Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey was an influential American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, a founder of the Lake Placid Club, and a chief librarian at Columbia University. He was also a founding member of the American Library Association. Although Dewey's contributions to the modern library are widely recognized, his legacy is marred by his sexual harassment of female colleagues, as well as his racism and antisemitism.
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.
Elonnie J. Josey was an African-American activist and librarian. Josey was the first chair of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, having been instrumental in its formation in 1970; served as president of the American Library Association from 1984 to 1985; and was the author of over 400 books and other publications.
The Michigan Library Association is a United States professional association headquartered in Lansing, Michigan that advocates for libraries in Michigan on behalf of the state's residents. Founded in 1891 its members are more than 2,700 individuals and organizations from public, school, academic, cooperative, private and special libraries.
Andrew K. Pace is an American librarian and author. He has served as executive director of the Association of Research Libraries since February 2024. Previously he served as executive director of the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) Library Consortium since March 2022, after fifteen years working in various leadership positions at OCLC.
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.
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 Minnesota Library Association (MLA) is a professional association and state chapter of the American Library Association, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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.
Essae Martha Culver was an American librarian, the first state librarian of Louisiana and president of the American Library Association.
Edwin Castagna was a prominent librarian and leader in the profession. Castagna was born in Petaluma, California, to Frank and Eugenia Burgle Castagna. He graduated from the library school at the University of California, Berkeley in 1936 and started his career as an assistant librarian in the Alameda County Public Library in Oakland, California. He left that position within a year to become the library director for the Ukiah, California Public Library. In 1940 he became Director of the Washoe County Public Library in Reno, Nevada, where he became the first president of the Nevada Library Association. Castagna took a leave of absence to join the U.S. Army to serve in World War II. After the war, Castagna returned to Washoe County to continue his work as their library director. In 1949 Castagna became the director the Glendale, California Public Library but was only in Glendale for a year when he was offered the director's position at the Long Beach Public Library. While in Long Beach, Castagna served as president of the California Library Association in 1954.
Estelle Brodman (1914–2007) was an American medical librarian and medical historian. She held positions at Columbia University, the National Library of Medicine and the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM). Brodman served terms as director of the Special Libraries Association, president of the Medical Library Association, and editor of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association. Under Brodman's leadership, the library at WUSM became known as a leader in the use of computing machines to perform library functions.
Wanda Kay Brown is an American librarian, who was the president of the American Library Association for the 2019–2020 term. She is the director of the C. G. O'Kelly Library at Winston-Salem State University and a leader in state and national library associations. She is the first American Library Association president who is a library director at one of the nation's historically black colleges and universities. She is twice president of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association in 2006-2008 and 2024-2026.
The Louisiana Library Association (LLA) is a professional organization for Louisiana's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The LLA publishes The LLA Bulletin (est. 1937) and Louisiana Libraries magazine.
The Nebraska Library Association (NLA) is a professional organization for Nebraska's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded on April 22, 1895, at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Mary L. Jones was elected first president of the organization. Initial NLA conferences were held at the same time as the Nebraska State Teachers' Association or the Nebraska Federation of Women. NLA is a state chapter of the American Library Association (ALA). From 1932 through 1954 there was also a Lincoln Library Association, also a state chapter of ALA until ALA dissolved their local chapters.
The Alabama Library Association (ALLA) is a professional organization for Alabama's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded on November 21, 1904, in Montgomery. Thomas Owen, director of the Alabama Department of Archives, was the association's first President from 1904 through 1920.
The Georgia Library Association (GLA) is a professional organization in the United States for Georgia's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia. It was founded as The Georgia Library Club by members of the Young Men's Library of Atlanta and Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs. The organization changed its name to the Georgia Library Association at its first business meeting. GLAs first president was Anne Wallace, elected at the organization's first meeting May 31, 1897, in Atlanta, Georgia.
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.
