Articles

Catch up on the latest in library programming news.

Death Café at the Library: Where Strangers Meet to Discuss the End

A Death Café is a place where “people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death." And they are quite commonplace in libraries.

Our Top Picks for ALA Annual 2025 in Philly

Check out our recommended ALA Annual 2025 sessions that will spark fresh ideas and elevate your library programming game.

I Love Libraries: Real-Life Stories of Library Impact

Take action at ILoveLibraries.org and read through the following articles to inspire advocacy for our communities and libraries.

Unmasking the Joy of Reading: A School Library Twist on 'The Masked Singer’

A school librarian engaged students with a “Masked Reader” event, during which students guessed the identities of masked teachers, fostering an excitement for reading.

Teen Tech Week

Teen Tech Week is March 4-10, 2018. Here are some low-cost ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Jan 31, 2018

Free Training for Small/Rural Libraries

Small, mid-sized or rural public libraries can learn facilitation skills through a new ALA initiative.

Library Chess Club

A small-town public library takes its board game club to the next level with weekly chess lessons.

Programming to Create Lifelong Readers

Get students excited about reading in their free time with these easy program ideas.

Archiving Your Library's Events

You might be missing an important step in the program process: preserving the story of what happened.

Jan 16, 2018

The National Day of Racial Healing

ALA is joining the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in observing the National Day of Racial Healing.

Jan 4, 2018

Ten Reasons to 'Pop-Up' at ComicCons

Hosting a pop-up at your local comic convention may be a lot of work, but it may be worth it.

Hang with Jake: Therapy Dogs & Teens

Hosting an unstructured therapy dog program can help your teen patrons battle anxiety and depression.

Dec 19, 2017

APPLY NOW: TRHT Great Stories Club

Apply by Feb. 16, 2018, to be part of a new pilot program to reach underserved youth through literature and racial healing sessions.

Dec 18, 2017

Crush the Shush: Wrestling in the Library

Milwaukee Public Library partnered with luchadores to show that libraries aren't always quiet.

Dec 15, 2017

APPLY NOW: Revisiting the Founding Era

Revisiting the Founding Era will use historical documents to spark conversations in public libraries.

Webinars for a New Programming Librarian

Just starting out with library programming, or looking to be re-energized? Learn from your peers with these three webinars.