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Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Films produced or sponsored by ALA on topics including literacy, the information explosion, library manpower, libraries of the future, intellectual freedom, large-print formats and school libraries. The series includes the Office for Intellectual Freedom film "The Speaker" (1977).
Biographical Note
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).
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The American Library Association Archives
Accruals:
4/20/77; 7/9/89; ca. 1990
Processing Information:
Reprocessed 1/29/2025.
Other Note:
1 Pages
PDF Box/Folder List
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Film Information],
[
Series 2: DVD Reproductions],
[
Series 3: Film Reels],
[
Series 4: Oversized Films],
[All]
- Series 1: Film Information
- Box 1
- Folder 1: ALA Film Information
- Series 2: DVD Reproductions
- DVD reproductions of film reels. Most reformatted in January 2007.
- Box 1
- Item 1: "ALA - Program for Progress" [Digitized], 1960
- 2 copies.
- Item 2: "Help Yourself" [Digitized], 1950
- 2 copies.
- Item 3: "And Something More" [Digitized], 1966
- 2 copies.
- Item 4: "Books & People: The Wealth Within", 1947
- Series 3: Film Reels
- Box 2
- Item 1: "ALA - Program for Progress" [Digitized], 1960
- 16mm, 7" reel
- Item 2: "What if You Couldn't Read?"
- 16mm, 12" reel
- Item 3: "American Library - part 2"
- 16mm, 10 1/4" reel
- Item 4: "Print for the Visually Handicapped"
- ALA Library Technology Program Office. 8mm, silent, color.
- Item 5: "Books & People: The Wealth Within", 1947
- Sold by ALA. 16mm, sound, color, 23 minutes.
- Item 6: "Help Yourself" [Digitized], 1950
- 16mm, sound, color, 23 minutes.
- Item 7: "And Something More" [Digitized]
- 16mm color film.
- Box 3
- Item 1: "The Information Explosion", 1967
- 16mm, 12" reel
- Item 2: "What will Libraries be Like in the Future?", 1969
- 16mm, 12" reel
- Item 3: "American Issues Forum", circa 1976
- 16mm, 10 1/4" reel
- Series 4: Oversized Films
- Reel 1: "Crisis in Library Manpower: Myth and Reality", 1967
- 16mm, sound, color, 42 minutes.
- Reel 2: "The Speaker: A Film About Freedom", 1977
- Office for Intellectual Freedom. 2 reels. 16mm, sound, color, 13 1/2" reel
- Reel 3: "The Speaker: A Film About Freedom", 1977
- Office for Intellectual Freedom. 16mm, sound, color, 13 1/2" reel. 2nd reel.
- Reel 4: "Book Talk with Walter Stone: Golf Books", 1956
- 16mm
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Film Information],
[
Series 2: DVD Reproductions],
[
Series 3: Film Reels],
[
Series 4: Oversized Films],
[All]
Headquarters Library 
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