NASA brings space science to libraries at ALA 2026

Key Takeaways

• NASA will host over 30 Hyperwall presentations at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in booth #2243
• The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next flagship mission, is a major focus with multiple sessions
• Librarians can learn how to bring NASA Solar System Ambassadors and Earth Science exhibits to their local libraries

NASA is heading to the American Library Association Annual Conference in late June 2026 with a packed schedule of Hyperwall presentations. The four-day program, running June 26-29 at booth #2243, features quizzes on the Webb and Roman space telescopes, children's book readings, citizen science project demos, and sessions on bringing NASA resources to local libraries.

The Hyperwall is NASA's ultra-high-resolution visualization system. It stitches together multiple screens to display Earth and space imagery at massive scale. At library conferences, it becomes a tool for science storytelling rather than data analysis.

What's on the NASA Hyperwall schedule?

The schedule spans 30-plus sessions across four days. Most run 15 minutes. A handful of themes dominate.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope appears repeatedly. Martha Irene Saladino presents "NASA's Next Flagship is Launching Soon!" three times across different days. Courtney Lee covers the person behind the telescope's name. Peter Sooy runs Roman-themed quizzes. This is NASA's biggest promotional push for the $4.3 billion telescope, which will offer 100 times Hubble's wide-field imaging power when it launches around 2027.

Heliophysics gets significant attention. Erin Mahoney hosts "Heliophysics Jeopardy!" three times. Christine Milotte presents "Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color" on multiple occasions. For librarians, these sessions offer context on solar activity and space weather, topics that will only grow more relevant as the current solar cycle peaks.

Children's programming fills several slots. Lane Polak reads from "Our Friend Orion," "There and Back with EGS," and "Hooray for SLS." Ginger Butcher presents "The Adventure of Echo the Bat." These sessions give children's librarians a preview of NASA-published books they can add to their collections.

How can librarians bring NASA to their communities?

Two sessions address this directly. Danielle Diamond and Mark Benson each present "Bring a NASA Solar System Ambassador to YOUR Library!" on different days. The Solar System Ambassador program trains volunteers to give presentations at schools, libraries, and community events. Libraries that struggle to book scientists or educators can tap this network.

Eleanor Stokes covers "Launching NASA Earth Science Exhibits in Libraries Across America." NASA has been distributing physical exhibits to public libraries, part of a broader push to reach communities that lack science museums or planetariums. With over 117,000 public libraries in the United States, the potential reach dwarfs what NASA could accomplish through its own visitor centers.

Amanda Adams presents "Open Science Resources for Libraries," and Daniel Chivvis demos Science Explorer (SciX), NASA's unified portal for scientific literature. Both sessions speak to a growing movement: making federally funded research freely accessible. Librarians are natural partners in this effort. They already help patrons navigate databases and locate research.

Citizen science sessions target public participation

Sarah Kirn appears twice on the schedule. Friday evening she presents "NASA Citizen Science Projects." Sunday afternoon she returns with "Real NASA Research Projects Open to Everyone." These sessions highlight programs where the public can contribute to actual data collection and analysis, from classifying galaxies to monitoring air quality.

For libraries, citizen science offers a new category of programming. Instead of passive exhibits, they can host workshops where patrons do real work that feeds into NASA research. It requires minimal equipment. Most projects run through web browsers.

Full schedule by day

Friday, June 26 kicks off at 5:45 PM with Peter Sooy's Roman Space Telescope quiz. Sessions run through 6:45 PM, covering Roman community events, open science resources, Earth science exhibits, and citizen science.

Saturday, June 27 is the busiest day. Morning sessions start at 10:00 AM with Heliophysics Jeopardy. The afternoon includes a midday quiz, children's book readings at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, and sessions on Solar System Ambassadors and the heliosphere running until 3:45 PM.

Sunday, June 28 opens with the Webb Space Telescope quiz at 10:00 AM. The SciX demo follows. The afternoon mirrors Saturday's structure with book readings and the day closes with Roman telescope and heliosphere presentations.

Monday, June 29 is abbreviated. The Webb quiz runs at 9:45 AM. "Hooray for SLS" children's reading follows at 10:00 AM. Mark Benson closes the conference schedule with a Solar System Ambassador pitch at 10:30 AM.

Why NASA invests in libraries

The ALA Annual Conference draws roughly 16,000 attendees each year. These librarians serve communities that NASA cannot reach on its own. Rural libraries, urban branches in underserved neighborhoods, small-town systems without STEM programming budgets, all of them can access NASA materials and partnerships.

NASA's presence also reflects a strategic shift in how federal agencies communicate science. Rather than broadcasting to the public, they are equipping intermediaries. Librarians have existing relationships with patrons. They understand local interests. They can tailor NASA content to their communities in ways a national campaign cannot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is NASA's booth at the 2026 ALA Conference?

NASA will be at booth #2243 in the Exhibit Hall at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference, running June 25-29.

What is NASA's Hyperwall?

The Hyperwall is an ultra-high-resolution visualization system that combines multiple screens to display large-scale imagery of Earth, space, and scientific data for educational storytelling.

When does the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch?

The Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch around 2027. It is NASA's next flagship mission after Webb, with a $4.3 billion budget.

How can libraries host a NASA Solar System Ambassador?

Libraries can request visits from trained NASA volunteers through the Solar System Ambassador program. Sessions at the ALA conference will explain the process.

What are NASA citizen science projects?

These are research projects where members of the public contribute to real NASA data collection and analysis, typically through web-based platforms that require no special equipment.

Source: NASA