Spectrum Presidential Initiative Files, 1995-2012 | The American Library Association Archives

On July 3, 1970, the Council voted to establish the Office for Library Service to the Disadvantaged and Unserved (1). On July 3, 1980, the Council changed the name of the Office of Library Services to the Disadvantaged (OLSD) to the Office for Library Outreach Services (OLOS) (2). The purpose of the Office for Library Outreach Services is threefold: 1) to promote the provision of library service to the urban and rural poor, of all ages, and to those people who are discriminated against because they belong to minority groups; 2) to encourage the development of user-oriented informational and educational library services to meet the needs of the urban and rural poor, ethnic minorities, the underemployed, school dropouts, the semiliterate and illiterate and those isolated by cultural differences; and 3) to insure that librarians and others have information, access to technical assistance and continuing education opportunities to assist them in developing effective outreach programs (3). The Office for Library Outreach Services is responsible to the Deputy Executive Director (4).Sources:
1.  Council Minutes, 1970 Annual Conferences, p. 17, (RS 1/1/1-8). 2.  American Indian Libraries Newsletter, 1980  5:1, p. 5. 3.  ALA Handbook of Organization 1989-90, p. 185. 4.  Ibid., p. 184