Buildings and Equipment Section (LAMA) | The American Library Association Archives

The Buildings and Equipment Section is one of seven sections within the Library Administration and Management Association and has been a part of the Division since 1975 (1). Prior to 1957 each of the ALA divisions maintained separate building committees. Chairpersons of the division-level building committees belonged to the ALA Building Committee (so named on February 1, 1952) that was designated the Library Architecture and Building Planning Committee upon its creation in 1932 by the Council (2). The Building and Equipment Section Exercises responsibility for all matters pertaining to aspects of library architecture, including interior design, site selection, building maintenance, plumbing, and planning (3). The Section currently consists of ten Committees and one Discussion Group (4).

Committees and Year Established:

Executive, 1957

Architecture for Public Libraries, 1957

Building for College and University Libraries, 1957

Equipment, 1957

Library Building Awards, 1978

Library Buildings Consultant List (ad hoc), 1980

Nominating, 1988

Nominating, 1989 (Practice of establishing nominating committees for 2 consective years began in 1986)

School Library/Media Facilities, 1976

Standards for Physical Space Requirements for Libraries (ad hoc), 1987

Discussion Group:

Library Facilities Planning, 1988

1. ALA Bulletin, December 1957, p. 856.

2. ALA Bulletin, December 1955, p. 623.

3. ALA Handbook of Organization (Chicago: American Library Association 1987), p. 91.

4. Ibid.