A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information,and sometimes social or technical programming,or instruction on information literacy to users.
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world.
The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS),also referred to as the Master of Library and Information Studies,is the master's degree that is required for most professional librarian positions in the United States. The MLIS is a relatively recent degree;an older and still common degree designation for librarians to acquire is the Master of Library Science (MLS),or Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS) degree. According to the American Library Association (ALA),"The master’s degree in library and information studies is frequently referred to as the MLS;however,ALA-accredited degrees have various names such as Master of Information Studies,Master of Arts,Master of Librarianship,Master of Library and Information Studies,or Master of Science. The degree name is determined by the program. The [ALA] Committee for Accreditation evaluates programs based on their adherence to the Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies,not based on the name of the degree."
REFORMA:The National Association to Promote Library &Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking,more commonly known as REFORMA,is an affiliate of the American Library Association formed in 1971 to promote library services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking. It is registered in Washington,D.C. as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Arnulfo Duenes Trejo was a writer and Professor of Library Science at the University of Arizona. He was a leader in the movement to increase library collections of Latino literature and Spanish-language materials in the United States. He was also instrumental in efforts to train more Latino and Spanish-speaking people as professional librarians.
Robert Wedgeworth is an American librarian who was the founding President of ProLiteracy Worldwide,an adult literacy organization. He is also a former executive director of the American Library Association,served as president of IFLA,served as Dean of the School of Library Service at Columbia University,and was university librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has also authored and edited several major reference works,and has won many awards over the course of his career. In 2021 the American Library Association awarded him Honorary Membership,its highest award.
Camila Alire is an American librarian and was president of the American Library Association from 2009 to 2010. She was the first Hispanic president of the ALA. She was previously the president of REFORMA,National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking,in 1993-1994.
James G. Neal is an American librarian,library administrator,and a prominent figure in American and international library associations. In 2022 President Joe Biden appointed him to the National Museum and Library Services Board which advises the agency on general policies with respect to the duties,powers,and authority of the Institute of Museum and Library Services relating to museum,library,and information services,as well as the annual selection of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
The American Indian Library Association (AILA) is an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA),and is a membership action group that focuses on the library-related needs of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The organization's members consist of both individuals and institutions that are interested in improving library services to Native American people in any type of library in the United States.
Carla Diane Hayden is an American librarian who is serving as the 14th librarian of Congress. Since the creation of the office of the librarian of Congress in 1802,Hayden is both the first African American and the first woman to hold this post. Appointed in 2016,she is the first professional librarian to hold the post since 1974.
The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA),also known as the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association,is an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA). It was created to "address the needs of Asian/Pacific American librarians and those who serve Asian/Pacific American communities."
Librarianship and human rights in the U.S. are linked by the philosophy and practice of library and information professionals supporting the rights enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),particularly the established rights to information,knowledge and free expression.
The Association of Caribbean University,Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) is a Caribbean library organization founded in 1969. It is based in the JoséM. Lázaro Library of the University of Puerto Rico.
The Chinese American Librarians Association or CALA,is a library association that supports professional development and research scholarship of CALA members,in the profession of librarianship.
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) is an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA) that focuses on the needs of African-American library professionals by promoting careers in librarianship,funding literacy initiatives,and providing scholarships.
Oralia Garza de Cortes is a librarian,advocate,bibliographer,and scholar. She has been honored by REFORMA with the Lifetime Achievement Award which recognizes excellence in librarianship over a career for one who has made significant and lasting contributions to Latino and Spanish-speaking communities.
Julius C. Jefferson Jr. is an American librarian who was president of the American Library Association for the 2020-2021 term. In 2022 President Joe Biden appointed him to the National Museum and Library Services Board which advises the agency on general policies with respect to the duties,powers,and authority of the Institute of Museum and Library Services relating to museum,library,and information services,as well as the annual selection of the recipients of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Jefferson is additionally a section head of the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress,and served as the president of the Freedom to Read Foundation from 2013 to 2016.
The Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM) is the oldest professional Area Studies library organization for academic librarians,archivists,book vendors,scholars,and students who specialize in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Members are from at least 20 different countries. SALALM promotes better library services and purchasing power among individual members and member libraries. With the Secretariat based at Tulane University's Latin American Library,it is an international non-profit professional organization with three official languages:English,Spanish,and Portuguese. SALALM is an affiliate of the American Library Association. As of May 2015,the organization had 242 personal and 84 institutional members including librarians,archivists,book dealers,vendors,and university libraries.
Patricia "Patty" Wong is the city librarian of Santa Clara,California. Wong was the president of the American Library Association (ALA) for the 2021-2022 term and is the first Asian American president of the ALA. She has been on the faculty at the San Jose State University iSchool since 2006,teaching subjects such as equitable access to library services,library management,and library services to young people.
Camille Callison is an Indigenous librarian,archivist,academic,and cultural activist who is a member of the Tsesk iye (Crow) Clan of the Tahltan Nation in what is now known as British Columbia,Canada. She is the University Librarian at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford. Callison is an advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples and knowledge,particularly as these rights intersect with GLAM institutions. Callison is actively involved across local,national,and international professional associations related to the library and informational needs of Indigenous peoples,including in her role as co-lead of the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance (NIKLA).
