Libraries for the Future, New York

Libraries for the Future is a national nonprofit that supports innovation and investment in America's libraries. For fifteen years, Libraries for the Future (LEF) has helped public libraries respond to the changing needs and opportunities of their communities. For the past four years, the organization has operated under the name Americans for Libraries Council (ALC), with Libraries for the Future as its "program arm". The organization has recently returned to Libraries for the Future as its official, overarching name. Through innovative program models, professional development activities, forums, and research projects, LEF transforms libraries into 21st century community centers for information, education and civic engagement. Emphasizing collaboration between libraries and community groups, LEF links professionals across disciplines - early childhood development and space planning, for instance - to allow participants to think beyond their own specialities and devise new solutions to shared challenges.