Washington Library Association

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{Short description|Professional association in Washington state, US}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Washington Library Association

| nickname =

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| logo = WLA-logo.jpg

| logo_size = 150 px

| logo_alt =

| logo_caption =

| motto =

| formation = March 27, 1905

| founder =

| founding_location =

| type =

| tax_id =

| registration_id =

| status =

| purpose =

| headquarters = Seattle, Washington

| location =

| coords =

| membership =

| membership_year =

| leader_title =

| leader_name =

| leader_title2 =

| leader_name2 =

| leader_title3 =

| leader_name3 =

| leader_title4 =

| leader_name4 =

| parent_organization =

| website = {{URL|wla.org/}}

}}

The Washington Library Association (WLA) is a professional organization for librarians and library workers in the U.S. state of Washington. It is headquartered in Seattle and has 1,504 individual members and 49 institution members {{as of|2019|lc=y}}.{{cite web | last=Association | first=Washington Library | title=About Us | website=Home | url=https://www.wla.org/about-us | access-date=January 16, 2020}}

WLA was founded by the Washington State Library at a meeting in Tacoma on March 27, 1905.{{cite web |last1=Cordes |first1=Sara |title=Washington Library Association Historical Archives Exhibit. |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qeydqqt6rBWLj-yTgudFPrx2n-IEdat-/view?usp=sharing | date=October 17, 2019 |website=Museology Master of Arts Program |publisher=University of Washington |access-date=January 16, 2020}} Meetings were held annually until 1909 when the first WLA was merged with the newly formed Pacific Northwest Library Association.{{cite book |last1=Johns |first1=Helen |title=Twenty-five years of the Washington Library Association |date=1956 |publisher=Pacific Book |location=Palo Alto, California |pages=6–7 |hdl=2027/uc1.$b670374 |ref=johns }} It was briefly organized as the Puget Sound Library Association and then re-established in its current form with its first meeting on June 30, 1932. The WLA has published an academic journal called Alki since 1983.

WLA has four divisions: Academic, Public, School, and Special. WLA also has eleven interest-based sections, Collection Development & Technical Services (CATS), Children's and Young Adult Services (CAYAS), College Libraries Across Washington State (CLAWS), Intellectual Freedom Section (IFS), Leadership is For Everyone (LIFE), Library & Information Student Section (LISS), Serving Adults in Libraries (SAIL), Social Responsibilities (SRRT), WA Library Employees (WALE), WA Library Trainers (WALT), and WA Library Friends, Foundations, Trustees, and Advocates (WLFFTA).