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Library and Information Technology Association

The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) was a division of the American Library Association (ALA), focusing on the intersections of libraries and information technology.[1] Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Chicago,[2] LITA was dissolved in 2020 amid declining membership and persistent budget deficits. LITA merged into a new ALA division, Core.[3]

Name[edit]

During the division's initial stages of development in 1966, it was pressed by the ALA's Reference and User Services Association that the name should include the words "Information Science",[4] and as a result of this and a report made by a Committee of Organization, the Information Science and Automation Division (ISAD) of the ALA came into existence. The name was later changed by the bylaws committee to the Library and Information Technology Association (or LITA, as it is more commonly known) in 1978 due to the expansion of the division's scope in the twelve years that it had been operational.

History[edit]

In the early 1960s, the idea of libraries utilizing computers came into existence at the National Library of Medicine with the MEDLARS project, which was a pioneer project that came about in 1961 for serials control. From this point, library technology began to trend within the library community, and the ALA started to participate in the technology world, bringing about innovation in library technology by 1964.


On January 27, 1966, the ALA Committee on Organization proposed that a new division of the ALA be created to grow with and endorse these new developments in library technology. A formal recommendation of the division's creation was constructed by the Committee on Organization and was then taken to the ALA Council, who approved the division's establishment, birthing the Information Science and Automation Division, which would later be renamed the Library and Information Technology Association. The division was officially established in New York at the 1966 ALA Annual Conference. The first elections for the Board of Directors occurred on July 1, 1967, where Stephen R. Salmon was elected as the first president of the division.


During the first two to three decades of the division's life, it experienced a complex organizational shift as it was rapidly evolving and expanding, resulting in its change of name to the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). The expansion of LITA during this time also brought about the growth of interest groups and the inclusion of new programs like "The Distinguished Lecture Series" and "LITA Scholarships". Following the initial strain of the division's developing years, LITA began to see financial light by the 1990s, and by 1993, the roster had grown to 5,802 members and was considered a reputable, well organized, and efficiently run division of the ALA.[5]

Weinraub Lajoie, Evviva 2020

Morton-Owens, Emily 2019 - 2020

Kim, Bohyun 2018-2019

Yelton, Andromeda 2017-2018

Fifarek, Aimee 2016-2017

Dowling, Thomas P. 2015-2016

Vacek, Rachel 2014-2015

Blyberg, Cindi Trainor 2013-2014

Stewart-Marshall, Zoe 2012-2013

Cuddy, Colleen 2011-2012

Starr, Karen 2010-2011

Frisque, Michelle 2009-2010

2008-2009

Pace, Andrew

Beatty, Mark 2007-2008

Postlethwaite, Bonnie 2006-2007

Mullin, Patrick J. 2005-2006

Riggs, Colby M. 2004-2005

Wilson, Thomas C. 2003-2004

Ensor, Pat 2002-2003

Wilson, Flo 2001-2002

Randall, Sara L. 2000-2001

1999-2000

Gorman, Michael

Higginbotham, Barbara B. 1998-1999

Miller, Linda D. 1997-1998

Leonhardt, Thomas W. 1996-1997

Newberry, Michele (Dalehite) 1995-1996

Roderer, Nancy K. 1994-1995

Miller, Tamara J. 1993-1994

Crawford, Walt 1992-1993

1991-1992

Peters, Paul Evan

Michalak, Jo-Ann 1990-1991

Parkhurst, Carol A. 1989-1990

Schmidt, Sherrie 1988-1989

Potter, William Gray 1987-1988

DeBuse, Raymond 1986-1987

Kershner, Lois M. 1985-1986

Eaton, Nancy L. 1984-1985

Dowlin, Kenneth 1983-1984

Gray, Carolyn M. 1982-1983

Kenney, Brigitte L. 1981-1982

Malinconico, S. Michael 1980-1981

Markuson, Barbara E. 1979-1980

Martin, Susan K. 1978-1979

Freedman, Maurice J. 1977-1978

Rosenthal, Joseph A. 1976-1977

1975-1976

Avram, Henriette B.

1974-1975

Kilgour, Frederick G.

Kilgour, Frederick G. 1973-1974

Shoffner, Ralph M. 1972-1973

1971-1972

Shera, Jesse H.

DeGennaro, Richard 1970-1971

1969-1970

Hayes, Robert M.

Shank, Russell 1968-1969

Becker, Joseph 1967-1968

Salmon, Stephen R. 1966-1967

Assessment and Research Committee

Bylaws and Organizations Committee

Committee Chairs Committee

Education Committee

Financial Advisory Committee

Forum Planning Committee 2014

Forum Planning Committee 2015

Frederick G. Kilgour Award Committee

Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award Committee

Interest Group Chair Committee

LITA/ Metadata Standards Committee

ALCTS

LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship Committee

LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award Committee

LITA/Hi Tech Award Committee

LITA/ and LITA/LSSI Minority Scholarships Committee

OCLC

Membership Development Committee

Nominating Committee

Program Planning Committee

Publications Committee

ITAL Editorial Board

Top Technology Trends Committee

Web Coordinating Committee

The LITA Committees were created by the Board of Directors in order to manage specific concerns within LITA's broad encompassment of issues. The committees were made up of a minimum of three appointed LITA members, with the opportunity for interns to be appointed for one-year terms. There was also one board member who serves as a liaison to a committee so as to guarantee open communication between a respective committee and the Board of Directors.[12]


List of LITA committees active as of 2014:

Accessibility

(LITA/ALCTS)

Authority Control

—Blog, Interactive Groupware, and Wiki Interest Group

BIGWIG

Distance Learning

Drupal4Lib

(LITA/ALCTS)

Electronic Resources Management

Game Making

Heads of Library Technology

Imagineering

Library Code Year (LITA/)

ALCTS

Library Consortia Automated Systems

Linked Library Data (LITA/)

ALCTS

LITA Instructional Technologies

Formats Transition (LITA/ALCTS)

MARC

Mobile Computing

Next Generation Catalog

Open Source Systems

Technology

Public Library

Search Engine Optimization

User Experience

Publications[edit]

Publications by LITA included the LITA Guides book series[15] and published conference proceedings. A complete list can be found on the American Library Association web site [16] and in WorldCat by searching for Library and Information Technology Association as an author.[17]


Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) was the refereed journal published quarterly by LITA. ITAL content included feature articles, communications, tutorials and reviews related to all aspects of libraries and information technology.


LITA also maintained the LITA Blog, which contained announcements about LITA programming as well as original contributions by LITA members about technologies and trends.[18]

LITA Blog

Library Information and Technology Association

LITA Books

ITAL

American Library Association