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82-478: The 1989 American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy formally defined information literacy (IL) as attributes of an individual, stating that "to be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information". In 1990, academic Lori Arp published a paper asking, "Are information literacy instruction and bibliographic instruction

164-475: A historically black college or university . She also was president during COVID-19 and the live annual conference was cancelled and delivered virtually. Brown characterized her presidency as one of "change, loss, and hope." In 2021, Patty Wong became the first Asian-American president of the ALA. In 2022 Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada was the first Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander American president. In 2023

246-540: A 1976 paper by Lee Burchina presented at the Texas A&;M University library's symposium. Burchina identified a set of skills needed to locate and use information for problem solving and decision making. In another 1976 article in Library Journal , M.R. Owens applied the concept to political information literacy and civic responsibility, stating, "All [people] are created equal but voters with information resources are in

328-521: A Liberal Art," Jeremy J. Shapiro and Shelley K. Hughes (1996) advocated a more holistic approach to information literacy education, one that encouraged not merely the addition of information technology courses as an adjunct to existing curricula, but rather a radically new conceptualization of "our entire educational curriculum in terms of information." Drawing upon Enlightenment ideals like those articulated by Enlightenment philosopher Condorcet , Shapiro and Hughes argued that information literacy education

410-508: A basic human right, and their ultimate goal is to use information literacy as a way to allow everyone to participate in the "Information Society" as a way of fulfilling this right. The following organizations are founding members of IAIL: According to the UNESCO website, their "action to provide people with the skills and abilities for critical reception, assessment and use of information and media in their professional and personal lives." Their goal

492-570: A democratic and pluralistic society, educators should be challenging governments and the business sector to support and fund educational initiatives in information literacy. The phrase "information literacy" first appeared in print in a 1974 report written on behalf of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science by Paul G. Zurkowski, who was at the time president of the Information Industry Association (now

574-591: A difficult and complex challenge and underscores the importance of being able to think critically. Critical thinking is an important educational outcome for students. Education institutions have experimented with several strategies to help foster critical thinking, as a means to enhance information evaluation and information literacy among students. When evaluating evidence, students should be encouraged to practice formal argumentation. Debates and formal presentations must also be encouraged to analyze and critically evaluate information. Education professionals must underscore

656-582: A federated structure for AASL, or even secession from ALA. In November 2015, the House and Senate Conference Committee added language to the Every Student Succeeds Act , recognizing the value of school libraries, an important milestone for AASL and ALA. For 2017, AASL is planning on introducing the AASL Induction Program, a leadership program for new school library professionals. Advocacy

738-668: A group of librarians proposed that the ALA schedule a new round table program discussion on the social responsibilities of librarians at its annual conference in Kansas City . This group called themselves the Organizing Committee for the ALA Round Table on Social Responsibilities of Libraries. This group drew in many other under-represented groups in the ALA who lacked power, including the Congress for Change in 1969. This formation of

820-621: A more humanistic sort," suggesting seven important components of a holistic approach to information literacy: Ira Shor further defines critical literacy as "[habits] of thought, reading, writing, and speaking which go beneath surface meaning, first impressions, dominant myths, official pronouncements, traditional clichés, received wisdom , and mere opinions, to understand the deep meaning, root causes, social context, ideology, and personal consequences of any action, event, object, process, organization, experience, text, subject matter, policy, mass media, or discourse." Big6 (Eisenberg and Berkowitz 1990)

902-719: A permanent committee – Committee on Intellectual Freedom. The ALA made revisions to strengthen the Library Bill of Rights in June 1948, approved the Statement on Labeling in 1951 to discourage labeling material as subversive, and adopted the Freedom to Read Statement and the Overseas Library Statement in 1953. The ALA has worked throughout its history to define, extend, protect and advocate for equity of access to information. In 1945

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984-435: A position to make more intelligent decisions than citizens who are information illiterates. The application of information resources to the process of decision-making to fulfill civic responsibilities is a vital necessity." In a literature review published in an academic journal in 2020, Oral Roberts University professor Angela Sample cites several conceptual waves of information literacy definitions as defining information as

1066-574: A standard against censorship and was adopted by the ALA in 1939. This has been recognized as the moment defining modern librarianship as a profession committed to intellectual freedom and the right to read. ALA appointed a committee to study censorship and recommend policy after the banning of the novel The Grapes of Wrath in Kern County , California and the implementation of the Library Bill of Rights. The committee reported in 1940 that intellectual freedom and professionalism were linked and recommended

1148-402: A time when the publishing world has little diversity. Works from authors and illustrators of color make up less than 8 percent of children's titles produced in 2013. The ALA hopes this regrettable incident will be used to open a dialogue on the need for diversity in the publishing industry, particularly in regards to books for young people." In 2020 Wanda Kay Brown was the first president from

1230-425: A way of thinking, a set of skills, and a social practice . The introduction of these concepts led to the adoption of a mechanism called metaliteracy and the creation of threshold concepts and knowledge dispositions, which led to the creation of the ALA's Information Literacy Framework. The American Library Association 's Presidential Committee on Information Literacy released a report on January 10, 1989. Titled as

1312-450: Is "essential to the future of democracy , if citizens are to be intelligent shapers of the information society rather than its pawns, and to humanistic culture, if information is to be part of a meaningful existence rather than a routine of production and consumption." To this end, Shapiro and Hughes outlined a "prototype curriculum" that encompassed the concepts of computer literacy , library skills, and "a broader, critical conception of

1394-410: Is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion in all nations." The United States National Forum on Information Literacy defined information literacy as "the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand." A number of other efforts have been made to better define

1476-414: Is a key focus of educational institutions at all levels and in order to uphold this standard, institutions are promoting a commitment to lifelong learning and an ability to seek out and identify innovations that will be needed to keep pace with or outpace changes. Educational methods and practices, within our increasingly information-centric society, must facilitate and enhance a student's ability to harness

1558-455: Is a six-step process that provides support in the activities required to solve information-based problems: task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation. The Big6 skills have been used in a variety of settings to help those with a variety of needs. For example, the library of Dubai Women's College, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which

1640-457: Is an English as a second language institution, uses the Big6 model for its information literacy workshops. According to Story-Huffman (2009), using Big6 at the college "has transcended cultural and physical boundaries to provide a knowledge base to help students become information literate" (para. 8). In primary grades, Big6 has been found to work well with variety of cognitive and language levels found in

1722-488: Is an important part of the AASL mission. In 1948, AASL first put forth a list of school library standards. In 2007, AASL efforts advocated for flexible scheduling of school library media centers, as well as information literacy . AASL established Banned Websites Awareness Day to call attention to the large number of educational websites that are inadvertently blocked by school website filtering software. This awareness day occurs

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1804-532: Is made up of two representatives, also called delegates, from each affiliated state organization. These affiliated organizations include regional and state school library associations. Delegates are usually the presidents or other officers of the affiliated organizations they represent. Delegates alert the Board of both good and bad in the field through a concerns and commendations process. Statements of Commendation are intended to provide worthy programs with accolades at

1886-458: Is problem-based, is designed to fit into the context of Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive objectives, and aims toward the development of critical thinking. While the Big6 approach has a great deal of power, it also has serious weaknesses. Chief among these are the fact that users often lack well-formed statements of information needs, as well as the model's reliance on problem-solving rhetoric. Often,

1968-559: Is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences (Association of College, p. 5). Some call for increased critical analysis in Information Literacy instruction. Smith (2013) identifies this as beneficial "to individuals, particularly young people during their period of formal education. It could equip them with

2050-567: Is to create information literate societies by creating and maintaining educational policies for information literacy. They work with teachers around the world, training them in the importance of information literacy and providing resources for them to use in their classrooms. UNESCO publishes studies in multiple countries, looking at how information literacy is currently taught, how it differs in different demographics, and how to raise awareness. They also publish tools and curricula for school boards and teachers to implement. In "Information Literacy as

2132-532: Is to empower leaders to transform teaching and learning. At the 1914 ALA Midwinter Conference, a petition from the Roundtable of Normal and High School Librarians for a School Libraries Section was approved. In 1915, at the ALA Annual Conference, Mary E. Hall was elected the section's first president. ALA sections serve the larger membership divisions, of which there are currently eleven. The title AASL

2214-634: The American Library Association (ALA) that has more than 7,000 members and serves primary school and secondary school librarians in the U.S., Canada, and even internationally. Prior to being established in 1951, school librarians were served by the School Library Section of ALA founded in 1914, which emerged from the Roundtable of Normal and High School Librarians. The mission of the American Association of School Librarians

2296-590: The Association for Educational Communications and Technology published Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning , which further established specific goals for information literacy education, defining some nine standards in the categories of "information literacy," "independent learning," and "social responsibility." Also in 1998, the Presidential Committee on Information Literacy updated its final report. The report outlined six recommendations from

2378-465: The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science , sponsored an international conference in Prague. Representatives from twenty-three countries gathered to discuss the importance of information literacy in a global context. The resulting Prague Declaration described information literacy as a "key to social, cultural, and economic development of nations and communities, institutions and individuals in

2460-478: The Software and Information Industry Association ). Zurkowski used the phrase to describe the "techniques and skills" learned by the information literate "for utilizing the wide range of information tools as well as primary sources in molding information solutions to their problems" and drew a relatively firm line between the "literates" and "information illiterates." The concept of information literacy appeared again in

2542-418: The library and information studies field, and rooted in the concepts of library instruction and bibliographic instruction, is the ability "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information." In this view, information literacy is the basis for lifelong learning. It is also the basis for evaluating contemporary sources of information. In

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2624-542: The 2024–2025 term is Cindy Hohl . President-elect, Sam Helmick , will preside in 2025-2026. The executive director of the American Library Association delegates authority within ALA headquarters to ALA’s department heads, who, in carrying out their assigned duties, are called upon to use ALA’s name, and, in that name, to commit the Association to programs, activities, and binding agreements. Secretaries of

2706-599: The 21st century" and declared its acquisition as "part of the basic human right of lifelong learning". In the United States specifically, information literacy was prioritized in 2009  during President Barack Obama 's first term. In effort to stress the value information literacy has on everyday communication, he designated October as National Information Literacy Awareness Month in his released proclamation. The American Library Association 's Presidential Committee on Information Literacy defined information literacy as

2788-582: The ALA "does not promote any 'ideology'". The Association received the Toni Morrison Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle . The Library History Round Table published the "Bibliography of Library History" database containing over 7,000 entries for books, articles, and theses in library history and related fields published from 1990 to 2022. Cindy Hohl , the first SPECTRUM Scholar to be elected president

2870-597: The ALA and the Office for Literacy and Outreach were established in 1970. In 1971, Barbara Gittings staffed a kissing booth at the ALA Conference underneath the banner, "Hug a Homosexual." This was the precipitating event that evolved into the Rainbow Round Table dedicated to supporting the information needs of LGBTQIA+ people. The American Library Association celebrated its centennial in 1976. In commemoration

2952-676: The ALA commissioned a study, Access to Public Libraries , which found direct and indirect discrimination in American libraries. In 1967, some librarians protested against a pro- Vietnam War speech given by General Maxwell D. Taylor at the annual ALA conference in San Francisco; the former president of Sarah Lawrence College , Harold Taylor , spoke to the Middle-Atlantic Regional Library Conference about socially responsible professionalism; and less than one year later

3034-663: The ALA established an Office in Washington, D.C. named the National Relations Office under the direction of Paul Howard. In 1961, the ALA took a stand regarding service to African Americans and others, advocating for equal library service for all. An amendment to the Library Bill of Rights was passed in 1961 that made clear that an individual's library use should not be denied or abridged because of race, religion, national origin, or political views. Some communities decided to close their doors rather than desegregate. In 1963,

3116-410: The ALA guidelines on library services to the poor. The Office for Information Technology Policy was established in 1995 to act as a public policy advocate for libraries in the area of information technology. The "Congress on Professional Education" took place from April 30 to May 1, 1999 in Washington, D.C., with over 100 participating. Its purpose was to reach consensus among stakeholder groups on

3198-528: The ALA, serving as its acting president from April 11 to July 22 in 1976 upon the death of Allie Beth Martin and then elected president from July 22, 1976 to 1977. In 1979 and 1991 the ALA collaborated with the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science on two White House Conferences. In 1983 in response to the National Commission on Excellence in Education Report, A Nation at Risk , leaders in library and information science launched

3280-405: The ALA. In 2014, Courtney Young , president of the association, commented on the background and implications of a racist joke author Daniel Handler made as African American writer Jacqueline Woodson received a National Book Award for Brown Girl Dreaming . "His comments were inappropriate and fell far short of the association's commitment to diversity," said Young. "Handler's remarks come at

3362-484: The Association prior to Carl Milam were George Burwell Utley (1911–20); Chalmers Hadley (1909–11); Edward C. Hovey (1905–7); James Ingersoll Wyer (1902–09); Frederick Winthrop Faxon (1900–02); Henry James Carr (1898–1900); Melvil Dewey (1897–98); Rutherford Platt Hayes (1896–97); Henry Livingston Elmendorf (1895–96); Frank Pierce Hill (1891–95); Mary Salome Cutler (1891); William E. Parker (1890– 1891) and Melvil Dewey (1879–90). The official purpose of

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3444-731: The Bibliographical Society of America . In 1911, Theresa Elmendorf became ALA's first woman president. An analysis of the writings of the first fifteen women presidents gives more insight into the expanded role of women in the association. During World War I the ALA Executive Board initiated by Walter Lewis Brown established the Library War Service Committee to supply books and periodicals to military personnel at home and overseas. The American Library in Paris

3526-670: The IFLA website, "The primary purpose of the Information Literacy Section is to foster international cooperation in the development of information literacy education in all types of libraries and information institutions." This alliance was created from the recommendation of the Prague Conference of Information Literacy Experts in 2003. One of its goals is to allow for the sharing of information literacy research and knowledge between nations. The IAIL also sees "lifelong learning" as

3608-577: The Library History Round Table has been documented by the first archivist, Maynard Britchford. Additionally, the American Library Association Institutional Repository (ALAIR) provides digital access to the publications and intellectual work of the Association. ALA membership is open to any person or organization, though most of its members are libraries or librarians. Most members live and work in

3690-527: The National Forum and regular citizens to recognize that "the result of these combined efforts will be a citizenry which is made up of effective lifelong learners who can always find the information needed for the issue or decision at hand. This new generation of information literate citizens will truly be America's most valuable resource," and to continue working toward an information literate world. The Presidential Committee on Information Literacy resulted in

3772-550: The Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report, the article outlines the importance of information literacy, opportunities to develop it, and the idea of an Information Age School. The recommendations of the Committee led to establishment of the National Forum on Information Literacy, a coalition of more than 90 national and international organizations. In 1998, the American Association of School Librarians and

3854-608: The Public Library Association of ALA published the Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report addressing the myriad ways libraries nationwide serve and sustain their communities. That same year, the Montana State Library Commission withdrew from the ALA, citing comments made by Emily Drabinski , who self-identified as a "Marxist lesbian". The Digital Public Library Ecosystem

3936-481: The United States, with international members comprising 3.5% of total membership. The ALA is governed by an elected council and an executive board. Policies and programs are administered by committees and round tables. One of the organization's most visible tasks is overseen by the Office for Accreditation, which formally reviews and authorizes American and Canadian academic institutions that offer degree programs in library and information science . ALA's President for

4018-606: The Wednesday during Banned Books Week. AASL also created School Library Month, held every April, to showcase school librarians and school library programs. The first School Library Month (then titled School Library Media Month) was held April 1, 1985. Since 1977, the AASL Affiliate Assembly has provided a way for school library professionals in each state to relay their concerns to the AASL Board of Directors. The assembly

4100-525: The ability "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" and highlighted information literacy as a skill essential for lifelong learning and the production of an informed and prosperous citizenry. The committee outlined six principal recommendations. Included were recommendations like "Reconsider the ways we have organized information institutionally, structured information access, and defined information's role in our lives at home in

4182-467: The access, training and information they need. In Osborne (2004), many libraries around the country are finding numerous ways to reach many of these disadvantaged groups by discovering their needs in their own environments (including prisons) and offering them specific services in the libraries themselves. The rapidly evolving information landscape has demonstrated a need for education methods and practices to evolve and adapt accordingly. Information literacy

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4264-487: The association is "to promote library service and librarianship." Members may join one or more of eight membership divisions that deal with specialized topics such as academic, school, or public libraries, technical or reference services, and library administration. Members may also join any of the nineteen round tables that are grouped around more specific interests and issues than the broader set of ALA divisions. Task forces: The Committee on Literacy develops and recommends

4346-553: The association published Libraries and the Life of the Mind in America. The American Library Association Archives, established at the time of the centennial, created an online exhibit which includes a history of the centennial. Clara Stanton Jones , president, Inaugural address was titled, “The First Step into ALA’s Second Century.” Clara Stanton Jones was the first African American president of

4428-408: The association's policies related to the promotion of multiple literacies. The Chapter Relations Committee develops and recognizes chapters as integral components of ALA, encourages discussion, activities and programs that support the mutual interests of ALA and the chapters. American Association of School Librarians The American Association of School Librarians ( AASL ) is a division of

4510-503: The classroom. Differentiated instruction and the Big6 appear to be made for each other. While it seems as though all children will be on the same Big6 step at the same time during a unit of instruction, there is no reason students cannot work through steps at an individual pace. In addition, the Big 6 process allows for seamless differentiation by interest. Issues to consider in the Big6 approach have been highlighted by Philip Doty: This approach

4592-623: The committee was approved in 1969 and would change its name to the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) in 1971. After its inception, the Round Table of Social Responsibilities began to press ALA leadership to address issues such as library unions, working conditions, wages, and intellectual freedom. The Freedom to Read Foundation was founded by Judith Krug , Alexander Allain , and Carrie C Robinson and established by ALA's executive board in 1969. The Black Caucus of

4674-433: The community, and in the work place"; to promote "public awareness of the problems created by information illiteracy"; to develop a national research agenda related to information and its use; to ensure the existence of "a climate conducive to students' becoming information literate"; to include information literacy concerns in teacher education democracy. In the updated report, the committee ended with an invitation, asking

4756-507: The concept and its relationship to other skills and forms of literacy . Other pedagogical outcomes related to information literacy include traditional literacy, computer literacy , research skills and critical thinking skills. Information literacy as a sub-discipline is an emerging topic of interest and counter measure among educators and librarians with the prevalence of misinformation , fake news , and disinformation . Scholars have argued that in order to maximize people's contributions to

4838-399: The context of our culturally and linguistically diverse and increasingly globalized societies. We also need to take account of the burgeoning variety of text forms associated with information and multimedia technologies. Evaluation consists of several component processes including metacognition, goals, personal disposition, cognitive development, deliberation, and decision-making. This is both

4920-418: The creation of the National Forum on Information Literacy. In 1983, United States published "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform", a report declaring that a "rising tide of mediocrity" was eroding the foundation of the American educational system. The report has been regarded as the genesis of the current educational reform movement within the United States. This report, in conjunction with

5002-480: 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 ) and Richard Rogers Bowker . Attendees came from as far west as Chicago and from England. The ALA

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5084-646: The importance of high information quality. Students must be trained to distinguish between fact and opinion. They must be encouraged to use cue words such as "I think" and "I feel" to help distinguish between factual information and opinions. Information related skills that are complex or difficult to comprehend must be broken down into smaller parts. Another approach would be to train students in familiar contexts. Education professionals should encourage students to examine "causes" of behaviors, actions and events. Research shows that people evaluate more effectively if causes are revealed, where available. Information in any format

5166-470: The importance of information literacy as a basic, fundamental human right, and consider IL as a lifelong learning skill. IFLA has established an Information Literacy Section. The Section has, in turn, developed and mounted an Information Literacy Resources Directory, called InfoLit Global. Librarians, educators and information professionals may self-register and upload information-literacy-related materials. (IFLA, Information Literacy Section, n.d.) According to

5248-474: The information they require: Minority and at-risk students, illiterate adults, people with English as a second language, and economically disadvantaged people are among those most likely to lack access to the information that can improve their situations. Most are not even aware of the potential help that is available to them. As the Presidential Committee report points out, members of these disadvantaged groups are often unaware that libraries can provide them with

5330-419: The learning community and to society is information literate and Since information may be presented in a number of formats, the term "information" applies to more than just the printed word. Other literacies such as visual, media, computer, network, and basic literacies are implicit in information literacy. Many of those who are in most need of information literacy are often amongst those least able to access

5412-410: The national level. Recent Statements of Concern range from improving communication with other divisions within ALA to monitoring the increasing number of public libraries managing school libraries. Statements of Concern are not abstract creations. They are focused concerns that must include a doable plan of action. AASL publishes standards for school libraries that provide benchmarks and insight into

5494-467: The need for information and its use are situated in circumstances that are not as well-defined, discrete, and monolithic as problems. Eisenberg (2004) has recognized that there are a number of challenges to effectively applying the Big6 skills, not the least of which is information overload which can overwhelm students. Part of Eisenberg's solution is for schools to help students become discriminating users of information. This conception, used primarily in

5576-534: The off years when a national conference is not held, AASL holds a Fall Forum over several days instead. The first Fall Forum was held in Dallas, Texas in 2004 At times, AASL has been at odds with its parent organization. At the 1984 ALA Midwinter Meeting, AASL directors discussed options for obtaining more independence from ALA. Two of the Future Structures Committee's more radical recommendations included

5658-549: The original report, and examined areas of challenge and progress. In 1999, the Society of College, National and University Libraries ( SCONUL ) in the UK published The Seven Pillars of Information Literacy to model the relationship between information skills and IT skills, and the idea of the progression of information literacy into the curriculum of higher education. In 2003, the National Forum on Information Literacy, along with UNESCO and

5740-471: The power of information. Key to harnessing the power of information is the ability to evaluate information, to ascertain among other things its relevance, authenticity and modernity. The information evaluation process is crucial life skill and a basis for lifelong learning. According to Lankshear and Knobel, what is needed in our education system is a new understanding of literacy, information literacy and on literacy teaching. Educators need to learn to account for

5822-577: The project, "Libraries and the Learning Society." Librarians examined how public libraries, academic libraries, library and information science training institutions, and school library media centers could best respond to A Nation at Risk. In June 1990, the ALA approved "Policy on Library Services to the Poor" and in 1996 the Task Force on Hunger, Homelessness, and Poverty was formed to resurrect and promote

5904-454: The publication Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (AASL and AECT, 1998), three categories, nine standards, and twenty-nine indicators are used to describe the information literate student. The categories and their standards are as follows: Standards: The student who is information literate Standards: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and Standards: The student who contributes positively to

5986-540: The rapid emergence of the information society, led the American Library Association (ALA) to convene a panel of educators and librarians in 1987. The Forum, UNESCO and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) collaborated to organize several "experts meetings" that resulted in the Prague Declaration (2003) and the Alexandria Proclamation (2005). Both statements underscore

6068-499: The same?" Arp argued that neither term was particularly well defined by theoreticians or practitioners in the field. Further studies were needed to lessen the confusion and continue to articulate the parameters of the question. The Alexandria Proclamation of 2005 defined the term as a human rights issue: "Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. It

6150-455: The skills they need to understand the political system and their place within it, and, where necessary, to challenge this" (p. 16). 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

6232-413: The values and core competencies of the profession and on strategies for action to address common issues and concerns. At the beginning of the century The Congress on Professional Education recommended that the Association develop a set of Core Values. In 2007, Loriene Roy was elected as the first Native American President of the ALA. In 2009, Camila Alire became the first Hispanic president of

6314-619: The world. 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 . 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,

6396-511: Was chartered in 1879 in Massachusetts . Its headquarters office is in Chicago . Another important founder was Frederick Leypoldt , publisher of Library Journal , who published the conference proceedings. Justin Winsor was the first president of the ALA, serving from 1876 until 1885. Many early presidents were also officers in the Bibliographical Society of America. See List of presidents of

6478-512: Was first used in 1944, as part of the ALA's Division of Libraries for Children and Young People. Demand for AASL division status peaked in 1950, when a preconference was held to discuss separating AASL into its own independent division. On January 1, 1951, AASL achieved independent division status. The first president of AASL was Laura K. Martin, who served in 1951–1952. In 1980, AASL held its first national conference in Louisville, Kentucky. In

6560-482: Was founded as part of this effort. In the 1930s, library activists pressured the American Library Association to be more responsive to issues such as peace, segregation, library unions, and intellectual freedom. In 1931, the Junior Members Round Table (JMRT) was formed to provide a voice for the younger members of the ALA. The first Library Bill of Rights (LBR) was drafted by Forrest Spaulding to set

6642-600: Was inaugurated in July 2024. Her presidential theme is “A Good Way for ALA.” Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained was published in 2024. The ALA Archives, including historical documents, non-current records, and digital records, are held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign archives. The establishment of the archives and the roles of David Horace Clift , Robert Wedgeworth , Beta Phi Mu , and

6724-443: Was published by ALA in 2023. It is a comprehensive overview of the current state and operations of the relationships and roles of stakeholders including authors, agents, publishers, distributors, the library community, governments, and trade organizations. In 2024, in response to proposed Georgia legislation that would prohibit public expenditures on the ALA, the ALA responded that the legislation "is based on false narratives", and

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