American Libraries
American Libraries is the official magazine of the American Library Association, publishing a flagship print/digital magazine, weekly newsletter, blog, and webcasts for library professionals in the US.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What American Libraries does
American Libraries is the official publication of the American Library Association (ALA), a private nonprofit professional association founded in 1876. The publication produces a flagship print and digital magazine available through an online reader at digital.americanlibrariesmagazine.org, supplemented by a weekly electronic newsletter (AL Direct) sent to more than 50,000 ALA personal members, the daily news blog "The Scoop," and the interactive webcast series "American Libraries Live." Coverage spans library industry trends, technology, advocacy, intellectual freedom, equity/diversity/inclusion, sustainability, career development, and association activities, targeting librarians, library workers, and information science professionals across public, academic, school, and special libraries.
The magazine is wholly owned and operated by ALA, with no independent corporate or investor ownership structure. Editorial operations are housed at ALA's Chicago headquarters (225 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1300). Distribution spans print, a digital reader, RSS, social media (Facebook, X, BlueSky), email, podcasts, and physical presence at the ALA Annual Conference. The conference drew 14,292 registered attendees in 2025, with approximately 15,000 expected in 2026, serving as a major editorial and marketing touchpoint.
Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the publication operates within ALA's nonprofit structure. Monetization is derived from two streams: subscriptions (bundled primarily as a benefit of ALA membership) and advertising (including vendor and exhibitor participation at conferences). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the subscription model is effectively closed to non-members, making ALA membership the dominant commercial lever. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, consistent with a mid-sized trade publication embedded in a larger professional association.
American Libraries firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Libraries
- Legal name
- American Library Association
- Website
- https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- American Libraries is the official magazine of the American Library Association, publishing a flagship print/digital magazine, weekly newsletter, blog, and webcasts for library professionals in the US.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Libraries industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Library Trade Publication
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
Keywords
Where American Libraries is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Libraries business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Subscriptions to American Libraries magazine, available in print and digital formats. Primarily distributed to American Library Association members as a membership benefit.
- Advertising: Advertising opportunities in the magazine and on the website, including vendor and exhibitor participation at conferences.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
American Libraries product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Libraries is a multi-platform media publication that publishes a flagship print and digital magazine, a weekly electronic newsletter, a free interactive webcast series, and a daily news blog covering library industry news, trends, advocacy, technology, intellectual freedom, and professional development for library and information science professionals. Content is primarily distributed to personal members of the American Library Association as a membership benefit and is also supported by advertising revenue from library vendors and conference exhibitors.
Product overview
American Libraries is a multi-platform media organization operated by the American Library Association, offering a suite of content products: American Libraries Magazine (the flagship print and digital publication with features, trends, columns, and news), AL Direct (a weekly electronic newsletter for ALA members), American Libraries Live (interactive webcast series on library issues), and The Scoop (a daily blog with news and interviews). The products serve library professionals through print, digital, webcast, and newsletter channels, covering topics including technology, advocacy, intellectual freedom, equity, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in libraries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- American Libraries Magazine The flagship print and digital publication of the American Library Association, featuring articles, features, columns, news, and analysis on library trends, advocacy, technology, and professional issues affecting libraries of all types. Targeted at library professionals and ALA members.
- AL Direct Newsletter
Companies that use American Libraries
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
American Libraries technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
American Libraries partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
American Libraries competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Choice Reviews (American Library Association / ACRL): Choice is a reviews publication aimed at academic libraries, also published within the ALA ecosystem. It complements and partially competes with American Libraries' coverage of academic and research libraries, sharing advertisers and a portion of the academic librarian readership.
- Library Journal (revenue stream of Library Journal / Media Source): Library Journal is the most direct competitor: a trade publication covering librarianship with feature articles, news, and reviews targeting the same librarian audience served by American Libraries Magazine. Both publications compete for the same advertising budgets from library vendors, systems vendors, and publishers.
- School Library Journal: School Library Journal is a sister publication of Library Journal targeting K-12 librarians and youth services. It overlaps with American Libraries' school-library coverage, shares advertisers, and competes for the same editorial authority within the school librarian niche.
- Booklist (American Library Association): Booklist is also an ALA publication focused on book reviews and readers' advisory for libraries. While it specializes in reviews rather than news/feature journalism, it shares the same parent organization, library audience, and advertiser base as American Libraries Magazine.
Broad incumbents
- Publishers Weekly: Publishers Weekly is the broader trade publication of the book publishing industry, covering publishing business, literary, and library-channel news. While it serves a wider publishing audience beyond librarians, it overlaps with American Libraries on library-publishing topics and competes for some library vendor advertising.
Emerging players
- College & Research Libraries (ACRL): College & Research Libraries is the flagship scholarly journal of ACRL, an ALA division. It overlaps with American Libraries' academic-library readership for news, opinion, and policy coverage of academic librarianship.
- Information Today: Information Today covers information science, knowledge management, and library technology. It overlaps with American Libraries' technology and information-science coverage and serves adjacent audiences in library IT and systems roles.
- Against the Grain: Against the Grain is a newsletter/magazine focused on acquisitions, serials, and collection development in libraries. It overlaps with portions of American Libraries' professional content and shares library-vendor advertisers.
Others
- The Scholarly Kitchen: The Scholarly Kitchen is a blog covering scholarly publishing, often featuring librarians and library concerns. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive but shares the academic-library readership that American Libraries covers.
- Goodreads (owned by Amazon): Goodreads is an adjacent consumer book-discovery platform that intersects with readers' advisory and book recommendations content featured in American Libraries' columns. It is not a direct competitor but is increasingly referenced by librarians and competes for reader attention.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
American Libraries social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Libraries financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Libraries leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
American Libraries funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Libraries M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Libraries
What does American Libraries do?
American Libraries is a multi-platform media publication that publishes a flagship print and digital magazine, a weekly electronic newsletter, a free interactive webcast series, and a daily news blog covering library industry news, trends, advocacy, technology, intellectual freedom, and professional development for library and information science professionals. Content is primarily distributed to personal members of the American Library Association as a membership benefit and is also supported by advertising revenue from library vendors and conference exhibitors.
Is American Libraries a public or private company?
American Libraries is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Libraries founded?
American Libraries was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is American Libraries based?
American Libraries is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Libraries make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising.
Who are American Libraries's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Choice Reviews (American Library Association / ACRL), Library Journal (revenue stream of Library Journal / Media Source), School Library Journal and Booklist (American Library Association). Publishers Weekly is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are College & Research Libraries (ACRL), Information Today and Against the Grain. Others are The Scholarly Kitchen and Goodreads (owned by Amazon).
Does American Libraries have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Libraries.
What industry is American Libraries in?
American Libraries's product category is Library Trade Publication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAGAF, Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing), with a secondary code of BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.