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Our profession, and our humanity, are in jeopardy. As we saw with the White House’s executive order calling for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to be eliminated, libraries—and everything we value as information professionals—are under attack. Make no mistake: The American people need to brace for more waves of uncertainty and oppression. […]
We have all been impacted in both anticipated and unpredictable ways following the sweeping changes in Washington, D.C., since the January inauguration. These actions—including the March 14 executive order calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—have been an affront to our profession and the people we serve. Across the […]
At this point in the year, almost everyone on campus seems to be thinking about the end of the term. But this span of time doesn’t necessarily look or feel the same to everyone. Some of us who have disabilities move through time a little differently, experiencing it as particularly nebulous and abstract. I am […]
This week marks 100 days since President Trump’s January 20 inauguration. It has also been approximately 45 days since Trump signed the March 14 executive order that called for stripping the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) down to its “non-statutory and component functions.” In response, the American Library Association (ALA), along with the […]
Lucie Faulknor (left) and Dawn Logsdon, codirectors of the PBS Independent Lens documentary Free for All: The Public Library For filmmaker Dawn Logsdon, summers in the 1960s and 1970s were filled with road trips in her family’s Volkswagen. A common stop on those travels included public libraries, which meant that by age 12, she had […]
Inside the Haskell Library, a black line on the floor marks the border between the United States and Canada, which patrons from both countries can freely move across. courtesy of Sylvie Boudreau For more than a century, Canadians have used nothing but a narrow sidewalk to cross their national border into Vermont and enter the […]
During a February 2025 meeting of the Huntington Beach, California, City Council, former NFL player Chris Kluwe spoke out against installation of a plaque referencing MAGA to commemorate the town library’s 50th anniversary. Former NFL player Chris Kluwe put down the pigskin in 2013, when he retired from professional football after eight seasons with the […]
Bob the Drag Queen Photo: Rowan Daly Bob the Drag Queen—who won RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2016 and has since starred in other reality shows such as HBO’s We’re Here and Peacock’s Traitors, as well as several comedy specials—released his debut novel this month. Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert (Gallery Books) imagines the iconic abolitionist […]
Since President Trump retook office on January 20, libraries and librarianship have been assaulted via executive orders and other actions. While the legality of many of these actions is still being decided by the courts, librarians, archivists, and other information professionals have been working through the confusion to preserve access to information. Below are several examples […]
Illustration: David Alvarado When it comes to sustainability, “little things add up.” That’s what science librarian René Tanner—one of the dozens of librarians and experts whose actions American Libraries highlights in our Sustainability Issue—tells us. At a time when climate change seems impervious to the realities of workplace budgets and staff bandwidth, Tanner’s words ring […]
In 1979, Berkeley (Calif.) Public Library became one of the first libraries to start a tool lending program. Today, library patrons can choose from dozens of household options, from lawn mowers to miter saws, cold-press juicers to knife sharpeners. Public libraries continue to adopt this model, with Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library launching its first tool […]
Photo: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection With the acceleration of human-driven climate change, libraries are playing an increased role in helping their communities navigate environmental calamities. The downtown public library in Asheville, North Carolina, for instance, was a beacon of connectivity after flooding from Hurricane Helene disrupted the area’s Wi-Fi service in September […]
1989ALA creates the Task Force on the Environment, timed with Earth Day’s 20th anniversary in 1990. The task force is now part of the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT). 1990ALA introduces Environmental Issues to its Policy Manual, urging librarians and library governing boards to “collect and provide information [to patrons] on the condition of our Earth, its […]
At nearly every talk I’ve given on climate change and libraries over roughly a decade, someone in the audience asks how I remain hopeful in the face of climate scientists’ predictions. I am not, I clarify, hopeful that we will turn the tide on the impacts of climate change—at least not in my lifetime. But […]
Greening your library with limited resources and lukewarm buy-in might seem overwhelming. But sustainability is also about committing to small changes. Here’s a list of low-lift ideas that libraries of any type or size can start incorporating. Organize a swap. Sul Ross State University Library in Alpine, Texas, hosted a clothing exchange for students, while […]
Optimism is a discipline—a practice rooted in critical hope that empowers us to confront challenges and find or forge paths forward. Libraries exemplify this commitment to progress, and the American Library Association (ALA) is uniquely positioned to amplify our impact by supporting the expertise and creativity of library workers. I seek the office of president […]
The current climate of censorship threatens to unravel the very fabric of librarianship. Librarians are under attack, facing threats to their safety and professional integrity, while at the same time library services are being stripped of their inclusivity. Misinformation has damaged librarians’ reputation, labeling us anti-American and labeling libraries as spaces that attempt to indoctrinate […]
Our libraries are the hearts, hubs, and learning places of our communities. They are the places where ideas are hatched, knowledge is created, and dreams are realized. Through literature, storytimes, and special collections, libraries offer patrons opportunities to increase their understanding and open portals to other worlds and new knowledge landscapes. We are living in […]
It is both an exciting and challenging time for the American Library Association (ALA). The Association is preparing to celebrate its sesquicentennial and seeks to ensure ALA is well-positioned to sustainably serve current and future generations of librarians and library workers. The talent and hard work of our member leaders and the ALA staff of […]
James W. Lewis The American Library Association (ALA) recently received the largest gift in its 150-year history: a $25 million bequest from Washington, D.C.–based financial advisor James W. Lewis. The bequest from Lewis, whose love for libraries dates back to his childhood in North Carolina, will provide needs-based scholarships for those training to be librarians. […]
