American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. [4]
Not to be confused with (ALA) American Literature Association.Abbreviation
History[edit]
19th century[edit]
During the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, 103 librarians, 90 men and 13 women, responded to a call for a "Convention of Librarians" to be held October 4–6, 1876, at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.[5]
IL At the end of the meeting, according to Edward G. Holley in his essay "ALA at 100", "the register was passed around for all to sign who wished to become charter members", making October 6, 1876, the date of the ALA's founding.
Among the 103 librarians in attendance were Justin Winsor (Boston Public Library and Harvard University), William Frederick Poole (Chicago Public Library and Newberry College), Charles Ammi Cutter (Boston Athenæum), Melvil Dewey, Charles Evans (Indianapolis Public Library)[6] and Richard Rogers Bowker. Attendees came from as far west as Chicago and from England.[7][8][9] The ALA was chartered[10] in 1879 in Massachusetts. Its headquarters office is in Chicago.[11]
Another important founder was Frederick Leypoldt, publisher of Library Journal, who published the conference proceedings.[12]
Justin Winsor was the first president of the ALA, serving from 1876 until 1885.[13]
20th century[edit]
In 1911, Theresa Elmendorf became ALA's first woman president.[14][15] An analysis of the writings of the first fifteen women presidents gives more insight into the expanded role of women in the association.[16]
National outreach[edit]
The ALA is affiliated with regional, state, and student chapters across the country. It organizes conferences, participates in library standards development, and publishes books and periodicals. The ALA publishes the journals American Libraries, Booklist and Choice.
The Graphics Program creates and distributes products that promote libraries, literacy and reading.[87] Along with other organizations, it sponsors the annual Banned Books Week the last week of September. The Young Adult Library Services Association also sponsors Teen Read Week, the third week of each October, and Teen Tech Week, the second week of each March. In addition, the ALA helps to promote diversity in the library profession with various outreach activities, including the Spectrum Scholarship program, which awards academic scholarships to minority library students each year.[88]
Additionally, the ALA's Office for Library Advocacy has an initiative called I Love Libraries, also known as ilovelibraries, which attempts to "spread the world about the value of today's libraries," promotes value of librarians and libraries, explains key library issues, and "urges readers to support and take action for their libraries."[89][90]
The ALA provides many scholarships (over $300,000 annually), a list of which can be found on their website.[91]
National Library Week, the second week of each April, is a national observance sponsored by the ALA since 1958.[92] Libraries across the country celebrate library resources, library champions and promote public outreach.
The American Library Association confers many professional recognition awards.[93] Association-wide awards include American Library Association Honorary Membership,[94] the Joseph W. Lippincott Award, the ALA Medal of Excellence[95] and American Library Association Equality Award.
The ALA annually confers numerous book and media awards, many through its children's and young adult divisions.
The Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) administers:
The Odyssey Award for best audiobook (joint with YALSA), and the (U.S.) Carnegie Medal and for best video. There are also two ALSC lifetime recognitions, the Children's Literature Legacy Award and the Arbuthnot Lecture.
The Coretta Scott King Award honorees are awarded by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table.[97]
The young-adult division, YALSA, administers the Margaret Edwards Award for significant and lasting contribution to YA literature, a lifetime recognition of one author annually, and annual awards that recognize particular works: the Michael L. Printz Award for a YA book judged on literary merit alone, the William C. Morris Award for an author's first YA book, the new "YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults," and the "Alex Award" list of ten adult books having special appeal for teens. Jointly with the children's division ALSC there is the Odyssey Award for excellence in audiobook production.[98]
The award for YA nonfiction was inaugurated in 2012, defined by ages 12 to 18 and publication year November 2010 to October 2011. The first winner was The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin (Roaring Brook Press, November 2010) and four other finalists were named.[99][100]
The Reference and User Services Association awards include annual lists of "Notable" and "Best" books and other media.[101]
The Reference and User Services Association awards also include the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, Dartmouth Medal, Sophie Brody Award and Schneider Book Awards.
The Library History Round Table awards the Justin Winsor Prize for the best library history essay.
The Rainbow RoundTable annually honors authors with the Stonewall Book Award).
The annual awards roster also includes the John Cotton Dana Award for excellence in library public relations, and the I Love My Librarian award in concert with the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York and the New York Public Library.
In 2000, the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) launched the Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture in tribute to the work of the first OLOS director, Jean E. Coleman. Barbara J. Ford gave the inaugural lecture, "Libraries, Literacy, Outreach and the Digital Divide."
Since 2006, the ALA has selected a class of Emerging Leaders, typically comprising about 100 librarians and library school students. This minor distinction is a form of organizational outreach to new librarians. The Emerging Leaders are allocated to project groups tasked with developing solutions to specified problems within ALA divisions. The class meets at the ALA Midwinter and Annual Meetings, commonly January and June. Project teams may present posters of their completed projects at the Annual.[102]