar with Callie Crossley launched t...

“This is the slipperiest of slopes. In any society throughout history, book banning has a very direct correlation to authoritarianism. It’s a straight line, a harbinger.” — @aasuaje.bsky.social @wgbh.org #UniteAgainstBookBans

Today at 6:00 PM ET! Attend in person or online.
"Imperatives for Growth: Libraries as Catalysts for Inclusive Employment, Skills and Prosperity" presented by the ALA International Relations Committee United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Subcommittee.
www.nypl.org/events/progr...

McHenry County libraries awarded state grants amid looming federal cuts Amid threats to federal funding for libraries, McHenry County libraries were awarded nearly $383,000 in annual state grants provided by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office to fund books, staffing...

Federal funding in Illinois is making an impact in communities across the state - but that's all at risk if federal funding is cut.

Read more about what could be lost in Illinois & nationwide: www.shawlocal.com/northwest-he... #ForOurLibraries

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries

Graphic with quote from ALA President Sam Helmick “As the library profession evolves, we are excited to launch a strategic vision that reflects both the challenges and the enormous opportunities ahead.”

We’re proud to share ALA’s new Strategic Plan. Together, we’re building a stronger ALA—and a stronger future for libraries everywhere. Your voice, your time, and your support can help turn this vision into action. Be part of what’s next.
www.ala.org/Strategic-Pl...

With support from an ALA grant, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries in Michigan launched Kna-dwen-mi-go (“you are needed”)—a civic engagement program encouraging Native community members to run for non-Tribal elected office.

Representation matters. Native people make up 3.4% of the U.S. population but just 0.07% of elected officials.
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries created a program to help reverse that trend with funding from ALA's Peggy Barber Tribute Grant.
#ForOurLibraries
ilovelibraries.org/article/nati...

It was my honor and a career highlight to be a keynote speaker on the mainstage at #ALAAC25. G'chii miigwech! #IndigenousAuthors #NativeKidLit #Anishinaabe #Ojibwe #FirekeepersDaughter #WarriorGirlUnearthed #SistersintheWind @fiercereads.bsky.social

Libraries Pay More for E-Books. Some States Want to Change That.

From the article: ...library access to digital books and digital audiobooks ... generally costs much more than the print version of these books." Find out how new proposals could change the landscape: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/b... #eBooksForAll