You are browsing archives for
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 […]
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. […]
