Publishing Services Books and Pamphlets Handbooks Finding AidBy (Unknown); Salvatore V. De Sando
Title: Handbooks, 1889-1906, 1912-32, 1939, 1942-48, 1950-51, 1953-55, 1957-2009
ID: 13/2/4
Primary Creator: Publishing Services
Extent: 3.6 Cubic Feet
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by publication date
Date Acquired: 01/01/1974. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Constitution and By-Laws, Finance Committee, Membership Lists, Officers Lists, Organization, History of ALA, Publications, Publishing Section
Languages: English
Handbooks (1889-99, 1893-95, 1897-1906, 1912-32, 1939, 1942-48, 1950-51, 1953-55, 1957- ) contains lists of officers and council members, publications, acronyms, and an outline of the organization, includes information on committees, boards, divisions, round tables, chapters, affiliates, and staff.
The Handbook contained a membership list until 1949 and was published as a number of the Bulletin from 1907 to 1969. It was retitled Handbook of Organization in 1972-73. From 1980-81 to 1995-96 the Handbook was again published with the Membership Directory, as well as separately. For Membership Directories not published with the Handbook, see record series 13/2/24.
In 1886 the American Library Association established a Publishing Section to create a cooperative publishing program for librarians (1). The program was to provide catalogs, indexes and bibliographies, and to undertake publishing projects that were not necessarily commercially feasible, but still of value to librarians (2). By 1900 the ALA changed the name from the Publishing Section to the Publishing Board, and took steps to secure ALA committee status (3). Two notable titles produced by the Publishing Board in the early part of the century were Booklist (1905-present) and ALA Bulletin (1907-1970, continued by American Libraries 1970-present) (4). In 1920, as a result of the ALA constitution adopted that year, a standing ALA Editorial Committee replaced the Publishing Board (5).
The next forty years saw a steady increase in library science book publishing. By 1966 the Editorial Committee could no longer efficiently manage its diverse requirements and responsibilities. To rejuvenate ALA's position in library science publishing, the ALA created a new Publishing Board in 1966. Operating as an arm of the ALA Executive Board, the new Publishing Board centralized control over manuscript acquisition and editing, design and production, and in marketing (6).
The Publishing Board was concerned with matters of finance, policy, and INT, while the Editorial Committee maintained editorial control over nondivisional works. Better coordination of editorial policy and financial administration was realized with the merger of the Publishing Board and the Editorial Committee at the ALA San Francisco Conference of 1975 (8). Following the Conference the two bodies became known as the ALA Publishing Committee. This ten-member ALA standing committee of Council, which governs over ALA Publishing Services, held its first meeting in October 1975 (8). At present, ALA Publishing Services manages five principal activities: 1) Books and Pamphlets 2) Booklist 3) Central Production Unit 4) Library Technical Reports and 5) Reference/Subscription Book Reviews (9).
Constitution and By-Laws
Finance Committee
Membership Lists
Officers Lists
Organization, History of ALA
Publications
Publishing Section
URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/alasfa/1302004a.pdf
PDF finding aid for Handbooks (13/2/4)
Submit request (Aeon)
