Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change

Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA), will help libraries engage their communities in programs and conversations that address the climate crisis.

The pilot program project will fund film screenings, community dialogues and related events based on local interest in 25 public and academic libraries in 2020, and it will fund the creation of a suite of free programming resources about the climate crisis that will be available to all libraries.

Public and academic libraries are invited to apply between July 1 and August 28, 2020. Participating libraries will be selected through a peer-reviewed, competitive application process managed by the ALA Public Programs Office.

This project has concluded.

Please select from the following options:

• Applications are closed.
• Application preview (PDF)
• Project guidelines
• Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
• Donate to support the project

Project advising is provided by representatives of ALA’s Sustainability Round Table, a professional forum for ALA members to exchange ideas and opportunities regarding sustainability in order to move toward a more equitable, healthy and economically viable society. Learn about the project advisors.

News​

• "Ready for a Changing World: Design Challenges, Virtual Learning and Climate Change" (Programming Librarian, June 17, 2020)
• "Veggie Teens: Earth-Friendly Cooking Programs" (Programming Librarian, May 6, 2020)
• "Making a Difference on Earth Day and Every Day: Carol Phelps on Small-Scale Philanthropy toward 'Resilient Communities'" (Library Journal, April 22, 2020)
• "7 Ways to Celebrate Nature while Social Distancing" (Programming Librarian, April 21, 2020)
• "Ready-to-Go Story Times for Earth Day 2020" (Programming Librarian, April 15, 2020)
• "Less Prep, More Presence: Why 2020 Is Not the Year to Skip Earth Day" (Programming Librarian, April 8, 2020)
• "Can Libraries Help Solve Climate Change? This Wisconsin Couple Says Yes" (I Love Libraries, March 5, 2020)
• "New ALA Program Will Help Libraries Address Climate Crisis" (ALA News, Feb. 5, 2020)

The Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change pilot program has been made possible by Andrew and Carol Phelps.