ALP Summit
Libraries as Common Grounds
August 7, 2026
1:00 – 4:00 P.M. EST
Keynote address by journalist Bethany Mandel,
speaking on how libraries can rebuild public trust
Bethany Mandel is a freelance American political commentator, regularly contributing to publications such as the Washington Examiner and the New York Post. As someone who not-so-quietly advocates for more appropriate children’s literature, she has also edited the children’s series Heroes of Liberty, a collection of biographies on figures such as Ronald Reagan, Amy Coney Barrett and Mark Twain. In 2023, she co-authored the book, Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation.
Bethany balances work and family life with her spouse and fellow political commentator Seth Mandel, with whom she has six children. She is also a champion for traditional parenting and makes up half the duo in the podcast The Mom Wars.
On March 17, 2026, Bethany published a piece in the Washington Examiner titled, “The Quiet Radicalization of the American Library“, in which she mentions the work of the Association of Library Professionals.
Keynote Synopsis: For generations, America’s public libraries were among the nation’s most trusted civic institutions—places where communities could access knowledge without political litmus tests or ideological gatekeeping. Increasingly, however, many libraries have drifted from that mission, embracing activist causes, partisan advocacy, and professional organizations that see libraries not as neutral public institutions but as vehicles for social change. How that transformation has occurred, from the influence of the library profession’s leadership to controversies over children’s collections and even military libraries, have become flashpoints in broader cultural debates.
Libraries best serve the public when they return to their core purpose: preserving intellectual diversity, respecting the communities that fund them, and rebuilding the public trust that has been eroded by years of unnecessary politicization.