Maryland Library Association

{{short description|Professional association for librarians in Maryland}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Maryland Library Association

| nickname = MLA

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| logo = MDlibassoclogo.jpg

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| logo_alt = image of state of Maryland with MD flag superimposed with the letters MLA and the words Maryland Library Association

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| formation = {{start date and age|1923|11|13}}

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| tax_id = 52-1035154

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| parent_organization = American Library Association

| website = {{URL|https://www.mdlib.org/}}

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The Maryland Library Association (MLA) is a professional organization for Maryland's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in November, 1923, in Baltimore, after a letter writing campaign by Charlotte Newell from the Maryland Public Library Advisory Commission.{{cite web | title=Collection: Maryland Library Association records | website=Archival Collections | url=https://archives.lib.umd.edu/repositories/2/resources/1422 | access-date=2020-02-10}}There is a discrepancy between the Maryland Library Association archival records and the reporting in the newspapers at the time; the archival date is used. MLA's first president was Louis Dielman from the Peabody Institute.{{cite news |title=Working in Behalf of Books |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/372932990/ |accessdate=10 February 2020 |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=November 16, 1924 |page=41}} MLA was instrumental in supporting the creation of the graduate school of library science at the University of Maryland. The organization has been incorporated as a non-profit since 1974. The MLA's official newsletter is The CRAB.{{cite web | title=MLA - About the CRAB | website=Maryland Library Association | url=https://www.mdlib.org/content.asp?contentid=151 | access-date=2020-02-11}} MLA has a reciprocal arrangement with DCLA whereby members can participate in each other's events and conferences at membership rates.{{cite web | title=History | website=District of Columbia Library Association | date=1922-06-28 | url=https://dcla.org/History | access-date=2020-02-11}} In 1996, MLA established the Maryland Author Award to honor and promote local authors.{{cite web | title=Maryland Author Award | website=Maryland Library Association | url=https://www.mdlib.org/content.asp?contentid=242 | access-date=2020-02-11}}