At ALA Annual 2025, we connected with hundreds of library staff from across North America. Our booth was buzzing with thoughtful conversations about the future of discovery, AI, and personalization. From shared challenges to bold ideas, it was inspiring to hear how public libraries continue to lead the way in community engagement.
We were proud to kick off ALA 2025 by welcoming six new libraries to our growing community of Library Partners across North America. Learn more about them in this news release. They are embracing digital transformation and providing their communities with intuitive, engaging, and accessible online experiences. We're excited to team up with these forward-thinking libraries to help make their digital services more connected, engaging, and easy to use for their communities.
Many of our conversations focused on practical ways to improve the online patron journey. Library staff asked insightful questions about how to reduce friction in online discovery, streamline user interactions, and better showcase staff expertise. These discussions, combined with the extensive research we conduct on emerging technologies and user behavior, will help shape our product roadmap. By combining direct input from library staff with proactive, forward-looking research, we aim to design products that meet today's needs while anticipating tomorrow’s opportunities.
Above: Photos of BiblioCommons team members and customers at the ALA 2025 booth.
Throughout the conference, we shared the latest updates to the BiblioCommons platform. Our team demonstrated how the One-Click Experience is coming to life through enhancements like predictive search, personalized reading suggestions, and simplified account management. The BiblioCommons team designed these updates to help patrons access what they need more quickly while staying connected to the library's full range of services. We also had many conversations about the future potential of a truly unified digital library experience, one that mirrors the ease and simplicity patrons expect from commercial platforms while honoring the unique values of public libraries.
Another major theme was on personalization, with a focus on tools that let patrons follow their favorite staff lists, receive tailored recommendations, and explore meaningful topics that foster deeper engagement online. Our newest personalization enhancements are designed to make every interaction with the catalog feel meaningful and relevant. Attendees expressed excitement about how these tools can support local readers' advisory, promote collection discovery, and spotlight the expertise of library staff.
A highlight of the conference was our Directors' Lunch, where Marty Tarle, General Manager of BiblioCommons, presented "AI, Libraries, and the Democratization of Knowledge." The session explored how public libraries can use AI in ways that align with their values and mission. We discussed the importance of building tools that are transparent, equitable, and grounded in public service. If you missed the presentation, you can watch it on-demand here. The presentation focused on the bigger picture and how libraries can approach AI responsibly, aligning with their mission. At our booth, we also showcased demos of features like Ask the Library and AI-generated review summaries, showing how these concepts come to life in practice. You can read more about our approach to AI and upcoming initiatives in this news release. Please reach out if you'd like to see a sneak peek at what we're working on. We'd love to show you more.
Above: Marty Tarle, General Manager of BiblioCommons, presenting about "AI, Libraries, and the Democratization of Knowledge" at the Directors' Lunch.
We left ALA 2025 energized by the conversations, inspired by the work of our Library Partners, and excited about what's ahead. If you didn't get a chance to connect with us during the event, we'd love to continue the conversation. Reach out any time or explore the links above to learn more.