Fall 2026

Features & Trends

2026 Library Design Showcase

By Sallyann Price

More than two-thirds of this year’s 15 selections are renovations or adaptive reuse projects. Libraries of all types are finding ways to acknowledge historical and environmental realities, embrace natural elements and cultural identities, evolve traditions, and build in flexibility to account for the unexpected. Read on for snapshots of these communities in motion. Natural immersion … Continue reading 2026 Library Design Showcase →

2026 ALA/IIDA Interior Design Awards

Academic and school libraries More than 30,000 square feet Jen Library, Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design Design Firm and Photo: Savannah College of Art and Design Li Lu Law Library, Columbia University in New York City Design Firm: Perkins Eastman Photo: Andrew Rugge 30,000 square feet and less Confluence Library, Church of Christ … Continue reading 2026 ALA/IIDA Interior Design Awards →

Secrets of Effective Upskilling

By Ann Medaille

This is an excerpt from Upskilling for Library Workers: A Guide for Future-Ready Professionals by Ann Medaille (ALA Editions, 2026). While corporations may embrace upskilling to stay competitive, libraries will have to support upskilling to remain relevant. Library leaders are under greater pressure to respond rapidly to changing social and economic conditions and demonstrate that … Continue reading Secrets of Effective Upskilling →

Columnists

Latest Library Links

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Peyton Gast writes: “A new 4,000-square-foot pollinator garden opened Thursday at the Phoenix (Ore.) branch of Jackson County Library District, giving the community a green space inspired by residents’ hopes for recovery after the 2020 Almeda Fire. The garden wraps around the library, with greenery near the entrance, colorful flowers in the back and tall trees shading pathways through the space. Library leaders say the project grew out of community listening sessions held after the fire, which destroyed much of Phoenix. Residents expressed a desire to restore some of the plants, wildlife and natural spaces lost in the disaster.”

OPB, Aug. 23
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The PBS documentary series Roadtrip Nation will present a two-episode series, “Beyond Books,” that celebrates the surprising, essential, and evolving role of public libraries. In the series, three young adults travel across the country in a green RV visiting libraries in California, New Mexico, Missouri, and Illinois, and meet with library professionals leading innovative rural libraries, specialized archives, and large urban systems. Roadtrip Nation: “Beyond Books” will air on PBS starting September 1, and stream on the PBS app and PBS.org.

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Aug. 21
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Anne James writes: “Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Wednesday he will push state lawmakers to strip a full letter grade from any school district’s state accountability rating if it keeps library books he considers inappropriate, an escalation that comes about a year after a separate state law already gave Texas parents new power over what their children can check out. Patrick said nearly 2,200 titles are on what he calls a ‘dirty book list,’ [compiled by Christian advocacy group Recover America] and he claimed many of them are still sitting on public school library shelves across Texas.”

KHOU-TV (Houston), Aug. 20
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Jessi Gold writes: “Before you turn August into a personal performance-improvement plan, here are a few ways to approach the year with less pressure and a better chance of making changes that actually fit your life. Of course, these ideas will not fix the system or the structural pressures that make your work exhausting. But they may keep you from adding a personal overhaul to an already overwhelming list of additional duties as assigned.”

Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 21
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The Pulitzer Prizes and ALA announced August 19 the national tour of Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works That Inform, Empower, and Inspire, a new traveling exhibition that will visit 20 public libraries nationwide. The exhibit will debut in mid-October in Chicago and Dallas. Through vividly designed panels, immersive interactive stations, and compelling storytelling, Pulitzer on the Road highlights the history and significance of the Pulitzer Prizes; connects new audiences with prize winners and their work; and promotes the role of journalism, books, drama, and music in a democratic society.

ALA Communications and Media Relations Office, Aug. 19
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ALA invites education programs and posters for the 2027 Annual Conference & Exhibition, to be held June 24–28, 2027, in New Orleans. The Annual Conference explores key challenges and opportunities facing libraries, with professional development rooted in timely research, innovation, and best practices. The submission sites are open now through September 21, and include both proposal submission guides and evaluation rubrics for 60-minute education sessions and poster sessions.

ALA Conference Services, Aug. 24
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Senka Stankovic writes: “I’ve noticed that digital tools are fundamental to how we ideate and deliver educational workshops. Born-digital, recently a student, and new to the workforce, I’ve come to believe that many digital tools that are meant to improve learning instead strip away the friction that the acquisition of knowledge requires. In this post, I explore three common classroom technologies: the slide deck, the laptop, and the gadgets. I offer opportunities for reintroducing friction to the classroom that can lead to higher engagement from, and connection with, our learners.”

ACRLog, Aug. 24