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As the American Library Association (ALA) celebrates 150 years, we’re drawing inspiration from key events since its 1876 founding: from the first conventions and library schools, through wartime and the fight for civil rights, to seismic technological advancements and the existential threats of the current moment. Though not a comprehensive timeline of library history, the […]
From wartime appeals to celebrity-studded reading campaigns, library posters have long captured the evolving role of libraries in American life. This feature traces the American Library Association’s (ALA) history through some of its most iconic visuals—the patriotic mobilization of ALA’s Library War Service, the pop-culture energy of its READ posters, the spirited encouragement of the […]
For 150 years, the American Library Association (ALA) has shaped the landscape of libraries and the profession itself—but its leadership has often reflected the racial and gender biases of society at large. For this special anniversary issue, American Libraries spoke with eight barrier-busting Association leaders about their struggles, triumphs, breakdowns, and breakthroughs. The stories and […]
Colleen Barbus, librarian and archivist for the ALA Library in Chicago. Photo: Lauren Ehle Like many American Library Association (ALA) staffers, librarian and archivist Colleen Barbus remembers the Association’s previous headquarters—especially the tendency of new employees to eventually “stumble across the ALA Library and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know this was here,’” she says. […]
In 1876, the year of our nation’s centennial, 103 dreamers gathered in Philadelphia. These librarians and library advocates did not come merely to talk. They came to weave a vision of libraries as lanterns in the night, as havens of thought, as places where minds and hearts could be set free. From that gathering, the […]
While the commemoration of the American Library Association’s (ALA) 150th anniversary kicked off in January, ALA staff and member leaders have been building momentum toward its largest in-person celebration, the 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in our hometown of Chicago. I feel honored and privileged to be here in this moment as we celebrate this […]
A flier promoting ALA Workers United. Approximately 100 ALA employees began voting on April 24 to form a new union at the 150-year-old association. About 100 employees at the American Library Association (ALA) began voting on April 24 to form ALA Workers United (ALAWU), a new union at the 150-year-old association. If a majority of […]
Digital Collections Technician, Seth Langer Today’s blog post is an interview with Seth Langer, a Digital Collections Technician here at the Library of Congress. You can read other interviews with digital collections staff here. Hi Seth, could you tell us a bit about what you do in the Digital Services Directorate? How would you explain […]
Anywhere Adventures is a mobile-first website that brings local history to users through comics and travel logs. In the first year, 2025-2026 Innovator in Residence Vivian Li developed stories for three locations: Seattle, Washington, Chicago, Illinois, and Southeast Wyoming. She is now seeking story submissions from readers for two new locations: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the […]
Today’s guest post is a reflection from Thalia Lightstone, one of eight 2025-26 Librarians-in-Residence at the Library of Congress. The Librarian-in-Residence program was created for newly graduated MLIS students to gain professional experience while contributing meaningfully to the work of the Nation’s library. Read her interview from last year here. When I began library school, […]
Today’s guest post is from Abby Shelton, a Digital Collections Specialist & By the People community manager at the Library of Congress. Are you a new By the People volunteer? Do you know someone who might be interested in transcribing historical documents? Could you use a refresher about the program? Whether you’re new or an expert, we are inviting everyone […]
An ICE protest march that took place outside of Minneapolis Central Library on January 23. The library worked with its union members to have enough staff available to keep the library open as a warming center (in below-zero temperatures) and community space while allowing staff who wanted to participate in the protest to attend. Photo: […]
Interested in learning more about what’s new in the Library of Congress digital collections? The Signal shares regular updates to our digital collections and we love showing off our colleagues’ hard work from across the Library. Read on for a sample of recent additions and a few favorite highlights. Click here for all previous updates. This 1920 guide to Ann […]
I found this post by John Rush to be a fascinating read. Come for the vibe-coded infographics and confirmation that eggs are indeed more expensive, but stay for the deep dive into co-working with multiple AI tools. It’s also another reminder that, particularly around OCR, some tools are vastly better than others, so don’t get […]
Happy Spring to all our By the People crowdsourced transcription program volunteers! Every year, the By the People team publishes a “happy birthday to us” blog post right here on the Signal (you can check out previous years’ editions here and here). We turned seven during the Fall of last year and we’ve been waiting to make a very exciting announcement: Our volunteers completed one million transcriptions! By the People volunteers […]
In this interview, David Neil discusses his experience working as a User Experience Designer in Design and Development at the Library of Congress. He shares behind-the-scenes insights about some favorite Library products, advice for practitioners, reflections on the past and future of technology, and his own near-term plans as he retires. Leah: Hello, David. Could you tell […]
Mychal Threets Photo: Random House Children’s Books Generations of fans of the long-running PBS staple Reading Rainbow most likely tuned in on the family TV. Now a growing generation of young readers can stream the reboot on YouTube, hosted by children’s librarian Mychal Threets, who started his career in the San Francisco Bay Area and […]
Illustration: Visual Generation Bad-news fatigue is real for library advocates who feel like every year is more hostile than the one before it. Since about 2021, coordinated groups of parents and elected officials, with support from well-funded networks, have increasingly pushed to outsource librarians’ curatorial authority through parental consent policies and external review boards, all […]
Photos: Daniel Thornberg (Capitol), Maksym Yemelyanov (library) You don’t need to stream C-SPAN or binge West Wing reruns to know that the annual US federal budget process isn’t always linear or logical. Progress is incremental, margins are razor-thin, and, as the library community has felt acutely over the last year, victories are rarely final. To […]
Illustration: Visual Generation Getting started with web accessibility improvements can feel overwhelming. The ultimate goal should be a website that maximizes accessibility and considers inclusive access in all decisions. But even incremental improvements have real benefits. A good approach is to look at the most high-impact changes you can make early in the process to […]
