Public Libraries Magazine — 2026 Call for Submissions
We invite contributions for the 2026 volume of Public Libraries, the official magazine of the Public Library Association. Each issue centers on a timely theme for the public library field. We welcome feature articles, case studies, and thought pieces from practitioners, researchers, and partners. Below you’ll find themes, query and copy deadlines, plus standing column opportunities and submission guidelines.
2026 Editorial Calendar
January/February 2026 — Civic Literacy
- Teaching Civic Literacy in the Library: Programs helping patrons understand democracy, government processes, and voting.
- Fighting Misinformation: How librarians are teaching media literacy, fact-checking, and critical thinking.
- Libraries as Neutral Conveners: Hosting difficult conversations while maintaining trust.
- Youth Engagement: Preparing teens and young adults for civic participation.
- Library Tools for Spotting Misinformation
Query deadline: September 22, 2025
Copy due: October 10, 2025
March/April 2026 –PLA Conference
This issue spotlights the PLA 2026 Conference in Minneapolis. It will feature in-depth coverage of programs, speakers, and events, and is not open for outside contributions.
May/June 2026 — AI & Public Libraries
- Case studies of libraries piloting AI-powered tools (chatbots for reference, cataloging automation, translation services).
- Staff Upskilling: Preparing librarians to work alongside AI and emerging tech.
Query deadline: January 13, 2026
Copy due: February 13, 2026
July/August 2026 — Equity, Access, & Inclusion
- Designing Inclusive Spaces: Physical and digital accessibility initiatives.
- Language Equity: Serving multilingual communities with translation, bilingual programming, and hiring practices.
- Equity in Collection Development.
- The Library Workforce: Recruiting and retaining a diverse staff.
- Rural Equity: Addressing geographic inequities in library service delivery.
Query deadline: March 24, 2026
Copy due: April 24, 2026
September/October 2026 — Community Partnerships & Engagement
- Unlikely Partnerships: Libraries teaming up with nontraditional partners (hospitals, parks, food banks).
- Measuring Impact.
- Engaging Hard-to-Reach Groups: Strategies for building trust with marginalized communities.
- Partnership Failures: Lessons from collaborations that didn’t work out.
- Top Tips for Starting Partnerships from Scratch.
Query deadline: May 18, 2026
Copy due: June 18, 2026
November/December— Innovation on a Budget
- Creative Low-Cost Programming: High-impact programs that stretch minimal dollars.
- Microgrants & Mini-Funding: How libraries use small pots of money to innovate.
- Sustainable Innovation: Reusing materials, leveraging volunteers, and resource-sharing.
- Vendor Collaborations: Partnerships that provide resources or tech at low/no cost.
- Adapting Big Ideas for Small and Rural Libraries.
Query deadline: July 20, 2026
Copy due: August 20, 2026
Standing Column Opportunities (≈1,200 words)
On My Mind — Timely reflections, or big-picture ideas shaping the profession.
The Wired Library — Practical technology applications and insights for public libraries.
How to Pitch
- Please email a brief query that includes:
- Working title and short outline
- Why this topic matters to public libraries (audience & outcomes)
- Anticipated word count and where it fits (feature or column; issue theme if applicable)
- Any co-authors, affiliations, or potential conflicts of interest
- Proposed timeline
- Send queries and submissions to Kathleen Hughes: khughes@ala.org.
Writing for Public Libraries
- Public Libraries is the official magazine of the Public Library Association. Our readers include PLA members, public librarians, public library workers, trustees, vendors, and the entire public library community.
- Originality: All contributions should be the original work of the author.
- Feature Article Length: 2,500–3,000 words to fit the allotted space. Column length: 1200 words.
- Further Reading: Please include 2–3 recommendations for further reading to appear in a box at the end of your article.
- Headline: Include a headline for your article.
- Author bio: Please include your author bio in this format: Your Name is [title] at [library, city, state, email address]. Your first name is reading: [title of book].
- Author photo: Ensure we have a current high-resolution headshot for each author.
- Submission format: Articles should be saved in Word format and sent as an email attachment to khughes@ala.org.
- Links: The magazine is now digital, so please include hyperlinks where relevant (and double-check that they work).
Content
Articles should:
- Be interesting, well-written, and thought-provoking.
- Provide useful information readers can incorporate into their libraries right away.
- Inform perspectives on the topic and ideally help shape reader thinking.
Tone
A conversational tone is preferred; lean toward informality rather than formality. Use the inverted pyramid style of writing, prioritizing the most important information at the beginning of the article.
Structure
To maintain reader engagement, break up long sections of text:
- Use subheadings to organize content and highlight key points.
- Consider bullet points or numbered lists for clarity.
Authors should aim to answer:
- What did you do?
- Why did you do it?
- What happened when you did that?
- What do the results mean in theory?
- What do the results mean in practice?
- What is the key benefit for readers?
- What remains unresolved?
Photographs/Images
- Send as separate files, attached to the same email (not embedded in the Word document).
- High resolution required; include captions and photographer credit.
- Indicate preferred photo placement in the text if applicable.
Style
- Use Webster’s for spelling.
- For questions of style use the Chicago Manual of Style (latest edition).
References/Citations
- Avoid embedded footnotes. Use Chicago Humanities style: superscript numbers in the text with a corresponding list at the end of the article.
- Use ibid. for subsequent consecutive citations of the same source.
Example (in text): Public libraries are increasingly hosting community health programs.^1
Example (endnote list):
John Smith, Libraries and Community Health (Chicago: Library Press, 2020), 45.
Ibid., 50.
Please send all content to Kathleen Hughes, khughes@ala.org as a word document attachment to an email. Attach all images as separate files, do not embed those in the doc.
If you have questions, want to discuss an idea before querying, or want to send a query, contact Kathleen Hughes, Editor, Public Libraries, at khughes@ala.org. We look forward to featuring your voice in Public Libraries!
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