ALSC Initiatives & Special Projects

Through its initiatives, ALSC builds awareness, resources, and community around topics from advocacy to early literacy to diversity in children's literature.

National Initiatives

The text: "Each Story Matters, Every Child Counts" is in a circle in the foreground over a background of colorful books. The text: "Dia Children's Day/Book Day" is at the bottom and the ALSC logo is in the upper right corner.

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day)

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), known as Día, is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a DAILY commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures. Through Día, libraries work to nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.

Everday Advocacy: Learn, Share, Make a Difference features a small hand reaching to hold a larger hand, inside a circle.

Everyday Advocacy

Everyday Advocacy (EA) helps educate library workers serving youth about the importance of advocacy, taking out the dread factor! EA provides resources for both day-to-day advocacy and crisis advocacy. Library staff can make a difference in their communities and beyond in big and small ways. Think quick. Think easy-to-implement. Think, “I can do this!”

Special Project

"Babies Need Words Every Day" is a poster with simple, effective rhymes, games and other ways for parents and caregivers to communicate with babies.

Babies Need Words Every Day resources were created by the ALSC Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee. These resources represent ALSC’s commitment to bridging the 30 million word gap. The visually appealing posters deliver simple, effective rhymes, games and other ways for parents and caregivers to communicate with babies. A customizable book list provides suggestion of books that parents can request at their local library. Over the course of the year, ALSC will encourage librarians to get the word out to their community partners about these free resources to engage them in the effort to bridge the word gap.