Articles

Catch up on the latest in library programming news.

It’s Not Just Book Clubs Anymore: A Brief History of ALA’s Public Programs Office

For 34 years, the Public Programs Office encouraged libraries to think beyond the status quo—and gave them the resources to do just that.

8 Tips for Financial Fitness from Programming Librarians

Tips from programming librarians on how they keep track of what they’re spending, determine whether they’re using funds wisely, and seek financial aid from outside sources.

9 Tips for Staying Organized from Busy Programming Librarians

Successful programming librarians from around the country — none formally trained in project management — share their tips, tricks, and suggestions for staying organized in a library setting.

PLA Conference 2026: Recommended Sessions for Programming Librarians

Public library workers from across the country will meet in Minneapolis at PLA Conference 2026 from April 1 – 3. Here are our recommended sessions for programming librarians.

Apr 26, 2018

Partnering with Your Health Department

There are nearly 3,000 local health departments across the country. Have you partnered with yours?

Apr 17, 2018

Top Three Things I Learned from PLA 2018

Jennifer Massa shares the top three lessons she learned from PLA 2018

Apr 17, 2018

Creating Engagement Through Questions

A simple question can be a passive program and community engagement all at once. So what should we ask?

Apr 16, 2018

Blogs for Programming Librarians

Is your well of programming ideas running dry? Find inspiration in some of our favorite blogs.

Apr 12, 2018

NILPPA Update: How Do We Learn to Run Library Programs?

Informal vs. formal, on the job vs. in the classroom — 1,200 programming librarians tell us how they learned to do their jobs.

Apr 12, 2018

Human Battleship

Inspired by a school gym class, this life-size version of the classic tabletop game is fun for all ages.

Apr 5, 2018

Fact vs. Opinion for Middle-Schoolers

Help young people distinguish fact from fiction with these information literacy resources.

Apr 3, 2018

What Skills Make for Good Programming?

We asked 1,200 library workers which skills they used to plan library programs. Here's what they told us.

Mar 30, 2018

Bullet Journaling for Everyday Organization

Bullet journaling may not be for everyone, but we can all learn from some of its basic methods.

Mar 30, 2018

Bookmark Design Contests

A bookmark design contest highlights students' artistic talents — and provides a nice creation to give away in the library.

Mar 28, 2018

NILPPA Update: The Wide and Wild World of Programming

Through the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment (NILPPA), ALA is quantifying the impact of library programming.

Mar 28, 2018

Libraries Rock: Music Therapy for All Ages

Incorporate the Collaborative Summer Library Program's rockin' theme with a music therapy program.