The American Library Association's Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities initiative provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities. ALA is excited to announce Round 3 of this initiative.

Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with community members — be they library patrons, residents, faculty, students, or partner organizations — to address issues for the betterment of the community.

Through these grants, ALA strives to:

• Increase the accessibility of library facilities, services, and programs for people with disabilities in small and rural communities.
• Support libraries’ community engagement efforts by providing resources to help them to work with impacted populations to guide improvement of library services.

Learn more about the grant, eligibility, and how to apply at ala.org.

In 2022 the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) created an Information Literacy taskforce with fellow federal agencies. Together, the taskforce worked to develop, among other materials, a new website aimed at highlighting practices, tools, and programs related to various information literacy subject areas. These subjects include financial, health, digital and more.

Now, the website, informationliteracy.gov, is live! Find training resources and community engagement tools to help you plan programming and connect your patrons with helpful information.

Want to see an overview of the site? View a training webinar from IMLS on their YouTube Channel.

This website is an ongoing work in progress, so check back often for new resources. We'd love to hear how you use it! Let OLIS know if you've used the site in your programming and how it goes.

Get involved! Want to chat with your colleagues or patrons about what their reading, watching, loving, and doing in your community? Reach out to be a guest host of Overdueing It!

Email overdueingitpod@gmail.com today.

Congress.gov is a free database that allows users to track current actions in the House and Senate, as well as selected historical information going back decades. Join Christopher Brown for this webinar on using Congress.gov as a tool for finding out who your congressional representatives are, how to research what they have introduced, and how they have voted. In addition, we will discuss basic legislative history research.

Learn more

To ensure that soft skills programs deliver and show business results, essential steps are necessary at the beginning of the implementation of a soft skills program, during the execution, and after implementation. With this approach, the impact and positive ROI are almost guaranteed.

In this webinar, Patti Phillips, Ph.D., will provide useful, practical tools to help you show the value of soft skills programs. Presented in an easy-to-understand format, this interactive session shows how to measure the business value of soft skills programs and how to calculate the ROI.

Learn more

Join this webinar to learn how public libraries can develop or expand their role in learning and teaching about climate change, climate science, and climate action. We’ll introduce the STEM Learning Ecosystem Model, which can clarify the need for collaboration across various sectors and organizations to drive meaningful action. You’ll then hear from libraries about their experiences, successes, and challenges working in partnership with other sectors to support climate learning and action. Plus, we'll share strategies to enrich existing partnerships and pave the way for future collaboration. Don't miss this opportunity to become a stronger partner in climate education and action.

Learn more

In recent years we have seen a dramatic decrease in trust in societal institutions including traditional news media, government, science, and academia. At the same, we’re facing a barrage of online misinformation and new technology that undermines our ability to confidently tell truth from fiction. More than ever we need to rebuild trust in authoritative information sources to allow good information to rise above the noise. Researchers from the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public (CIP) will lead a conversation aimed at understanding current causes of distrust and routes to rebuilding public trust in authoritative information providers.

Learn more

Climate change and its impacts on the health of our environment and communities are pressing concerns that can feel daunting. Where can you find the resources and partnerships to tackle these unique challenges? Join us to hear from public libraries and their partners who are championing community resilience in the face of climate change. You'll gain valuable insights, resources, and inspiration to empower your community and drive meaningful change. Together, we can build a more sustainable future.

Learn more