Judson Toll Jennings was an American librarian. Jennings served as the Director of the Seattle Public Library from 1907 to 1942. Upon retirement, Jennings became the first chair of a new King County Rural Library District, the predecessor to the modern-day King County Library System.
Malcolm Glenn Wyer was an American librarian and the president of the American Library Association from 1936 to 1937. Wyer was born in Concordia, Kansas and moved with his family to Minnesota because of health problems caused by malarial fever. He graduated from Minneapolis Central High School and went to the University of Minnesota where he received his B. A. in 1899 and M. A. in 1901. In 1903, Wyer received a Library Science degree from New York State Library School.
Margaret Elizabeth Chisholm was an American librarian and educator and served as president of the American Library Association from 1987 to 1988. She promoted librarians as skilled in information technology.
The Association of Specialized, Government, and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA) is a defunct division of the American Library Association (ALA), which is the oldest and largest library association in the world. The ALA Council in June 2020 voted to dissolve ASGCLA and assign its components to other units within ALA and it ceased to exist on September 1, 2020.
The New Hampshire Library Association (NHLA) is a professional organization for New Hampshire's librarians and library workers; it is the oldest state library association in the United States. It was founded in 1889 by an act of the legislature with the stated goal "to promote the efficiency of libraries and to cultivate fellowship among its members." A group of 49 library trustees and one librarian met for the first time on September 12, 1890, at the American Library Association meeting in the White Mountains. Nathan Hunt, the City Librarian of Manchester, was NHLA's first president, elected in 1891.
The Connecticut Library Association (CLA) is a professional organization for Connecticut's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Belchertown, Massachusetts. It was founded on February 23, 1891, in New Haven, Connecticut, with the purpose of promoting "library interests by discussion and interchange of ideas and methods, and not to 'trench upon the province of the American Library Association.'" The first regular CLA meeting was held in the Wadsworth Atheneum in May 1891. CLA's initial membership was thirty people and dues were fifty cents. The first CLA president of the Association was Addison Van Name who served from the organization's founding in 1891 to 1892. CLA urged the state of Connecticut to provide incentives for towns to make their libraries public. The state responded by offering grants of up to $200 yearly for libraries to spend on books.
The Utah Library Association (ULA) is a professional organization for Utah's librarians and library workers. It was founded on June 8, 1912, in Salt Lake City & County Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. The initial founders were Esther Nelson, librarian of the University of Utah; Joanna Sprague and Julie Lynch of the Salt Lake City Public Library; and Howard Driggs, library secretary of the State Board of Public Instruction. Ephraim G. Gowans, Department Chair for Anatomy and Pathology in the University of Utah Medical School, was ULA's first elected president. ULA was initially part of the Utah Education Association and split from them in 1915.
The Southwestern Library Association (SWLA) was a professional organization for librarians and library workers based in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. It was headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma after being founded on October 26, 1922, in Austin, Texas. The organization was designed primarily to serve library associations and librarians in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The Nevada Library Association (NLA) is a professional organization for Nevada's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Henderson, Nevada. It was founded on June 4, 1946, in Reno, Nevada, the last state in the United States to form a state library association. State Librarian Charles Marriage was one of its chief co-founders and its first president was Edward Castagna. It became an official non-profit organization by statute in 1963 and then reorganized as private, non-profit corporation in 1993. NLA has been directly connected with every piece of library legislation passed by the Nevada State Legislature.
The Maryland Library Association (MLA) is a professional organization for Maryland's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in November, 1923, in Baltimore, after a letter writing campaign by Charlotte Newell from the Maryland Public Library Advisory Commission. MLA's first president was Louis Dielman from the Peabody Institute. MLA was instrumental in supporting the creation of the graduate school of library science at the University of Maryland. The organization has been incorporated as a non-profit since 1974. The MLA's official newsletter is The CRAB. MLA has a reciprocal arrangement with DCLA whereby members can participate in each other's events and conferences at membership rates. In 1996, MLA created the Maryland Author Award was established to honor and promote local authors.
The Kentucky Library Association (KLA) is a professional organization for Kentucky's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Prospect, Kentucky. It was founded on June 28, 1906, in Louisville, Kentucky with 52 charter members. Its original goal was to form a state library commission as well as to increase access to free state documents. William Frederick Yust was elected as the association's first president. The third conference the KLA took part in was a tri-state conference with Ohio and Indiana. In 2011 the KLA held a joint conference with the Kentucky School Media Association in order to work together with librarians on creativity, cooperation, and the impact of change. The KLA became a state chapter of the American Library Association in 1917, and is a member of the Southeastern Library Association. One of the KLA’s daughter organizations, the Kentucky Public Library Association (KPLA), aims to encourage growth of its members, improve library service, and work with other organizations to do so.
The Indiana Library Federation (ILF) is a professional organization for Indiana's librarians, library workers, and trustees. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The ILF was created as a result of the Indiana Library Association (501 being merged into the Indiana Library Trustee Association (501 in 1990. The two organizations often had conferences together and merged to take advantage of ILTA's tax-exempt status.
The Idaho Library Association (ILA) is a professional organization for Idaho's librarians and library workers based in Boise, Idaho.
The Delaware Library Association (DLA) is a professional organization for Delaware's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Dover, Delaware and is an all-volunteer organization. It was founded on January 18, 1934, the second-to-last US state to form a state library association. Its first president was Arthur Bailey.
The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) is a professional organization for Colorado's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Arvada, Colorado. It was established in 1893 as the Colorado Library Association. John Cotton Dana was elected president of the organization in 1895 but left after taking a controversial position on the gold standard and John Parsons succeeded him. The organization faltered in 1896 and then was "resuscitated" in 1905. Alfred Whitaker was the president of the association in 1905.
The Arkansas Library Association (ArLA) is a professional organization for Arkansas's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was founded on January 26, 1911, in Little Rock, Arkansas by Caroline Langworthy from the Carnegie library of Fort Smith, Maud Pugsley from the Little Rock Public Library and the Arkansas Federation of Women's Clubs. C. W. L. (Charles Webster Leverton) Armour, a trustee of Fort Smith Public Library, was the organization's first president. Early legislative efforts led to approval of a plan allowing some towns to impose taxes for library development.
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.
The Missouri Library Association (MLA) is a professional organization for Missouri's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Ballwin, Missouri. It was founded on December 18, 1900, in Columbia, Missouri, at a meeting called by Fredrick Crunden, Head Librarian for the St. Louis Public Library; Carrie Whitney, Director of the Kansas City Public Library; Charles Yeater, Trustee and President of the Board of Directors for the Sedalia Public Library; Purd Wright, Librarian at the St. Joseph Public Library; and James Gerould, University Librarian at the University of Missouri. The organization's first president was Fredrick Crunden.
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.
