Finding Aid for Foreign Librarians Internships Subject File, 1955-1969 | The American Library Association Archives

Title: Foreign Librarians Internships Subject File, 1955-1969

ID: 7/2/16

Primary Creator: International Relations Office (IRO)

Extent: 3.3 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by subject title

Date Acquired: 04/26/1974

Subjects: Education for foreign Students, American, Foreign Exchange Programs, Foreign Librarians Internships, Multi-National Librarians Programs

Languages: English

Internship files of foreign librarians contains correspondence, printed materials, reports and notes relating to foreign librarians and library students in the United States, includes materials dealing with job opportunities, internships, such as those sponsored by the Department of State in cooperation with U.S. national and state library associations, and the Multi-National Librarian Projects (1961-1968) and the Multi-Area Group Librarian Program (1963-1968), which were State Department programs designed to match librarians with U.S. libraries.

The International Relations Board (International Relations Round Table) creatred the International Relations Office (IRO) in June 1942 (1).  The IRO was set up to "carry on its work in cooperation with the other committees of the Association whose work had international implications" (2).  The IRO also functioned as an advisory agency for libraries abroad (3).  In 1942-45, the IRO served "as an operational agency for various projects of the Department of State, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other foundations and libraries" (4).  A "new" IRO was created in 1956 (5).  The IRO concentrated its efforts on library development and the director was charged to "study and investigate the state of library education in various parts of the world" (6).  The director was expected to spend several months of each year in nations on the continents of Asia, Africa, and South America (7).  In 1959, the IRO sponsored (with Rockefeller Foundation monies) a group of ten visiting Japanese librarians who studied reference and advisory services in the United States (8).  The IRO was disbanded in 1972 (9). The office reopened in 1976 before closing again in 1982, then reopening.

Repository: The American Library Association Archives

Other Note: 2 Pages

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/alasfa/0702016a.pdf

PDF finding aid for Foreign Librarians Internships Subject File (7/2/16)