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. The aim of the Association, in that resolution, was “to enable librarians to do their present work more easily and at less expense.” Attendees came from as far west as Chicago and even from England, and those who signed the register at the end of the two-day conference became charter members of the newly-formed American Library Association.

Now that we are firmly in the 21st century, and looking towards commemorating ALA’s sesquicentennial anniversary, we are given the opportunity to revisit and reflect on the many moments in ALA history that have impacted librarianship. ALA has been at the forefront of the library profession, and has also fallen short of the ideals of its mission. The Sesquicentennial is a space to revisit ALA’s history and to explore the potential directions of its future. It will host both updates on upcoming anniversary projects, and deep-dives into ALA’s history.

Now that we are firmly in the 21st century, and looking towards commemorating ALA’s sesquicentennial anniversary, we are given the opportunity to revisit and reflect on the many moments in ALA history that have impacted librarianship. 

Stay tuned to The Sesquicentennial for 150th commemoration updates and highlights from ALA’s long and impactful history. If you would like us to explore a specific moment or topic of ALA’s history in a future post, please email us.