American Library Association
[20] 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.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.[41] 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.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.[53] 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".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.[61] 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.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.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).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.The Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) administers: The Odyssey Award for best audiobook (joint with YALSA), and the (U.S.) Carnegie Medal and for best video.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.[117] 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.The ALA has a Public Policy and Advocacy office in Washington, D.C., that lobbies Congress on issues relating to libraries, information and communication."[121] The ALA Code of Ethics also calls on librarians to "uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.[126] 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."[129] 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.The Harrisburg Seven, a group of religious anti-war activists, were primarily accused of conspiring to kidnap National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger.The FBI sought "to use library surveillance and librarian informants" at Bucknell University as evidence of the Harrisburg Seven's "characters and intentions.Boyd presented himself as an anti-war activist and offered to smuggle letters he collected while at work to Philip Berrigan at the prison.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.The FBI attempted to profile "Russian or Slavic-sounding last names" of library patrons to look for possible "national security threats."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.[141] 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.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.
American Literature AssociationNonprofitChicagoWashington, D.C.Executive DirectorLeslie BurgerPresidentCindy Hohlnonprofit organizationUnited StateslibrariesCentennial ExpositionPhiladelphiaHistorical Society of PennsylvaniaEdward G. HolleyJustin WinsorBoston Public LibraryHarvard UniversityWilliam Frederick PooleChicago Public LibraryNewberry CollegeCharles Ammi CutterBoston AthenæumMelvil DeweyCharles EvansIndianapolis Public LibraryRichard Rogers BowkerMassachusettsFrederick LeypoldtLibrary JournalList of presidents of the Bibliographical Society of AmericaTheresa ElmendorfAsbury Park, New JerseyWorld War IWalter Lewis BrownLibrary War ServiceAmerican Library in ParisLibrary Bill of RightsForrest SpauldingThe Grapes of WrathKern CountyCaliforniaAfrican AmericansVietnam WarMaxwell D. TaylorSarah Lawrence CollegeHarold TaylorKansas CityFreedom to Read FoundationJudith KrugAlexander AllainCarrie C RobinsonBlack Caucus of the ALABarbara GittingsRainbow Round TableLGBTQIA+Clara Stanton JonesAllie Beth MartinNational Commission on Libraries and Information ScienceNational Commission on Excellence in EducationA Nation at RiskAssociation for Library Service to ChildrenLucia GonzalezLoriene RoyCamila AlireCourtney YoungDaniel HandlerJacqueline WoodsonNational Book AwardWanda Kay Brownhistorically black college or universityCOVID-19Patty WongLessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-LozadaEmily DrabinskiGeorgiaToni MorrisonNational Book Critics CircleUniversity of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignDavid Horace CliftRobert WedgeworthBeta Phi Mulibrary and information scienceList of presidents of the American Library AssociationSam HelmickTracie D. HallKeith Michael FielsElizabeth MartinezPeggy SullivanThomas J. GalvinCarl MilamGeorge Burwell UtleyChalmers HadleyJames Ingersoll WyerHenry James CarrRutherford Platt HayesFrank Pierce HillMary Salome CutlerAmerican Association of School LibrariansAssociation for Library Collections and Technical ServicesLibrary and Information Technology AssociationPublic Library AssociationReference and User Services Associationreaders' advisoryYoung Adult Library Services AssociationCoretta Scott King Book AwardMulticultural educationLibrary History Round TablelesbianbisexualtransgenderAmerican LibrariesBooklistChoiceBanned Books WeekNational Library WeekList of ALA awardsPura BelpréHenrietta M. SmithAmerican Library Association Honorary MembershipJoseph W. Lippincott AwardALA Medal of ExcellenceAmerican Library Association Equality AwardCaldecott MedalNewbery MedalBatchelder Award