United for Libraries Member Benefits

Personal Membership Benefits

Personal members of United for Libraries receive a wide variety of resources and benefits, including on-demand webinars, monthly Learning Live webinars, tip sheets, toolkits, online discussion forums, and much more.

  • Virtual Roundtable Discussion Groups - Quarterly virtual roundtable discussion opportunities with peers from around the country.
  • FREE Webinars - Quarterly FREE webinars with expert speakers, a value of more than $200 per membership year.
  • Learning Live - Current personal members receive FREE registration to monthly Learning Live webinars held the second Tuesday of each month (except August) at 2:00 pm Eastern. On-demand access to all prior Learning Live webinars is included for current members.
  • Newsletter - Signup here to receive our monthly e-newsletter.
  • eLearning - Personal members receive on-demand access to a variety of eLearning for Trustees, Friends Groups, Foundations, and the staff who work with them.
  • Publications, Tip Sheets, and Toolkits
    • Library Board Practical Guides - five in-depth toolkits on finding the right library director, evaluating the library director, strategic planning, board self-evaluation, and hiring outside experts.
    • Publications - four publications including 101+ Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends, Even More Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends, Getting Grants in Your Community, and Making Our Voices Heard: Citizens Speak Out for Libraries.
    • Tip Sheets - More than 30 tip sheets for library boards/Trustees, Foundations, Friends Groups, and the staff who work with them.
    • Toolkits - Ten in-depth toolkits including Friends and Libraries: Working Effectively Together, Effective Meetings for Library Boards & Trustees, and more.
  • Discounts
    • Save 10% on purchases from the ALA store
    • Save 10% on all eLearning
    • Save 35% on webinars and ecourses from United for Libraries
    • Save 35% on purchase of additional seats to Learning Live (series or single session)
    • Save 35% on registration for United for Libraries Virtual, our annual virtual conference for Trustees, Friends Groups, Foundations, and the staff that work with them.
    • Discounted registration for United for Libraries pre-conferences and ticketed events at the ALA Annual Conference
  • ALA Connect - Personal members are invited to participate in United Interest Groups for Trustees, Friends Groups, and Foundations. These Interest Groups are online discussion forums hosted in ALA Connect.

NEW BoardSource Member Benefits for United for Libraries Personal Members

United for Libraries is proud to be partnering with BoardSource to provide our personal members with access to BoardSource member benefits, a value of $129 included at no additional cost with your paid United for Libraries personal membership.

Login to the ALA eLearning site here. In the left-hand menu under My Courses look for the course, "United for Libraries Member Benefits and Resources." Alternatively, click on "Transcript" to find a full list of courses. If you do not see "United for Libraries Member Benefits and Resources" in your list of courses, please complete the form here to request access.

Benefits include:

  • Access 100s of topic papers on fundraising, advocacy, recruitment, planning, orientation, and much more.
  • Receive one-on-one support from governance experts via the Ask-an-Expert email service.
  • Access the BoardSource Exchange, a collaborative information sharing tool for members.
  • Receive “Resources & Solutions” emails with downloadable tools, infographics, templates, and more.

Organizational/Institutional Membership Benefits

If your library has an organizational/institutional membership in ALA with United for Libraries added as a division, you may be eligible for access to a sampling of tip sheets and on-demand webinars. Eligible individuals listed below may complete the Organizational Member Benefit Access Request Form to request access.

  • Library Director and Assistant Director
  • President of the library’s Board of Trustees
  • President of the library’s Friends group
  • President of the library’s Foundation

As an organizational/institutional member, one designated, named individual receives access to the following:

  • Monthly Learning Live Webinars - the designated, named individual is eligible for live attendance and on-demand access to Learning Live.
  • Quarterly Live Webinars - the designated, named individual is eligible for live attendance and on-demand access to quarterly live webinars.
  • NOTE: all participation is for the designated person only and does *not* include group viewing. Sharing of logins is prohibited.

Non-Profit Membership Benefits

If your organization has a non-profit membership in ALA with United for Libraries added as a division, you may be eligible for access to a sampling of tip sheets and on-demand webinars. Eligible individuals listed below may complete the Organizational Member Benefit Access Request Form to request access.

  • President of the Non-Profit
  • Director of the Non-Profit

As a non-profit member, one designated, named individual receives access to the following:

  • Monthly Learning Live Webinars - the designated, named individual is eligible for live attendance and on-demand access to Learning Live.
  • Quarterly Live Webinars - the designated, named individual is eligible for live attendance and on-demand access to quarterly live webinars.
  • NOTE: all participation is for the designated person only and does *not* include group viewing. Sharing of logins is prohibited.


Group Membership

Effective May 6, 2022, the group membership option is transitioning to personal membership in ALA and United for Libraries. If your group received a renewal notice by mail or email, you may proceed with renewing by mail or phone. Groups with an expiration date of November 30, 2022, and beyond will receive details by email and mail about converting to personal membership, including the many new benefits and resources included with personal membership. If you have any questions and/or need assistance, please contact United for Libraries staff by phone at (312) 280-2161 or by email at united@ala.org.

Statewide Partners

If your state library has purchased access to training and resources, please visit our Statewide Access page for more information on registering and accessing. Please note that included training and resources may vary by state.

Learning Live Training Package

United for Libraries now offers the option to purchase Learning Live registration for individuals who are not United for Libraries personal members. Options include one-year access (11 Learning Live sessions over a 12-month period) or single session, with bulk discounts for purchase of three or more seats. Note that all registrations are for a single person and may not be shared between individuals.

United for Libraries Learning Live sessions take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Each month’s session will cover a hot topic of interest to Trustees, Friends and/or Foundations, followed by Q&A and/or discussions. Sessions are open to all personal and legacy group members of United for Libraries, and is included for many of our statewide partners.