150 YEARS STRONG

ALA Wants to Hear from You During Its 150th Anniversary

The American Library Association (ALA) is seeking website and podcast contributions from ALA members as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2026.

We want stories from members that reflect their experiences with ALA, its legacy, and its history to be featured here at ala150.org and for an ALA oral-history audio series that will be broadcast on ALA’s How I Library podcast. These should be stories about the people, policies, and pivotal moments that shaped the Association, its core values (Access, Equity, Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, Public Good, Sustainability), and our country’s libraries.

These can be personal memories and/or researched stories that reflect the following themes:

    • Pivotal people and moments in ALA history—past, present, or future
    • Policy and impact: What has changed for libraries or communities
    • Member milestones: How ALA shaped your work and vice versa
    • Lessons learned: A reckoning with constructive next steps for ALA and its future

Or perhaps you’d like to share something but aren’t quite sure where to begin. Consider these prompts to kickstart some ideas about your time at ALA and/or ALA’s past, present, and future.

    • What happened? Why did it matter? What changed?
    • Who was affected and how do we know?
    • What should future ALA members remember or do differently?
Share your chapter in ALA's 150-year history. Pictured

You’ve got your idea. Great! Now what?

Please email a brief story pitch (approximately one paragraph in length) detailing your idea, whether its for ala150.org or the podcast, sources (if applicable), and any other pertinent information to Phil Morehart (pmorehart@ala.org) at the American Library Association.

Will you acknowledge receiving my story idea?

Story ideas will be acknowledged upon receipt.

When will I hear if my idea is accepted?

Confirmation or rejection of story idea and next steps, if applicable, will follow in 1-2 weeks.

What is the website and podcast’s style? What are you looking for in regards to tone?

Informal, but informative. Your stories must be inviting, engaging, and readable/listenable, with all statements backed by responsible research, if applicable. The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.) supplemented by specific ALA style will be used in editing articles for publication on the website.

How much editing should I expect?

On accepted website stories, ALA will retain the right to make editorial revisions, deletions, or additions that in their opinion support the article’s focus. Editors will make every possible effort to review copy with the author prior to publication, especially regarding any proposed substantive changes.

For the podcast, How I Library producer/host Phil Morehart will work with submitters to craft an engaging audio segment.

How long should my ala150 story be?

Stories should be 600–1,500 words in length and will be published on the website’s blog during the course of ALA’s 150th celebration year.

Would you like images to accompany the story?

Yes! If possible, please submit large photos and/or artwork (at 72 dpi) to accompany each story.

Thanks! We look forward to hearing from you!

150 YEARS STRONG

THE OFFICIAL ANNIVERSARY BLOG

oral histories at the ala archive graphic

Oral Histories at the ALA Archives

Cara Bertram April 7, 2026

Alongside written records, photographs, and publications, the American Library Association Archives also holds more than 150 interviews of librarians and library workers. These stories provide context to their lives and careers, how their experiences and education shaped their librarianship, and how certain events shaped their personal and professional lives.

Detail from National Climate Action Strategy

How Sustainability Became a Core Value of ALA

Rebekkah Smith Aldrich April 2, 2026

The adoption of sustainability as a core value shows what’s possible when dedicated ALA members take the time to listen, learn, evolve, and chart a new path forward, strengthening our ability to remain relevant and responsive for another 150 years.

Theresa West Elmendorf. Photo courtesy of the ALA Archive.

Madam President

Cara Bertram March 31, 2026

Before women were allowed to vote in U.S. elections, the American Library Association (ALA) found its leadership in Theresa West Elmendorf. In 1911, more than 30 years after the founding of ALA, Elmendorf was elected the first female president of the Association.

How I Library podcast with Wayne Wiegand

Explore ALA and Library History with Wayne Wiegand

Phil Morehart March 28, 2026

In a special episode of ALA’s “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with library historian and author Wayne Wiegand about the beginnings of ALA as the Association celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Carrie Robinson

ALA Hidden Figures: Carrie Robinson

Ella McDonald March 27, 2026

On May 14, 1969, Carrie Coleman Robinson, a Black school librarian in Alabama, brought a landmark case to the US District Court. After being passed over for a promotion, Robinson sued Alabama’s Department of Education alleging that she had been denied equal protection as a department employee because of her race. Robinson’s case, and long career as a librarian, reveals much about the Jim Crow South and librarianship in the civil rights era.

Mabel L. Conat, ACRL president in 1942-1943

ACRL: ALA’s First Division and a Home for Academic Library Workers

ACRL Staff March 24, 2026

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for academic libraries and library workers. In 1940, it also became the American Library Association’s first formal division. But the road to unlocking division status was longer and more winding than you might imagine.