Born in Mississippi in 1906, Robinson began her career as a librarian serving Black schools in South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana before settling in Alabama, where she initially worked for Alabama State College as an assistant professor of library education. In 1947, she helped organize a librarian section of the Alabama State Teachers Association, a … Continue reading Separate—and Unequal
“E. J. Josey’s 1964 Charge: ‘Keep on Pushing’” charted the life of E. J. Josey (1924–2009), librarian, educator, author, activist, founding member of BCALA, and 1984–1985 American Library Association (ALA) president. The session opened with images of Black life from the late 1800s to the present and the American civil rights movement, backed by the … Continue reading “Keep on Pushing”
In the decades that followed, the group’s name changed periodically to reflect the evolving times, finally becoming known in 2019 as the Rainbow Round Table. But its mission—to serve the information needs of LGBTQIA+ library professionals as well as the information and access needs of the LGBTQIA+ community at large—has never faltered. LGBTQIA+ youth have … Continue reading The Rainbow’s Arc
Founded in 1920, the American Library in Paris is the largest English-language lending library in continental Europe. Burton Stevenson, one of the library’s founders and among its first directors, was well known for assisting the American Library Association (ALA) as it established army libraries abroad during the First World War. He wanted to continue the … Continue reading We’ll Always Have the American Library in Paris
“The American Library Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracie D. Hall as its executive director, effective February 24, 2020. Following a nationwide search, Hall was selected to succeed Mary W. Ghikas, who has worked for ALA since 1995 and served as executive director since January 2018. Hall is the first female African-American … Continue reading ALA Appoints Tracie D. Hall as Executive Director
“We are thrilled that after many years of study, research, and discussion, the transfer of valuable real estate to ALA’s endowment fund is at last complete,” Brown said. “Of course, it is bittersweet to be leaving our home of so many decades. But ALA is focused on the future and is optimistic about all that … Continue reading ALA Announces Sale of Headquarters Buildings
“Bev’s laugh was infectious and full of life,” said American Libraries Editor and Publisher Sanhita SinhaRoy. “It could fill a room and make everyone smile. She will be missed.” Goldberg began as editor of the classified advertising section in American Libraries, then expanded her duties to include news and features as an associate editor in … Continue reading Longtime Editor Goldberg Remembered
Help us give him a heartfelt send-off by posting memories, stories, and good wishes in the comments section below. All comments received by May 31 will be compiled into a special booklet and presented to Keith at a reception on Sunday, June 25, during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Since his arrival at ALA … Continue reading Help Us Bid a Fond Farewell to Fiels
Anne Tracy Morgan, daughter of financier John Pierpont (J. P.) Morgan, was the mind and money behind the volunteer mobilization. Morgan was a frequent visitor to France. When war broke out, she threw herself into relief work for the Allied cause. In 1917, she created the American Committee for Devastated France, better known as CARD … Continue reading The French Connection
The ALA Archives have been around since 1973, and Bertram—who describes herself as an “archivist through and through”—knew about the Association and “how large an impact it had on history.” But she has been especially impressed with ALA’s World War I records, which she says are among her favorite items. Also prized is a scrapbook of … Continue reading Bookend: ALA through the Ages
103 Number of librarians who attended the “Convention of Librarians” during the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876—what is considered the birth of the ALA. Of these founders, 90 were men and 13 were women. 60,301 Number of active ALA members, as of March 2016. Today, women account for about 85% of all librarians in … Continue reading By the Numbers: ALA’s 140th Anniversary
Section 215, which became known as the “library records provision,” not only allowed law enforcement agencies to secretly monitor electronic communications emanating from libraries, it also required librarians to turn over patron information if requested and even imposed a gag order on those forced to comply, thus preventing them from telling anyone. ALA opposition to … Continue reading “Baseless Hysteria”?
