“After careful evaluation and analysis of financial and other critical factors, the American Library Association Executive Board has decided that LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience will not be held in 2026. As ALA looks ahead, efforts are under way to determine how best to present some of the most beloved celebratory events traditionally held at … Continue reading ALA Cancels LibLearnX 2026
At an academic library conference in Edison, New Jersey, I discovered that a Taylor ham and a pork roll are somehow both the same and different. In Morgantown, West Virginia, I learned that a pepperoni roll is indeed a delicacy, and I was grateful to be stuffed full of them at an event. And at … Continue reading Food for Thought
The Council II agenda was adopted (CD#8.2) and Drabinski addressed memorial resolutions honoring Hwa-Wei Lee (M-#1), George Needham (M-#2), Candy Morgan (M-#3) , Betty-Carol Sellen (M-#4), Adonna “Donna” C. Fleming (M-#5), and Donna Louise Gilton (M-#6). She also announced tribute resolutions recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Sustainability Round Table (T-#1) and honoring retiring Maryland … Continue reading Council II: Resolution to Condemn Destruction of Gaza Libraries Passes
The Hybrid Council Meeting Rules (CD#5) and Council I agenda (CD#8.1) were adopted. The minutes from the June 2023 Annual Conference Membership and Council Meetings and the November 2023 Special Virtual Council Meeting (CD#2–#2.1) were also approved. ALA Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger reviewed Executive Board actions since the 2023 Annual Conference meetings (CD#15) and … Continue reading Council I: Discussion of Ceasefire Statement Postponed
I’ve shifted from lightweight outfits to the heavier sweaters of the season. Autumn is, after all, a time of transition—which is something our Association is currently experiencing. Transition can be unsettling, yes, but it is also an opportunity to step back, take stock, and lay the foundation for what will follow. As we work with … Continue reading A Time of Transition
She answered our 11 Questions to introduce herself to ALA members. Coffee, tea, other? I enjoy having a cup of hot coffee with my ham and cheese omelet that I make each morning. What’s the first website or app you check in the morning? I check my family’s text messages. I usually find texts that … Continue reading 11 Questions: Julie Reese
Leslie Burger is the American Library Association’s (ALA) new interim executive director, the Association’s Executive Board announced November 15. Burger served as ALA president for the 2006–2007 term. She also served as executive director of Princeton (N.J.) Public Library (PPL) from 1999–2016. Currently, Burger is founding partner of Library Development Solutions, a library consulting service, … Continue reading ALA Names Leslie Burger as Interim Executive Director
The announcement reads as follows: The candidates running for ALA president for the 2025–2026 term are Sam Helmick, community and access services coordinator at Iowa City Public Library, and Raymond Pun, academic and research librarian at Alder Graduate School of Education in Redwood City, California. Helmick is a current member of the ALA Executive Board … Continue reading Helmick, Pun Seek 2025–2026 ALA Presidency
As president of ALA during this critical moment in history, I get asked this question a lot. Libraries and library workers are both in the spotlight and under the microscope, and people want to know who we are and what we do. Maybe you’ve even asked this question yourself. One of the joys of this … Continue reading Our Shared Mission
She answered our 11 Questions to introduce herself to ALA members. Coffee, tea, other? Team Tea all the way. Mostly English Breakfast or Earl Grey, although green tea is a lovely alternative. What’s the first website or app you check in the morning? I check notifications first, but then email is the first app for … Continue reading 11 Questions: Jean Hodges
ALA announced today that Tracie D. Hall will resign from her role as executive director following nearly four transformative years at the Association. Her last day will be Friday, October 6. During her tenure, Hall brought ALA greater public recognition, private funding, media visibility, and key partnerships. Upon her departure, she leaves behind a string … Continue reading Executive Director Tracie D. Hall to Depart from ALA
In Episode 87, Call Number looks at how libraries and library workers are on the front lines defending intellectual freedom. First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Peter Coyl, immediate past president of the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and director and CEO of Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library. They … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Protecting the Right to Read
