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ALA Connect & Connect Live
Collaborate with more than 50,000 library professionals with a wide variety of interests and specializations. ALA Connect is the place to share ideas and make new connections with library workers across the globe.
American Libraries & AL Direct
Keep up with breaking news and relevant information affecting every type of library with early access to ALA’s award-winning e-newsletter AL Direct and American Libraries magazine, the voice of the profession and flagship magazine of the association.
Library Worklife
Learn more about issues that concern all library workers: career advancement, certification, human resources practices, pay equity, recruitment, research, and work/life balance with your subscription to the monthly Library Worklife newsletter. Included with your membership from the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA).
ALA Member Discount Programs
ALA membership includes access to exclusive perks and offers that can help you maximize your personal and professional life. (Member login required to see full list.)
Questions?
Stop by one of our live ALA Membership Office Hour sessions hosted by staff from the ALA Member Relations & Services to ask questions about your membership, available resources, or to ask advice on navigating your ALA journey.
Advance Your Skills
Discounts on Educational Programming & Conferences
Enjoy discounted pricing for the leading professional conference for librarians, ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, as well as Division Conferences, Symposia, Forums, & Institutes. Members also have exclusive access to LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience — with Learning Labs, Xcelerators, and action-based instruction.
Tools, Publications & Resources
Track future trends for libraries, build connections with experts and innovative thinkers, and respond with critical data collection and research during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, ALA members work to interpret and revise the core values guiding the profession of librarianship.
ALA eLearning
Log in to ALA eLearning with your ALA Member account to find a selection of member exclusive sessions.
Having trouble finding what you’re looking for on ALA eLearning?
Customize your ALA experience: Join one of our 8 Divisions to network, collaborate, and access career development tailored to your library environment and professional role.
Get involved with ALA Round Tables to explore personal interests and network with peers. Collaborate on issues impacting your library and career, build resources, share expertise, and learn from colleagues.
Advance Your Library
Programming Librarian
Share, learn, and be inspired by new ideas! The Programming Librarian provides the resources, connections, and opportunities you need to help your library fulfill its role as a center of cultural and civic life.
Advocate for Libraries
Check out the advocacy resources available for you and your library. ALA is THE national voice for libraries and provides advocacy assistance, resources, training, and the support networks needed by local advocates and you can help amplify those messages. ALA works to inform government officials, lobby legislators, and build critical coalitions to further library interests and secure policies that support your library's mission -- providing free and equal access to information for all.
Intellectual Freedom
Protect intellectual freedom, a basic right in a democratic society and a core value of the library profession. Everyone hopes their library will never face a censorship challenge, but should it happen, it's good to know that help is available from ALA. In addition to providing local support for challenges to library materials and programs, ALA generates awareness at the national level about threats to intellectual freedom.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Engage with ALA's Libraries Respond resources to share information, find resources, and connect as your library evolves to meet the changing needs of your community through the lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion. ALA is committed to building a future where library leaders are as diverse as the populations we serve. The Spectrum Scholarship Program actively recruits and provides scholarships and leadership development opportunities to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students.
Advance Your Career
Find Your First or Next Job
Browse job listings on ALA JobLIST. Set up job alerts, upload your resume, and use the career resources to ensure success.
ALA-APA Salary Survey
Negotiating job salary, planning the next step in your future career, or mapping out plans for your library? Good information is essential. ALA-APA's Library Salary Survey Database — a $250 value — is included with your ALA membership and has benchmarking data organized by state or region for both MLIS and non-MLIS positions.
Resume Review & Mentorship Opportunities
Have professional questions or need a little help polishing up your resume? The New Members Round Table (NMRT) has a Resume Review Service and a Career Mentoring Program to help you take that next step.
Need money to get where you're going? We've got that.
ALA provides grants and fellowships that fund a wide variety of projects, from program planning and implementation to conference travel to assisting with publications and research.
Browse programming opportunities
$300,000 in scholarships is available annually for library school students, library support staff pursuing their MLS degrees, underrepresented groups, and specialty or practice areas.
"I am eternally grateful to ALA and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association for believing in me and sponsoring my participation. I learned so much about how ALA functions as a professional organization, the difference between leadership and management, and how to lead from wherever you are regardless of your job classification or title."
— Raemona Little Taylor, ALA Emerging Leaders Class of 2016, Senior Librarian and Education Initiatives Coordinator at Marin County (Calif.) Free Library
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