American Library Association#Intellectual freedom

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.Thomison, D. A History of the American Library Association. 1876–1972; American Library Association: Chicago. 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)Charles Evans Holley Edward G. 1963. Charles Evans: American Bibliographer. Urbana Illinois: University of Illinois Press. and Richard Rogers Bowker. Attendees came from as far west as Chicago and from England.{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.ala.org/aboutala/history |website=American Library Association |date=June 9, 2008 |access-date=February 27, 2022}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionhistory/history |title=History |website=American Library Association |access-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128031727/http://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionhistory/history |archive-date=January 28, 2013}}*Green, Samuel Swett. (1913). [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044015587264&seq=135 The Public Library Movement in the United States 1853-1893.: From 1876 Reminiscences of the Writer.] Boston Mass: Boston Book. The ALA was chartered{{cite web |url=http://www.ala.org/aboutala/history/charter-1879-revised-1942 |title=Charter of 1879 (Revised 1942) |website=American Library Association |access-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328000718/http://www.ala.org/aboutala/history/charter-1879-revised-1942 |archive-date=March 28, 2014}} in 1879 in Massachusetts. Its headquarters office is in Chicago.{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Justin-Winsor|title=Justin Winsor {{!}} American librarian|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2018-08-17|language=en}}

Another important founder was Frederick Leypoldt, publisher of Library Journal, who published the conference proceedings.[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044011710068&seq=25 Library Journal 1 1876-1877].

Justin Winsor was the first president of the ALA, serving from 1876 until 1885.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Justin Winsor (American librarian)|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/645522/Justin-Winsor|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|publisher=Britannica|access-date=16 February 2014}}

Many early presidents were also officers in the Bibliographical Society of America. See List of presidents of the Bibliographical Society of America.

In 1911, Theresa Elmendorf became ALA's first woman president.{{cite news|title=Mrs. Theresa West Elmendorf |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82197786/theresa-elmendorf-1855-1932/ |newspaper=The Daily Tribune |date=August 9, 1946 |location=Wisconsin Rapids, WI |page=9 |via = Newspapers.com |access-date=July 26, 2021}} {{Open access}}Thomison, Dennis (1993). "Elmendorf, Theresa West". In Robert Wedgeworth (ed.). World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services (3rd ed.). Chicago: ALA Editions. ISBN 0-8389-0609-5, p. 280. The death of her husband had forced Theresa Elmendorf to end her unpaid status, and for the next 20 years she held the position of vice-librarian at the Buffalo Public Library. Her new role also meant an increased participation in the American Library Association; in 1911–12 she served as its President, the first woman to hold that position. An analysis of the writings of the first fifteen women presidents gives more insight into the expanded role of women in the association.Busbin, O.Mell, JR. A Survey of the Writings of the First Fifteen Women Presidents of the American Library Association. PhD dissertation. Western Michigan University; 1978.

{{wide image|1919 ALA NewMontereyHotel NJ LC.jpg|800px|American Library Association conference at New Monterey Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey, June 25, 1919}}

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.Young, Arthur P. Books for Sammies: The American Library Association and World War I. Beta Phi Mu chapbook, no. 15. Pittsburgh, Pa: Beta Phi Mu, 1981.

The American Library in Paris 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.(Samek, 2001, p. 7)

The first Library Bill of Rights (LBR) was drafted by Forrest Spaulding to set 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.(Robbins, 1996, p. 166)

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 a permanent committee – Committee on Intellectual Freedom.(McCook, 2011, p. 63) 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.{{cite web | url =http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=ED462981|title=Rocks in the Whirlpool: Equity of Access and the American Library Association}}| Submitted to the Executive Board of the American Library Association June 14, 2002.| ERIC (Education Resources Information Center)| ED462981| Retrieved December 21, 2011

In 1945 the ALA established an Office in Washington, D.C. named the National Relations Office under the direction of Paul Howard.Molumby, Lawrence, E. "[https://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/PPA/ALA%20WO%20Chronology%20First%2050%20Years.pdf ALA Washington Office: A Chronology of its First Fifty Years]." American Library Association, Washington Office, May 1966.

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.Rubin, R. E. (2010). Foundations of library and information science (3rd edn). New York: Neal-Schuman, p.294 In 1963, the ALA commissioned a study, Access to Public Libraries, which found direct and indirect discrimination in American libraries.(McCook, 2011, p. 55)

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 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.(Samek, 2001, pp. 67–8) This formation of 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.(Samek, 2001, p. 69)

The Black Caucus of the ALA and the Office for Literacy and Outreach were established in 1970.(Rubin, 2004, p. 296)

In 1971, Barbara Gittings staffed a kissing booth at the ALA Conference underneath the banner, "Hug a Homosexual."Bullough, Vern, ed. (2002) Before Stonewall: Activists for gay and lesbian rights in historical context. Harrington Park Press; {{ISBN|1-56023-192-0}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gaypioneers.com/soundbitesframe-gittings.cfm |title=Gay Pioneers |publisher=Gay Pioneers |access-date=2019-12-16}}Warner David.{{cite web|url=http://www.citypaper.net/articles/042299/feat.20q.shtml |title=20 questions |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516124313/http://www.citypaper.net/articles/042299/feat.20q.shtml |archive-date=2008-05-16 }} CityPaper.net. April 22–29, 1999; accessed November 4, 2007. 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 the association published Libraries and the Life of the Mind in America.Libraries and the Life of the Mind in America: Addresses Delivered at the Centennial Celebration of the American Library Association. Chicago: American

Library Assn., 1977.[https://www.library.illinois.edu/ala/140-years-ala-conference-planners/11-1976-conference-sources/ Edward G. Holley, ALA at 100, American Library Association] (Chicago, 1976)

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, “The First Step into ALA’s Second Century,” in Step into 200: American Library Association Gala Inaugural Banquet, July 23, 1976, [https://www.library.illinois.edu/ala/140-years-ala-conference-planners/10-1976-conference/ Record series 5/1/1, Box 18, Folder: 1976.]

Clara Stanton Jones was the first African American president of 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."Clara Stanton Jones interviewed by Marva DeLoach," in Women of Color in Librarianship, pp.29- 57.Chicago: American Library Association Editions, 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/aboutala/history/past |title=ALA's Past Presidents | About ALA |date=20 November 2007 |publisher=Ala.org |access-date=2015-10-28}}

In 1979 and 1991 the ALA collaborated with the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science on two White House Conferences.Mathews, Virginia H. 2004. Libraries Citizens & Advocacy: The Lasting Effects of Two White House Conferences on Library and Information Services. Washington D.C.: White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services Taskforce.

In 1983 in response to the National Commission on Excellence in Education Report, A Nation at Risk, leaders in library and information science launched the project, "Libraries and the Learning Society."{{cite report |id={{ERIC|ED243885}} |title=Alliance for Excellence: Librarians Respond to 'A Nation at Risk.' Recommendations and Strategies from Libraries and the Learning Society |date=July 1984 }} 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 the ALA guidelines on library services to the poor.(Berman, 2001, p. 12)

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.Whitwell, Stuart C.A. 'Understanding the New Office for Information Technology Policy.' American Libraries. V. 26. Chicago: American Library Association, 1995

The "Congress on Professional Education" took place from April 30 to May 1, 1999 in Washington, D.C.Sullivan, Peggy. "The congress on professional education: Lessons learned from library school, past and future." American Libraries. 1999;30(7):14-15. Its purpose was to reach consensus among stakeholder groups on the values and core competencies of the profession and on strategies for action to address common issues and concerns.Reichel, Mary, and Marion T. Reid. “Reports from the Congress on Professional Education.” College & Research Libraries News 60, no. 6 (June 1999): 473.American Library Association [https://www.ala.org/ala/hrdr/educprofdev/congressprofessional.htm Congresses on Professional Education].

File:Panelists at ALSC 2022 President Program.jpg 2022 President's Program, Lucia Gonzalez, President]]At the beginning of the century The Congress on Professional Education recommended that the Association develop a set of Core Values.{{cite journal |id={{ERIC|EJ633103}} |last1=Sager |first1=Don |title=The Search for Librarianship's Core Values |journal=Public Libraries |date=2001 |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=149–153 }}

In 2007, Loriene Roy was elected as the first Native American President of the ALA.[http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~loriene/index.html Loriene Roy web page], University of Texas. 19 March 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=news&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=125170 |title=Loriene Roy elected ALA president for 2007-2008 |date=May 1, 2006 |website=American Library Association |access-date=June 8, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/loriene-roy-elected-president-of-american-library-association |title=Loriene Roy elected president of American Library Association |last=Reynolds |first=Jerry |date=August 1, 2007 |website=Indian Country Today |access-date=June 8, 2022}}

In 2009, Camila Alire became the first Hispanic president of the ALA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/1379-1.173742.html|title=US library chief visits University - Archive - News archive - The University of Sheffield|first=University of|last=Sheffield|date=October 14, 2009|website=www.sheffield.ac.uk|access-date=July 4, 2022|archive-date=July 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191555/https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/1379-1.173742.html|url-status=dead}}

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 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."{{cite web |url=http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/29/award-winning-author-jacqueline-woodson-responds-racist-joke |title=Award-Winning Author Jacqueline Woodson Responds to Racist Joke |website=The Advocate |date=November 29, 2014 |last=Garcia |first=Michelle |access-date=February 27, 2022}}

In 2020 Wanda Kay Brown was the first president from 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."Brown, Wanda Kay. 2020. [https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2020/06/01/a-year-of-change-loss-hope/ "A Year of Change, Loss, Hope."] American Libraries June 51:4.

In 2021, Patty Wong became the first Asian-American president of the ALA.{{cite web | url=https://2022.alaannual.org/ala-presidents-program | title=ALA President's Program | 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition | date=May 5, 2022 }}

In 2022 Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada became the first Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander American president of the ALA.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-26 |title=Countering Anti-Asian Hate |url=https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2021/05/26/countering-anti-asian-hate/ |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=American Libraries Magazine |language=en-US}}

In 2023 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.Public Library Association. [https://www.ala.org/pla/sites/ala.org.pla/files/content/data/PLA_Services_Survey_Report_2023.pdf Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report: Results from the 2022 PLA Annual Survey]. Chicago: Public Library Association, 2023

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".{{cite news | last = Girten | first = Nicole | date = July 12, 2023 | title = Montana State Library Commission votes to withdraw from national association | url = https://dailymontanan.com/2023/07/12/montana-state-library-commission-votes-to-withdraw-from-national-association/ | work = Daily Montanan}}

The Digital Public Library Ecosystem 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.Noorda, Rachel and Kathi Inman Berens.2023. [https://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/ebooks/Digital-PL-Ecosystem-Report%20(1).pdf Digital Public Library Ecosystem] American Library Association.

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 the ALA "does not promote any 'ideology'".[https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2024/02/american-library-association-opposes-proposed-georgia-legislation American Library Association Opposes Proposed Georgia Legislation].American Library Association, February 5, 2024.

The Association received the Toni Morrison Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle.[https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2024/01/american-library-association-receive-lifetime-achievement-award-national-book American Library Association to receive lifetime achievement award from National Book Critics Circle]. American Library Association, January 25, 2024.

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.[https://openpublishing.psu.edu/blh/ Bibliography of Library History] American Library Association, Library History Round Table, April 24, 2024.

Cindy Hohl, the first SPECTRUM Scholar to be elected president was inaugurated in July 2024. Her presidential theme is “A Good Way for ALA.”[https://www.ala.org/news/2024/07/hohl-inaugurated-2024-2025-ala-president Hohl inaugurated 2024-2025 ALA president] American Library Association, July 2, 2024.

Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained was published in 2024.American Library Association, American Library Association Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained Working Group. Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained. 2024 revised edition. Chicago: American Library Association.

The ALA Archives, including historical documents, non-current records, and digital records, are held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign archives.{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/offices/library/alaarchive | title =ALA Archives | date =August 9, 2008 | publisher =ALA | access-date =September 1, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100920124447/http://ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/library/alaarchive/index.cfm| archive-date= 20 September 2010 | url-status= live}} The establishment of the archives and the roles of David Horace Clift, Robert Wedgeworth, Beta Phi Mu, and the Library History Round Table has been documented by the first archivist, Maynard Britchford.{{cite journal |last1=Brichford |first1=Maynard |title=Current Status of the American Library Association Archives: A Preliminary Report |journal=The Journal of Library History |date=1977 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=64–69 |jstor=25540717 }}Bertram, Cara. “Preserving the History of the American Library Association.” IFLA Journal, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352241246445.

Additionally, the American Library Association Institutional Repository (ALAIR) provides digital access to the publications and intellectual work of the Association.{{Cite web |title=ALAIR :: Home |url=https://alair.ala.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219084347/https://alair.ala.org/ |archive-date=2023-12-19 |website=alair.ala.org}}Bertram, C. (2024). "Preserving the history of the American Library Association". IFLA Journal, 0(0). {{doi|10.1177/03400352241246445}}.

ALA membership is open to any person or organization, though most of its members are libraries or librarians. Most members live and work in the United States, with international members comprising 3.5% of total membership.{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionhistory/plan/international | title =International Member Survey | publisher =ALA | access-date =2006-11-14 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20121015051420/http://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionhistory/plan/international | archive-date =2012-10-15 }}

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.

{{further|List of presidents of the American Library Association}}

ALA's President for 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."[https://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/officers/eb__info_documents/roles_responsibiliti.pdf ALA President & Executive Director – Roles & Responsibilities]", ALA Executive Board. Annual Conference 2001 – San Francisco. EBD #5.3 2000-2001. June 12, 2001.

{{Collapse top|List of Executive Directors of the American Library Association}}

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Secretaries of 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).American Library Association. "[https://www.ala.org/aboutala/history/past-executive-directors Past Executive Directors & Secretaries]".{{Cite book |last=Wiegand |first=Wayne A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d3iCt6HcgdcC |title=Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey |date=June 1996 |publisher=American Library Association |isbn=978-0-8389-0680-4 |language=en}}

The official purpose of 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.

• American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
• Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).
• Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
• Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. Advances the profession of librarians and information providers in leadership and management, collections and technical services, and technology roles. Formed from former ALA divisions: Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), and Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA).{{Cite web |title=Mission & Strategic Plan {{!}} Core |url=https://www.ala.org/core/about/mission |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.ala.org |language=en}}
• Public Library Association (PLA).
• Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). Serves libraries in reference, user services, adult readers' advisory and collection development as well as resource sharing, genealogy and archives, and reference technology. Selects notable nooks for an annual list.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-19 |title=Notable Books List |url=https://rusaupdate.org/awards/notable-books-list/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=RUSA Update |language=en-US}}
• United for Libraries. Supports those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for all types of libraries.{{Cite web |title=The Voice for America's Libraries {{!}} United for Libraries |url=https://www.ala.org/united/about |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.ala.org |language=en}}
• Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

• ALA Editions (book publishing){{cite web |url=http://www.alaeditions.org/ |title=Home page |website=ALA Editions |access-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111142306/http://www.alaeditions.org/ |archive-date=January 11, 2011}}
• Office for Accreditation
• Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services
• Office for Intellectual Freedom
• Public Programs OfficeRobertson, Deborah A, and Public Programs Office American Library Association.(2004). Cultural Programming for Libraries. ALA Editions.
• Public Policy and Advocacy (est. in 1945)“ALA Washington Office Reorganizes.” 2019. American Libraries 50 (1/2): 14.Molumby, Lawrence E. (1996). "[https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/ppa ALA Washington Office: A Chronology of its First Fifty Years.]"American Library Association.

{{Collapse top|List of ALA Round Tables}}

• Coretta Scott King Book Award Round Table {{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Henrietta M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ar6TAwAAQBAJ |title=The Coretta Scott King Awards, 1970-2009 |date=2009-06-29 |publisher=American Library Association |isbn=978-0-8389-3584-2 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Stephens |first=Claire Gatrell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OOXEEAAAQBAJ |title=Coretta Scott King Award Books: Using Great Literature with Children and Young Adults |date=2000-05-15 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-313-08018-0 |language=en}}
• Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange RT (EMIERT)-committed to Multicultural education
• Exhibits Round Table (ERT)
• Film and Media Round Table (FMRT), from 1988-2018 was the Video Round Table.
• Games and Gaming (GAMERT)
• Government Documents (GODORT)
• Graphic Novel and Comics Round Table (GNCRT){{Cite journal |last1=Godbey |first1=Samantha |last2=Melilli |first2=Amanda |date=2021-10-02 |title=Developing a P-12 English Language Learner Collection in an Academic Library That Reflects Its Community |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01462679.2021.1910889 |journal=Collection Management |language=en |volume=46 |issue=3–4 |pages=273–290 |doi=10.1080/01462679.2021.1910889 |issn=0146-2679}}
• Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT){{Cite book |last=Samek |first=Toni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w1wYokDxrfAC |title=Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility in American Librarianship, 1967-1974 |date=2017-07-06 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-5073-2 |language=en}}
• International Relations (IRRT)
• Learning RT (LearnRT)
• Library History Round Table (LHRT)Greenberg, Gerry (2023), "On LHRT's Seventy-Fifth Anniversary. Libraries: Culture, History, and Society 7 no.1:77-79. "Bibliography of Library History" database containing over 7,000 entries.
• Library Instruction Round Table
• Library Research
• Library Support Staff Interests Round Table
• Map and Geospatial Information
• New Members Round Table
• Rainbow Round Table{{Cite journal |last=Ford |first=Anne |date=2020 |title=The Rainbow's Arc: ALA's Rainbow Round Table celebrates 50 years of pride |journal=American Libraries |volume=51 |issue=6 |pages=26–31 |jstor=26993090 }}
• Retired Members Round Table
• Social Responsibilities Round Table – est. 1969.{{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|207670714}} |last1=Joyce |first1=Steven |title=A Few Gates: An Examination of the Social Responsibilities Debate in the Early 1970s & '90s |journal=Progressive Librarian |issue=15 |date=31 January 1999 |page=1 }}

Task forces:

• *Feminist Task Force{{cite journal |last1=Poole |first1=Alex H. |title='Be Damned Pushy at Times': The Committee on the Status of Women and Feminism in the Archival Profession, 1972–1998 |journal=The American Archivist |date=September 2018 |volume=81 |issue=2 |pages=394–437 |doi=10.17723/0360-9081-81.2.394 }}
• Hunger, Homelessness, and Poverty Task Force
• International Responsibilities Task Force
• Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Task Force
• The Rainbow Project Task Force
• Task Force on the Environment
• Staff Organization
• Sustainability
• Round Table Coordinating Assembly

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The Committee on Literacy develops and recommends the association's policies related to the promotion of multiple literacies.[https://www.ala.org/aboutala/committees/ala/ala-literacy Committee on Literacy.] American Library Association.

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.[https://www.ala.org/aboutala/committees/ala/ala-crc ALA Chapter Relations Committee] American Library Association.

In 1970, the ALA founded the "Task Force on Gay Liberation, the first professional lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization, which became the "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT), now the Rainbow Round Table.{{cite journal |last1=Poole |first1=Alex H. |title='Tearing the Shroud of Invisibility': Communities of Protest Information Practices and the Fight for LGBTQ Rights in US Librarianship |journal=The Library Quarterly |date=October 2020 |volume=90 |issue=4 |pages=530–562 |doi=10.1086/710255 }}{{cite web | title=Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT) |date=October 30, 2006 |url=http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/ | publisher=ALA | access-date=2010-09-01| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100916223855/http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/glbtrt/index.cfm| archive-date= 16 September 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite book | last=Gittings | first=Barbara | title=Gays in library land : the Gay and Lesbian Task Force of the American Library Association : the first sixteen years | publisher=B. Gittings | publication-place=Philadelphia, PA | year=1990 | oclc=22581772 }}

In 1976, the Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) was established as an ALA Council Committee.{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/offices/hrdr/abouthrdr/hrdrliaisoncomm/statusofwomen/committeestatus|title=COSWL|work=ala.org|date=July 26, 2006}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.library.illinois.edu/archives/ala/holdings/?p=creators/creator&id=3540 |title=Status of Women in Librarianship, Committee on the | the American Lib… |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804020111/http://www.library.illinois.edu/archives/ala/holdings/?p=creators/creator&id=3540 |archive-date=4 August 2012 |url-status=dead}}

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.Peggy Barber. "Mickey Mouse, Miss Piggy and the Birth of ALA Graphics." American Libraries, vol. 34, no. 5, May 2003, pp. 60–63 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/offices/diversity/spectrum|title=Spectrum Scholarship Program|work=ala.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404151717/http://www.ala.org/offices/diversity/spectrum|archive-date=2014-04-04}}

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."{{cite web|url=http://www.ilovelibraries.org/about|title=About I Love Libraries|work=ilovelibraries.org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227153737/http://www.ilovelibraries.org/about|archive-date=February 27, 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/united/altaff/friends/friend-your-library|title=Friend Your Library|work=ala.org|date=April 18, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209130129/http://www.ala.org/united/altaff/friends/friend-your-library|archive-date=December 9, 2019}}

The ALA provides many scholarships (over $300,000 annually), a list of which can be found on their [http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/browse/sclp?showfilter=no website].{{Cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/browse/sclp?showfilter=no|title=ALA Scholarships {{!}} Awards & Grants|website=ala.org|language=en|access-date=2018-03-19}}

National Library Week, the second week of each April, is a national observance sponsored by the ALA since 1958.{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/factsheets/nationallibraryweek|title=National Library Week Fact Sheet|work=ala.org}} Libraries across the country celebrate library resources, library champions and promote public outreach.

{{Main|List of ALA awards}}

File:2014 Pura Belpré Award Committee with Dr. Henrietta M. Smith.jpg Committee with Henrietta M. Smith]]

The American Library Association confers many professional recognition awards.[https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/browse/prec?showfilter=no American Library Association Professional Recognition Awards.] American Library Association. Association-wide awards include American Library Association Honorary Membership,[https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/honorary-membership Honorary Membership] American Library Association. the Joseph W. Lippincott Award, the ALA Medal of Excellence{{cite web | last=Albanese | first=Andrew | title=ALA Votes to Strip Melvil Dewey's Name From Its Top Honor | website=Publishers Weekly | date=2019-06-24 | url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/80557-ala-votes-to-strip-melvil-dewey-s-name-from-its-top-honor.html | access-date=2020-02-27}} 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:

• Caldecott Medal
• Newbery Medal
• Batchelder Award
• Belpré Awards
• Geisel Award
• Sibert Medal{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/ | title =Awards and Grants | publisher =ALA | access-date =2010-09-01| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100902160329/http://ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/index.cfm| archive-date= 2 September 2010 | url-status= live}}

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.McCollough Carole J., Adelaide Poniatowski Phelps and Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table. Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee. 2019. The Coretta Scott King Awards : 50th Anniversary Sixth ed. Chicago: ALA Editions.

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.{{cite web | url = http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/odysseyaward | title = Welcome to the Odyssey Award home page! | publisher = Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). American Library Association (ALA) | access-date=2012-04-19 }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.ala.org/news/pr?id=9124 |title='The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery' wins 2012 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults" |website=American Library Association |access-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421111109/http://www.ala.org/news/pr?id=9124 |archive-date=April 21, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction |title=YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults |website=Young Adult Library Services Association |date=February 4, 2008 |access-date=February 27, 2022}}

The Reference and User Services Association awards include annual lists of "Notable" and "Best" books and other media.Van Fleet, Connie, and Danny P. Wallace. 2002. “A Year Inside Notable Books.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 41 (4): 340

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.Emerging Leaders Program Info: http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/leadership/emergingleaders

File:American Library Association conference (5927127991).jpg

The ALA and its divisions hold numerous conferences throughout the year. The two largest conferences are the annual conference and the midwinter meeting, now called LibLearnX.[https://www.2023.alaliblearnx.org/about-llx LibLearnX] The latter is typically held in January and focuses on innovative session design concepts, while the annual conference is typically held in June and focuses on programs, exhibits, and presentations. The ALA annual conference is notable for being one of the largest professional conferences in existence, typically drawing over 25,000 attendees.{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=confservices | title =Conference Services | publisher =ALA | access-date =2006-11-14| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061116140233/http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?Section=confservices| archive-date= 16 November 2006 | url-status= live}}

In 2020, Wanda Kay Brown was the first president in 75 years under whom the Annual Conference, scheduled for Chicago in June 2020, was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a press release about cancellation of the conference, Brown stated: "ALA's priority is the health and safety of the library community, including our members, staff, supporters, vendors and volunteers."{{cite web |url=http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2020/03/american-library-association-cancels-2020-annual-conference-due-covid-19 |title=American Library Association cancels 2020 Annual Conference due to COVID-19 |date=March 24, 2020 |website=American Library Association |access-date=February 27, 2022}}

{{see also|American librarianship and human rights}}

The ALA advocates positions on United States political issues that it believes are related to libraries and librarianship. For court cases that touch on issues about which the organization holds positions, the ALA often files amici curiae briefs, voluntarily offering information on some aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it. The ALA has a Public Policy and Advocacy office in Washington, D.C., that lobbies Congress on issues relating to libraries, information and communication. It also provides materials to libraries that may include information on how to apply for grants, how to comply with the law, and how to oppose a law.American Library Association. [https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/ppa Public Policy and Advocacy Office].

{{See also|Book censorship in the United States}}

The primary documented expressions of the ALA's intellectual freedom principles are the Freedom to Read Statement{{cite web| url= http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement| title= Freedom to Read Statement| publisher= ALA| access-date= 2018-04-25| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100826004143/http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/ftrstatement/freedomreadstatement.cfm| archive-date= 2010-08-26| url-status= live| date= July 26, 2006}} and the Library Bill of Rights; the Library Bill of Rights urges libraries to "challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment."{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill | title =Library Bill of Rights | publisher =ALA | access-date =2010-09-01| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100920062636/http://ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/index.cfm| archive-date= 20 September 2010 | url-status= live| date =June 30, 2006 }} The ALA Code of Ethics also calls on librarians to "uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources."{{cite web | url=http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics | title=Article II, ALA Code of Professional Ethics | publisher=ALA | access-date =2010-09-01| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100920133140/http://ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics.cfm| archive-date= 20 September 2010 | url-status= live}}

The ALA maintains an Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), which is charged with "implementing ALA policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom,"{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/offices/oif | title =Office for Intellectual Freedom | publisher =ALA | access-date =2010-09-02| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100920055430/http://ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/index.cfm| archive-date= 20 September 2010 | url-status= live| date =June 9, 2008 }} defined as "the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored."{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/basics/ifcensorshipqanda | title =Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A | publisher =ALA | access-date =2010-09-01 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130402032951/http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/basics/ifcensorshipqanda | archive-date =2013-04-02 }} Its goal is "to educate librarians and the general public about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries." The OIF compiles lists of challenged books as reported in the media and submitted to them by librarians across the country.{{ cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged |title=Frequently Challenged Books |publisher=ALA |access-date=2010-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920063914/http://ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/index.cfm |archive-date=20 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}

The first director, Judith Krug, headed the office for four decades, until her death in April 2009.{{cite web | date = 2009-12-02 | url = http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6709656.html | title = Barbara Jones, Ex-Director at Wesleyan, Named Head of ALA OIF and FTRF | work = Library Journal | publisher = MediaSource, Inc. | access-date = 2010-09-01 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120614061145/http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6709656.html | archive-date = 2012-06-14 }}

In 1950, the Intellectual Freedom Committee, the forerunner of the OIF, investigated the termination of Ruth W. Brown as librarian of the Bartlesville Public Library, a position she held in the Oklahoma town for 30 years. Brown's termination was based on the false allegation that she was a communist and that she had as part of the library's serials collection two left wing publications, The New Republic and The Nation. The ALA support for her and the subsequent legal case was the first such investigation undertaken by the ALA or one of its state chapters.Robbins, L.S. (2000). The dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown. Norman, The University of Oklahoma Press.

In 1999, radio personality Laura Schlessinger campaigned publicly against the ALA's intellectual freedom policy, specifically in regard to the ALA's refusal to remove a link on its web site to a specific sex-education site for teens.{{cite web | date =1999-05-10 | url =http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA158676.html | title ="Dr. Laura" Continues Criticism of ALA | work =Library Journal | publisher =MediaSource, Inc. | access-date =2006-11-14 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204559/http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA158676.html | archive-date =2007-09-30 }} Sharon Priestly said, however, that Schlessinger "distorted and misrepresented the ALA stand to make it sound like the ALA was saying porno for 'children' is O.K."{{cite journal | last =Priestly | first =Sharon |date=Winter 2001 | title =Don't Listen to Dr. Laura | journal =Free Inquiry | volume = 41 | issue = 1}}

In 2002, the ALA filed suit with library users and the ACLU against the United States Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which required libraries receiving federal E-rate discounts for Internet access to install a "technology protection measure" to prevent children from accessing "visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors."{{cite web | url =http://www.ifea.net/cipa.pdf | title =Text of the Children's Internet Protection Act}} At trial, the federal district court struck down the law as unconstitutional.United States v. Am. Lib. Asso., 201 F.Supp.2d 401, 490 (2002) The government appealed this decision, and on June 23, 2003, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the law as constitutional as a condition imposed on institutions in exchange for government funding. In upholding the law, the Supreme Court, adopting the interpretation urged by the U.S. Solicitor General at oral argument, made it clear that the constitutionality of CIPA would be upheld only "if, as the Government represents, a librarian will unblock filtered material or disable the Internet software filter without significant delay on an adult user's request."{{cite web | url =http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=539&invol=194 | title =US v ALA 539 U.S. 194, 2003 | work =FindLaw | access-date =2007-03-21| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070219172248/http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=539&invol=194| archive-date= 19 February 2007 | url-status= live}}

In 2021, the ALA released a statement signed by its executive board and Boards of Directors of its eight divisions in response to "a dramatic uptick in book challenges and outright removal of books from libraries".{{Cite web|last=|date=2021-11-29|title=The American Library Association opposes widespread efforts to censor books in U.S. schools and libraries|url=https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/11/american-library-association-opposes-widespread-efforts-censor-books-us|access-date=2022-02-13|website=American Library Association|language=en|archive-date=2022-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213043656/https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/11/american-library-association-opposes-widespread-efforts-censor-books-us|url-status=live}} The message condemned "a few organizations [which] have advanced the proposition that the voices of the marginalized have no place on library shelves{{nbsp}}... falsely claiming that these works are subversive, immoral, or worse [and inducing] officials to abandon constitutional principles, ignore the rule of law, and disregard individual rights to promote government censorship of library collections".{{Cite web|last=Alfonseca|first=Kiara|date=December 3, 2021|title=Authors of color speak out against efforts to ban books on race|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/authors-color-speak-efforts-ban-books-race/story?id=81491208|access-date=2022-02-13|website=ABC News|language=en|archive-date=2022-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214004449/https://abcnews.go.com/US/authors-color-speak-efforts-ban-books-race/story?id=81491208|url-status=live}} A spokesperson told ABC News that in her time working with reports of book challenges, she had "never seen such a widespread effort to remove books on racial and gender diversity".

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attempted to use librarians as possible informants in the conspiracy case of the Harrisburg Seven in 1971. The Harrisburg Seven, a group of religious anti-war activists, were primarily accused of conspiring to kidnap National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. The supposed leader of the group, Philip Berrigan, was serving time at the Lewisburg penitentiary. The FBI sought "to use library surveillance and librarian informants" at Bucknell University as evidence of the Harrisburg Seven's "characters and intentions."{{Cite journal|last=Lamdan|first=Sarah Shik|year=2013|title=Why library cards offer more privacy rights than proof of citizenship: Librarian ethics and Freedom of Information Act requestor policies|journal=Government Information Quarterly|volume=30|issue=2|pages=133|doi=10.1016/j.giq.2012.12.005|url=https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=cl_pubs}} Boyd Douglas became one such informant for the FBI: he was a prisoner at the same penitentiary with a work-release position at the library. Boyd presented himself as an anti-war activist and offered to smuggle letters he collected while at work to Philip Berrigan at the prison.

The FBI also attempted to use Zoia Horn, a librarian at the Bucknell library, and interviewed other library workers. The FBI met with Horn in her home to debrief her, but Horn refused to answer their questions. She refused to testify, even after she was given immunity from self-incrimination.{{Cite journal|last=Sparanese|first=Ann|year=2003|title=Activist Librarianship: Heritage or Heresy?|journal=Progressive Librarian|volume=22|pages=45|via=Biography Reference Bank}} Horn stated, "To me it stands on: Freedom of thought" and for the government to practice "spying in homes, in libraries and universities inhibits and destroys this freedom."{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IalBZuoiOf4C&q=The%20CIA%20on%20Campus:%20Essays%20on%20Academic%20Freedom%20and%20the%20National%20Security%20State&pg=PP1|title=The CIA on Campus: Essays on Academic Freedom and the National Security State|last=Zwerling|first=Philip|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=2011|isbn=9780786488896|pages=105|via=Google Books}} Zoia Horn was charged with contempt of the court and served 20 days in jail. She was "the first librarian who spent time in jail for a value of our profession" according to Judith Krug of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Zoia-Horn-1st-U-S-librarian-jailed-over-alleged-5624023.php|title=Zoia Horn, librarian jailed for not testifying against protesters|last=Egelko|first=Bob|date=2014-07-15|website=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=2016-11-28}} Horn continued to fight for intellectual freedom in libraries and beyond. The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the California Library Association now awards the Zoia Horn Intellectual Freedom Award in honor of those who make contributions to intellectual freedom.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cla-net.org/?118|title=Zoia Horn Intellectual Freedom Award|website=California Library Association}}

In the 1970s, United States Department of the Treasury agents also pressured public libraries across the country to "release circulation records recording the names and identifying information of people who checked out books on bomb making." The ALA believed this to be an "unconscionable and unconstitutional invasion of library patrons' privacy."

As a result of these two situations and many others, the ALA affirmed the confidential status of all records which held patron names in a Policy on the Confidentiality of Library Records. The ALA also released the ALA Statement on Professional Ethics in 1975 which advocated for the protection of the "confidential relationship" between a library user and a library.

The FBI tried to use surveillance in library settings as part of its Library Awareness Program of the 1980s; it aimed to use librarians "as partners in surveillance." The program was known to the FBI as "The Development of Counterintelligence Among Librarians," indicating that the FBI believed that librarians might be supportive in its counterintelligence investigations. The FBI attempted to profile "Russian or Slavic-sounding last names" of library patrons to look for possible "national security threats." The FBI wanted libraries to help it trace "the reading habits of patrons with those names."

The ALA responded by writing to the FBI director. The Intellectual Freedom Committee also created "an advisory statement to warn libraries" of the Library Awareness Program, including ways to help librarians "avoid breaking their ethical obligations if faced with FBI surveillance."{{Cite journal|last=Lamdan|first=Sarah Shik|year=2013|title=Why library cards offer more privacy rights than proof of citizenship: Librarian ethics and Freedom of Information Act requestor policies|url=https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=cl_pubs|journal=Government Information Quarterly|volume=30|issue=2|pages=134|via=Science Direct|doi=10.1016/j.giq.2012.12.005}}

In 2003, the ALA passed a resolution opposing the USA PATRIOT Act, which called sections of the law "a present danger to the constitutional rights and privacy rights of library users."{{cite web | date =2003-01-29 | url =http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/statementspols/ifresolutions/resolutionusa | title =Resolution on the USA PATRIOT Act and Related Measures that Infringe on the Rights of Library Users | publisher =ALA | access-date =2010-09-01 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120203034603/http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/statementspols/ifresolutions/resolutionusa | archive-date =2012-02-03 }} Since then, the ALA and its members have sought to change the law by working with members of Congress and educating their communities and the press about the law's potential to violate the privacy rights of library users. ALA has also participated as an amicus curiae in lawsuits filed by individuals challenging the constitutionality of the USA PATRIOT Act, including a lawsuit filed by four Connecticut librarians after the library consortium they managed was served with a national security letter seeking information about library users.{{cite news | last = Cowan | first = Alison Leigh | date = 2006-05-31 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/nyregion/31library.html | title = Four Librarians Finally Break Silence in Records Case | work = The New York Times | access-date =2007-02-07}} After several months of litigation, the lawsuit was dismissed when the FBI decided to withdraw the National Security Letter.{{cite web |date=2006-06-26 |url=http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/FBI_drops_demand_for_information_from_0626.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317065442/http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/FBI_drops_demand_for_information_from_0626.html |archive-date=2012-03-17 |url-status=live |title=FBI drops demand for information from Connecticut library group |work=Raw Story |access-date=2007-02-07 }} In 2007, the "Connecticut Four" were honored by the ALA with the Paul Howard Award for Courage for their challenge to the National Security Letter and gag order provision of the USA PATRIOT Act.McCook, Kathleen de la Peña (2011), Introduction to Public Librarianship, pp. 63–64. 2nd ed. New York, Neal-Schuman.

In 2006, the ALA sold humorous "radical militant librarian" buttons for librarians to wear in support of the ALA's stances on intellectual freedom, privacy, and civil liberties.{{cite web | url =http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/archive/radicalbutton | title ="Radical, Militant Librarian" Button | publisher =ALA | access-date =2010-09-01 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20121024044804/http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/archive/radicalbutton | archive-date =2012-10-24 }} Inspiration for the button's design came from documents obtained from the FBI by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The request revealed a series of e-mails in which FBI agents complained about the "radical, militant librarians" while criticizing the reluctance of FBI management to use the secret warrants authorized under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act.{{cite press release|date=2006-01-17 |url=http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=pressreleases&template=/contentmanagement/contentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=113573 |title=ALA introduces "Radical, Militant Librarian" button |publisher=ALA |access-date=2007-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404072818/http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=pressreleases&template=%2Fcontentmanagement%2Fcontentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=113573 |archive-date=4 April 2007 |url-status=live }}

In 2018, the organization changed the name of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal to the Children's Literature Legacy Award. According to The New York Times, the name change was made "in order to distance the honor" from what the ALA described as "culturally insensitive portrayals" in Wilder's books.{{cite news |last1=Chokshi |first1=Niraj |title=Prestigious Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Renamed Over Racial Insensitivity |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/books/laura-ingalls-wilder-book-award.html |access-date=19 September 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=June 26, 2018}}

The ALA "supports efforts to amend the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and urges the courts to restore the balance in copyright law, ensure fair use and protect and extend the public domain."{{cite web |last=Nisbet |first=Miriam |date=October 2006 |url=http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/copyright/copyagenda.pdf |title=2006 Copyright Agenda |publisher=ALA |access-date=February 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403122831/http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/copyright/copyagenda.pdf |archive-date=April 3, 2015}} It supports changing copyright law to eliminate damages when using orphan works without permission;{{cite web |url=http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/comments/OW0658-LCA.pdf |title=Re: Orphan Works Notice of Inquiry |publisher=Library Copyright Alliance / U.S. Copyright Office |access-date=2009-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627032833/http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/comments/OW0658-LCA.pdf|archive-date=27 June 2009 |url-status=live}} is wary of digital rights management; and, in ALA v. FCC,{{cite web |url= https://www.eff.org/cases/ala-v-fcc|title=American Library Association v. Federal Communications Commission |publisher=Electronic Frontier Foundation|date=July 2011 }} successfully sued the Federal Communications Commission to prevent regulation that would enforce next-generation digital televisions to contain rights-management hardware. It has joined the Information Access Alliance to promote open access to research.{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/advocacy/copyright/openaccesstoresearch/accessresearch|title=Open Access|publisher=ALA|access-date=2015-03-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920154048/http://ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/copyright/openaccesstoresearch/index.cfm|archive-date=2010-09-20|url-status=dead}} The Copyright Advisory Network of the association's Office for Information Technology Policy provides copyright resources to libraries and the communities they serve. The ALA is a member of the Library Copyright Alliance,[http://www.librarycopyrightalliance.org/ Library Copyright Alliance] along with the Association of Research Libraries and the Association of College and Research Libraries, which provides a unified voice for over 300,000 information professionals in the United States.{{cite web|title=Background|url=http://www.librarycopyrightalliance.org/about/index.shtml|publisher=Library Copyright Alliance|access-date=March 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414064449/http://www.librarycopyrightalliance.org/about/index.shtml|archive-date=April 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}

Currently, the ALA supports bill H.R. 905, also known as the You Own Devices Act, stating "to foster the social and commercial evolution of the "Internet of Things" by codifying the right of the owner of a device containing 'essential software' intrinsic to its function to transfer [e.g. sell or lease] both the device and the software."{{cite web|title= Copyright|url=http://www.ala.org/advocacy/copyright |publisher=American Library Association|date=March 10, 2019 }}

{{main|List of American Library Association accredited library schools}}

ALA-accredited programs can be found at schools in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada. These programs offer degrees with names such as Master of Library Science, Master of Arts, Master of Librarianship, Master of Library and Information Studies, and Master of Science. To be accredited, the program must undergo an external review and meet the Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies.

• American Association of Law Libraries
• American Indian Library Association
• Association for Information Science and Technology
• American Theological Library Association
• Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA)
• Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association
• Association for Library and Information Science Education
• Association for Rural and Small Libraries
• Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services
• Association of Jewish Libraries
• Association of Research Libraries
• Beta Phi Mu
• Black Caucus of the American Library Association{{cite web |url=http://www.ala.org/aboutala/affiliates/affiliates/bcala |title=Black Caucus of the American Library Association |website=American Library Association |date=April 19, 2007 |access-date=February 27, 2022}}
• Catholic Library Association
• Chinese American Librarians Association
• The Joint Council of Librarians of Color.Long, Alicia K. “‘A Mighty Fist’: The Birth of the National Associations of Librarians of Color in the United States, 1970–1980.” Libraries 9.1 (2025): 24–44.
• Latino Literacy Now
• Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa
• Medical Library Association
• Music Library Association
• National Storytelling Network
• Online Audiovisual Catalogers
• Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association
• Polish American Librarians Association
• ProLiteracy Worldwide
• REFORMA{{cite journal |last1=Long |first1=A |date=2022 |title=Library Services to Latino Communities in the U.S. : REFORMA's's Legacy as an Agent of Change |journal=Florida Libraries |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=26–30 }}
• Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials
• Theatre Library Association

{{Portal|Books|Children's literature}}

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• American Indian Library Association and American Indian Youth Literature Awards
• ANSEL American National Standard for Extended Latin Alphabet Coded Character Set for Bibliographic Use
• Book Links, an ALA magazine that helps teachers, librarians, school library media specialists, and parents connect children with high-quality books
• Booklist, an ALA publication that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials, geared toward libraries and booksellers
• Challenge (literature), an attempt to have books removed from a library
• Diversity in librarianship
• History of public library advocacy
• International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA)
• Library Bill of Rights
• Library Hall of Fame
• Library War Service
• Librarianship and human rights in the United States
• List of American Library Association accredited library schools
• List of presidents of the American Library Association
• National Library Symbol
• Neal-Schuman Publishers, an imprint of the ALA
• Public library advocacy
• List of most commonly challenged books in the United States{{colend}}

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{{Wikiquote|libraries}}

• {{Official website|www.ala.org}}
• {{Gutenberg author | id=42737| name=American Library Association}}
• {{Internet Archive author |sname=American Library Association |sopt=t}}
• [https://www.library.illinois.edu/ala/ American Library Association Archives] at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

{{American Library Association}}

{{Patriot Act}}

{{U.S._library_associations}}{{Authority control}}

Category:Professional associations based in the United States

Category:Library-related professional associations

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States

Category:Organizations established in 1876

Category:Library associations based in Chicago

Category:1876 establishments in Pennsylvania

Category:American librarianship and human rights

Category:Professional associations based in Chicago

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Category:Library history