A look back at news that affected libraries and library workers in 2025, including federal funding updates and changes at ALA ...

When we tell our stories, we remind the world that libraries are living testaments to human curiosity and care.

Ryan*, a librarian working in New England, was confused when she received an email from library administration about a man who had been banned from the building. When she asked a colleague what had ...

A woman using the card catalog at the main reading room of the Library of Congress, circa 1940. Photo: Library of Congress OCLC printed its last library catalog cards on October 1, 2015, ending an era ...

In the past several years, virtual reality (VR) technology has finally begun to fulfill what had long been promised. Traditional VR, which creates environments that allow people to be “present” in an ...

Each year, the American Library Association (ALA) recognizes the achievements of more than 200 individuals and institutions with various awards. This selection represents only a portion of those ...

In summer 2020, during the national outcry that followed the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, the concept of antiracism—or actively opposing racism and promoting tolerance ...

American soldiers in Paris just after the armistice of World War I. The American Library in Paris was a continuation of the work of the Library War Service, which ALA created in 1917 to supply reading ...

Welcome to the 2025 Library Design Showcase, American Libraries’ annual celebration of new and renovated libraries throughout North America. Today’s libraries are places where people from diverse ...

The category: Beloved TV Programs. The answer: Roughly 150 librarians have competed on this game show since 2005. And the correct question: What is Jeopardy!? “We use a lot of librarians on the show,” ...

What exactly is an embedded business librarian? An embedded business librarian is a library professional who is rooted in the business community; a librarian who is part of the business community ...

Legal issues arise in libraries. Which is why, over the past year and a half, our Letters of the Law column at americanlibraries.org has explored a wide range of legal topics, led by two authorities: ...