Since ALA headquarters moved in 2020 to its present location at Chicago’s 225 North Michigan Avenue, ALA Librarian Colleen Barbus has presided over a completely reimagined in-house library.
Discover the people, policies, and pivotal moments that shaped the ALA and the libraries we all rely on. Our anniversary blog is your behind-the-scenes look at the legacy we’re honoring and the future we’re building, with regular stories on how we’re celebrating.
Since ALA headquarters moved in 2020 to its present location at Chicago’s 225 North Michigan Avenue, ALA Librarian Colleen Barbus has presided over a completely reimagined in-house library.
You’ve Got Mail: Carnegie Libraries, As Seen Through Library Postcards
On the anniversary of industrialist and library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie’s death on August 11, 1919, we’re taking a look at one of his lasting legacies—the Carnegie library.
The Librarians’ and Library Workers’ Bill of Rights
During the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago, ALA Council passed a resolution calling for the adoption and recognition of the Librarians’ and Library Workers’ Bill of Rights, a landmark framework affirming the dignity, safety and professional rights of library workers across all sectors.
Mr. Linderfelt’s Trouble, Part Two: Restoration to the Record
More than 130 years after his resignation, disgraced and forgotten ALA President Klas August Linderfelt has finally taken his place in ALA’s official record as a past president.
Mr. Linderfelt’s Trouble, Part One: ALA’s Lost President
In 1892, Klas August Linderfelt, the first librarian of Milwaukee Public Library (MLP), was arrested for embezzling $4,000. The arrest came as a shock to the library profession. Not only was Linderfelt the head of MLP, but he was also the president of both the American Library Association and the Wisconsin Library Association. And that’s just the beginning of this wild tale.
The Future of Librarians: dLIST, a Story the Commons Keeps
The history of the Digital Library of Information Science and Technology (dList), the library field’s first open access disciplinary repository for Library and Information Science scholarship, shows what happens when a profession’s stated values and its institutional choices diverge at a technological inflection point.
REFORMA and ALA: 55 Years of History
ALA maintains partnerships with external organizations through its affiliates program. One of those is REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. For more than 50 years, the two associations have been partners in the goal of providing better library services to Latino communities.
For the Cornerstones of Our Communities: ALA and the Freedom to Read
Shortly after ALA was founded, it became clear that libraries needed a voice in government. ALA’s intertwined Public Policy and Advocacy Office and Office for Intellectual Freedom are that presence, ensuring that libraries and library professionals receive the support that allow them to succeed at providing equitable access to information for all.
Out of the Closet and Onto the Shelves
The American Library Association’s (ALA) Rainbow Round Table is a group with a lot of firsts. Formed in 1970 as the Task Force on Gay Liberation, under ALA’s Social Responsibilities Round Table, they were the first profession-based gay organization.
Blazing Trails: Stories from Pioneering Black Librarians
In 2018, American Libraries spoke with five leading African-American librarians about their careers, the changes they have witnessed over the decades, and the current issues in librarianship. While no two people have the same story, all five interviewees note inclusivity as an important theme. They discuss libraries as safe havens, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the history and future of the Association, as well as their legacies within the profession.