How do ALA-APA certification programs work?

ALA-APA certification programs are built to work for you and to fit in with the demands of your job and your personal life. Courses are completely self-paced; there are no live classroom sessions to attend or fixed deadlines for coursework. 

Once you have enrolled, your only deadline is to complete your coursework within 18 months of your original enrollment date.

To receive your certification, you must complete four of the six courses in a program, including the required core course, within that 18-month period. You are welcome to take all six courses within a program if you choose, but at least four are required for certification.

How are assignments and assessments handled?

Your assignments are built both to test your grasp of the materials and to serve as practical resources for your day-to-day work. While assignments are not graded on a case-by-case basis, your submissions will be marked on a pass-fail basis. If you have specific questions about an assignment, you have the option to reach out to the course developer.

Do I need to do the courses within a program in any particular order?

You need to complete one required core course first, but once you have finished that course, you can complete the remaining courses in whatever order you like.

What are signup codes, and how do they work?

When you purchase registration for a program, a signup code for that program is added to your account. If you purchase multiple registrations, a separate code will be generated for each registration. Each code can be redeemed on your dashboard in order to complete enrollment in the program. You can also purchase registration on behalf of your colleagues. Simply give them the signup code for the program they need access to, and they can redeem it on their own account; the account that made the purchase and the account that is enrolling in the program do not need to be the same. Each signup code is valid for one registration.

When I redeemed my signup code, I got an error message saying "The course belonging to sign up code (code here) no longer exists." What do I do?

This message will display if there are any typos or extra spaces in your code. Please try again, confirming that there are no extra characters or spaces after entering your code.

How do I purchase registration for a certification program?

Locate the program you’d like to purchase registration for in our catalog. Then, click the “Register” button at the top or bottom of the program description. You’ll be brought to your cart, where you can specify the number of registrations you want to purchase and then check out.

If you are registering through a state agency or other institution, please contact them for specific instructions for registration and setup.

What credit cards do you accept for payment?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and Amex credit cards.

How do I access the program I purchased registration for?

You can access the program by entering in the signup code for that program in the “Sign Up” section on your Dashboard. If you purchased registration, you’ll receive an email with a link to view your purchased signup code(s). You can also access all of your purchased signup codes at any time by clicking on your name in the top right corner of the eLearning site and then clicking “Signup Codes.” You will see all signup codes you have purchased, as well as information on if and when they have been redeemed and by who. If you purchased registration on behalf of your colleague(s), they can use the code(s) you purchased to enroll in the program. Each signup code is valid for one registration.

Can I log in and make purchases on with our organizational account?

At this time, only personal accounts can log in to ALA-APA eLearning. Organizational accounts cannot login to ALA-APA eLearning. Organizational membership does not provide any discounts on ALA-APA eLearning. If you do not have a personal account already, you can create one for free. There is no membership requirement for creating a free personal account.

How do I purchase registration for a group?

You can register a group for a program by specifying the number of people who will be accessing the program during checkout. 

A colleague purchased registration on my behalf, but I didn’t receive a signup code. How do I access the program?

When your colleague purchased registration for you, they received a signup code in their own account. You can use that signup code on your own account; ask them to provide you with the code, and then enter it in the “Sign Up” section on your Dashboard.

Can I share course materials with my colleagues?

Registration for ALA-APA certification programs is per person. If you registered as part of a group, a signup code was provided for each person in your group who is registering. Recordings and course materials for our certification programs are only available to those who registered and used a signup code to access the content and may not be shared with others.

Can I cancel registration and receive a refund?

To request a refund, please email us.

I already have an ALA account. Do I need to make a new account?

If you already have an ALA account, you can log in with that same account. If you do not yet have an ALA account, you can register for an account for free.

I’m having trouble logging in. How can I get help?

You can reset your password and username at any time. If you continue to have trouble logging in to your personal account, please contact our Member Relations and Services team for assistance. If you are logging in with an organizational account, please log in with a personal account instead. Organizational accounts cannot login to ALA-APA eLearning.

How can I access my order history?

You can access your order history at any time by clicking on your name in the top right corner of the eLearning site and then clicking “Order History.” You can click on any of your orders to see more information and print a receipt. Please note that you will only see orders that were purchased when signed into your account.

How can I order using a purchase order?

We accept purchase orders via email. When completing payment for a purchase order, you must provide the order number that was included in your order confirmation email.

I need ALA's W-9 in order to make a purchase. Where can I find ALA's W-9?

Our W-9 is publicly available online.

How do I view/access programs and courses I’ve enrolled in?

You’ll find a list of all programs and courses you’ve enrolled in on your Dashboard below the signup code box. You can also view your list of enrolled programs and courses by clicking on “Transcript” in the left-hand navigation menu.

Who can I contact if I have any other questions?

You can contact us at ce@ala.org.