But providing access to technology, shelter, and information after extreme weather is only one way libraries are grappling with sustainability. Many are also guiding communities with information to address urgent and emerging ecological threats, such as air and water pollution, food insecurity, and diminishing natural resources, as well as economic, political, and social disruptions. Libraries … Continue reading Sustaining for the Future
1989 ALA creates the Task Force on the Environment, timed with Earth Day’s 20th anniversary in 1990. The task force is now part of the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT). 1990 ALA introduces Environmental Issues to its Policy Manual, urging librarians and library governing boards to “collect and provide information [to patrons] on the condition of our … Continue reading Commitments to Conservation
This hope comes from the efforts to take action, both large and small, that I have seen among my colleagues locally and nationally over the past decade: American Library Association (ALA) members who started ALA’s Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) in 2013; members of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI), which launched the same year and partners … Continue reading From Anxiety to Action
Organize a swap. Sul Ross State University Library in Alpine, Texas, hosted a clothing exchange for students, while Bring Your Own Plant is a popular, low-cost event at Lancaster (Wis.) Public Library. Facilitate food security. Charleston County (S.C.) Public Library installed community fridges stocked with fresh produce at three of its branches, while Summers County … Continue reading 27 Sustainability Ideas to Implement Right Now
I seek the office of president to help us meet this moment and shape a future worthy of ALA’s legacy, its promise, and above all, the library workers who make it all possible. Libraries aren’t just essential—they’re transformational. Whether we’re safeguarding intellectual freedom, ensuring equitable access, or improving financial sustainability, the challenges we face require … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Lindsay Cronk
Now more than ever, ALA needs radical leadership—a president who will engage in meaningful dialogue with allies and critics alike, to emphasize how equitable library services and social justice are not anti-American. Andrew Carnegie once stated, “There is not such a cradle of democracy on earth as the free public library, this republic of letters, … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Andrea Jamison
We are living in a time of uncertainty: We have seen significant censorship attempts, librarians targeted, and adverse library legislation, while social and economic inequities persist. We have also seen remarkable services and programs created, curated, and offered by gifted library workers and partners across the US and internationally. We are community connectors, teachers, guides, … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Maria McCauley
The talent and hard work of our member leaders and the ALA staff of our 14 offices, eight divisions, and 19 round tables are critically important to delivering high-quality professional development, advocacy, publications, collaborations, accreditation, grants, and networking opportunities that our 48,000 members need and expect. Together our work is essential to protect the freedom to … Continue reading Meet the Candidate for ALA Treasurer: Larry Neal
Thanks to a municipal bond and strong local support, however, in 2017 the library had the opportunity to construct a new building that was not only modern but also environmentally friendly. At the heart of the design is a rooftop with 700 solar panels, which elevated the project to net-zero energy status. That means the … Continue reading The Net-Zero Revolution
John Green, the celebrated young adult author and vlogger, has been an advocate for TB treatment access since 2019, when he met Henry, a teenager with TB, during a trip to Sierra Leone. Henry gave Green “the view from below,” he says, quoting his late friend and global health pioneer Paul Farmer, who described the … Continue reading Newsmaker: John Green
“When I was a kid, my great-aunt was the buyer at [famous New York bridal boutique] Kleinfeld’s, so I used to go over and look at all the dresses,” she says. “Other people were buying Seventeen; I was buying Brides.” Decades later, Puccio’s passion now manifests itself in a rotating collection of vintage and modern … Continue reading Bookend: The Wedding Dress Whisperer
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. The gift will help fund ALA’s Spectrum Scholarship Program, which provides money for students of color pursuing their master’s degrees in library and information science. “Libraries are the most … Continue reading Newsmaker: James W. Lewis
