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.
Libraries During the Great Depression
During the Great Depression, the WPA—with help from the ALA Library Extension Board—supported public libraries by sponsoring bookmobiles and providing workers for demonstration projects that extended library services to rural communities.
Things You Didn’t Know About ALA History, 1876–1900
American Libraries highlights little-known moments from ALA’s first 25 years of existence.
A Library Card for Every Child
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a national campaign to emphasize the importance of library cards to a child’s education and to combat illiteracy. The campaign first started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education, William Bennett, who stated: “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.”
ALA’s 150 in United States’ 250: Democracy in the Making
ALA’s work at 150 is inextricably intertwined with the work of advancing the United States of America’s 250 and libraries across the globe. We are a vital part of democracy in the making.
Harry Clemons: The ALA in Siberia
During World War I, most ALA-operated libraries were stationed in U.S.-based military camps. However, a small number of librarians were sent overseas to help distribute books and run libraries. Harry Clemons was one such librarian.
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.