Please see the following message from Cory Stevenson, ALA Associate Director, Community Engagement and Experience, ALA Member Relations & Services (MRS).
We're writing to inform you of an important update to ALA Connect that will enhance the value of your ALA membership.
What's Changing: Effective January 23, 2026, ALA Connect Interest Groups will become an exclusive member-only benefit. Only current ALA members will be able to view and participate in Interest Group community content.
What This Means for You:
· ALA members: you will continue to enjoy full access to all Interest Groups in ALA Connect.
· Non-ALA members: you will soon receive an email from us containing a special discount code to join ALA and ACRL at a reduced rate. We invite you to take advantage of this offer so you can continue to engage with your professional community.
o Please Note: If you have unsubscribed from emails from ALA, we invite you to reconnect with us at this time so that you can receive our special discount code to join ALA and ACRL. To request that you be resubscribed, please write to dfree@ala.org and we will resubscribe you. This change will allow you to receive emails from ALA and announcements from ACRL about events and activities such as free events hosted by our Interest Groups.
Why This Change: This change is part of ALA's deliberate, multi-year organizational renewal process aligned with our new strategic plan. Throughout our 150-year history, ALA has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of libraries and their communities—today's transformation is the most recent chapter in our legacy of adaptation.
By establishing consistent policies—like making Interest Groups member-only across all divisions—we're:
· Responding to member feedback about organizational clarity
· Reinforcing what makes ALA membership valuable by ensuring that resources of the organization are supported by dues paying members.
· Aligning practices with ALA Forward.
Important: Interest Groups will still be able to offer events outside of ALA Connect (such as town halls, virtual discussions, etc.) that the wide professional community (members and non-members) can take part in.
Questions? Contact our Member Relations team at membership@ala.org or call 1-800-545-2433 (option 1).
Best regards,
Cory Stevenson
Associate Director, Community Engagement and Experience
Member Relations & Services
American Library Association
cstevenson@ala.org
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Megan Griffin
ACRL Professional Development Support
Association of College & Research Libraries
American Library Association
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