Through the years, the annual activities of the association have become multifaceted. These consist of the following programs or projects:
a) Awarding of the Outstanding Professional Librarians Award given annually by the Professional Regulation Commission in June. PLAI handles the nomination process. Other awards granted every year include the following:
- Hall of Fame Award as the highest award given to a member in recognition of his professional excellence, leadership and service;
- Eulogio B. Rodriguez Professional Award given to a member in recognition of his remarkable professionalism or specific major contribution to Philippine librarianship;
- Gabriel A. Bernardo Leadership Award is given to the immediate past president for meritorious service;
- Cirilio B. Perez Award in appreciation of a member’s overall leadership in organizing the previous year’s National Book Week celebration;
- Severino I. Velasco Award is given to the overall chairperson of the past year’s National Conference Committee of the association;
- Service Award is given in gratitude for the services given by any past officer, trustee or member for at least four years.
b) Publication of library literature such as a regular quarterly newsletter, annual directories of members, bulletins, professional journals, proceedings, and the like.
c) Every year, the association grants scholarships as financial assistance to members for their graduate thesis work in the amount of P 5,000 each. In the year 2000, the association also awarded the amount of P 10,000 for the best thesis or graduate research work, and another P 10,000 was set aside for the best librarian’s research work.
d) PLAI commits its support to international librarianship as member in regional and international organizations of librarians such as the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and the Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL), through active participation in their conferences or conventions and regular subscription of their publications.
e) Advocacy in promoting the interests of professional librarians and the association through lobbying, mass demonstration, walks-for-cause, fund drives, and the like has strengthened the esprit de corp among PLAI members.
f) Outreach programs such as storytelling activities for orphaned children, book showers for barangay libraries or public information centers, librarians’ visits to prisons to provide prisoners with reading materials, and other activities intended to promote reading habits and foster the establishment of libraries throughout the country are regularly undertaken, particularly during the annual celebration of National Book Week.
g) Participation in the annual Philippine Book Fair and other book fairs, both local, regional, and international.
h) Holding of an annual Fellowship Luncheon, anniversary celebrations, etc.