Library Photographic Vertical File | The American Library Association Archives

The main function of the Headquarters Library is to provide basic services to the Executive Board and the membership (1). The Librarian reports to the Deputy Executive Director for Management (2). The Library is first referred to in the Secretary's Report of 1925-26: "A better professional library must be provided at ALA Headquarters if satisfactory service is to be given to members?" (3). In 1929 the ALA appealed to the Secretary of the Wieboldt Foundation for funds to establish a library at ALA Headquarters, but the appeal was denied (4). In the proposed budgets for 1931 and 1933, the Library was funded under the Department of Information and Advisory Services, a part of the Public Library Division (5). Its mission was "the task of building up and organizing a professional collection, of rendering reference service to the staff, and of answering reference questions. . ." (6). It also collected and compiled library statistics (7). By 1955 the Headquarters Librarian reported to the Executive Secretary (8). With the reorganization of Headquarters in 1958, the Library became a part of Unit IV under the direction of the Deputy Executive Director (9).Sources:
1. ALA Handbook of Organization, 1984-86, p. 222. 2. Ibid., p. 181. 3. George B. Utley. Secretary's Report, ALA Bulletin, October 1926, p. 357. 4. Julia Elliott. Report to the Executive Board, Executive Board Transcripts and Minutes, ALA Archives, Microfilm Vol. 5, December 31, 1929, p. 51. 5. Proposed Budgets, Executive Board Transcripts and Minutes, ALA Archives, Microfilm Vol. 5, November 1931, p. 413 and Vol. 6, March 4, 1933, p. 221. 6. Julia Wright Merrill, Executive Assistant. Report of Department of Information and Advisory Services. ALA Archives, Microfilm Vol. 6, December 21, 1933, p. 358. 7. Ibid. 8. ALA Bulletin, April 1955, p. 178. 9. David H. Clift," ALA Headquaters in the Reorganization," ALA Bulletin, December 1958, p. 817.