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 but resigned in 1905, due to allegations of sexual harassment, 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, with 49,727 members as of 2021.
A health or medical library is designed to assist physicians, health professionals, students, patients, consumers, medical researchers, and information specialists in finding health and scientific information to improve, update, assess, or evaluate health care. Medical libraries are typically found in hospitals, medical schools, private industry, and in medical or health associations. A typical health or medical library has access to MEDLINE, a range of electronic resources, print and digital journal collections, and print reference books. The influence of open access (OA) and free searching via Google and PubMed has a major impact on the way medical libraries operate.
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."
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 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA) that has more than 7,000 members and serves primary school and secondary school librarians in the U.S., Canada, and even internationally. Prior to being established in 1951, school librarians were served by the School Library Section of ALA founded in 1914, which emerged from the Roundtable of Normal and High School Librarians. The mission of the American Association of School Librarians is to empower leaders to transform teaching and learning.
Carla Diane Hayden is an American librarian and 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.
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.
Wanda Kay Brown is an American librarian, and 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.
The Maine Library Association (MLA) is a professional organization for Maine's librarians and library workers. It was founded in 1891 at the Maine State Library in Augusta, Maine, with the stated goal of "promotion of library interests in the State of Maine."
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 North Carolina Library Association (NCLA) is a professional organization for North Carolina's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in High Point, North Carolina. It was founded on May 14, 1904, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The original organization had thirty-two charter members and Mrs. Annie Smith Ross from the Carnegie Library in Charlotte was the association's first president.
The North Carolina Negro Library Association (NCNLA) was a professional organization for North Carolina's black librarians and library workers. It was the first black library association in the United States and the first black chapter in the American Library Association. It was headquartered in Durham, North Carolina at the North Carolina College for Negroes beginning in 1942.
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.
