Discover the people, policies, and pivotal moments that shaped the ALA and the libraries we all rely on. Our anniversary blog is your behind-the-scenes look at the legacy we’re honoring and the future we’re building, with regular stories on how we’re celebrating.
October 17–22, 1904, was “American Library Association Week” at the St. Louis World’s Fair, formally known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in commemoration of President Thomas Jefferson’s acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. Like many other organizations, ALA saw the fair as a wonderful opportunity to hold its annual meeting in a historic venue that offered unlimited educational benefits.
Restoring a Piece of ALA History
In 1926, Boston Public Library presented the American Library Association (ALA) with a scrapbook of letters, postcards, and documents tracing the origins of the Librarians’ Conference of 1876, the start of the association. It has now been restored thanks to the ALA Archives at the University of Illinois.
Bringing Harassment Out of the History Books
In this 2018 article, Anne Ford explores how the library profession has reckoned—or failed to reckon—with Melvil Dewey’s history of racism, exclusion, and sexual misconduct.
Call for a Library Conference: The 1876 ALA Conference
In March 1876, an anonymous letter was sent to the London publication, Academy, noting that it was
Fighting Censors and Book Bans: Establishing the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
Almost 60 years ago, the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the American Library Association needed a partner in their fight for intellectual freedom.
During the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, 103 librarians (90 men and 13 women) responded to a call for a “Convention of Librarians,” held October 4-6 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.