As the American Library Association (ALA) launched its Library War Service during World War I, the first of many ALA logos appears. Created for librarian uniforms, a simple A.L.A. insignia pin was used by camp librarians and representatives. In a March 1918 circular letter, Library War Service director, Herbert Putnam, announced the distribution of the bronze insignia pins for use.[1] By November of the same year, the simple A.L.A. design was replaced with an open book with “A.L.A.” inside.[2] Even after the war, this design would be used in ALA publications, conference programs, and letterhead for matters unconnected to the Library War Service. Even the ALA Board of Education for Librarianship would use the logo in its correspondence.
In 1923 and 1924, ALA investigated getting the insignia registered in the patent office.[3] However, it seems that nothing came of that venture and by 1926, ALA’s fiftieth anniversary, a new seal was created for the association. Reminiscent of its WWI origins, the new logo featured the same open book motif, but this time with the “A.L.A” above it instead of within. It was also encircled with the words “American Library Association 1876.” Unfortunately, the original drawings for the logo were unsigned and it is unknown who designed the seal. A 1934 letter from the ALA Editor of Publications speculates that “it must have been ordered through some printing house.”[4]
A special logo was designed for ALA’s centennial celebrations in 1976. The ALA Centennial Committee held a contest and in 1973, Sandra J. Beeson of Catholic University of America was declared the winner with her design selected. Beeson was awarded an expense-paid trip to that year’s annual conference in Las Vegas for the official unveiling of the logo. The logo was used widely in the branding for the celebration and featured prominently on the conference program for the centennial conference in Chicago.
Besides the centennial logo, the 1926 seal remained in continuous use, though in 1980, a stylized “ALA” logo started to appear in publications and letterhead. However, the 1926 seal would still appear on official ALA letterhead and items up into the 1990s. By 1990, a simplified version of the 1926 logo came into circulation, appearing in the 1990-1991 Handbook of Organization and Member Directory. It still contained the open book motif used back during WWI, but it dropped the “A.L.A.” above the open book.
In the late 1990s, the bolded ALA followed by “American Library Association” text logo started appearing within Handbooks of Organization and Member Directories. By 2010, the enduring seal logo was officially phased out, and the text logo has been in use ever since.[5]
[1] Herbert Putnam, March 16, 1918, War Service Correspondence, 1917-1923, Record Series 89/1/5.
[2] George Utley, November 20, 1918, War Service Correspondence, 1917-1923, Record Series 89/1/5.
[3] Meeting of the Executive Board, December 31, 1923 and Meeting of the Executive Board, June 29, 1924, Transcripts of Proceedings, 1909-46, 1951-2002, Record Series 2/1/1, Box 1, Volume 2, page 378 and 440.
[4] Emily V. D. Miller to Miriam Roe, October 29, 1934, Executive Director Subject File, 1904-2017, Record Series 2/4/6, Box 2, Folder: American Library Association – Miscellaneous, 1920-1936.
[5] American Library Association, “Flashback Friday,” Instagram photo, January 16, 2026, https://www.instagram.com/p/DTlqYcxjGDl/.
