Library Vertical Files, 1853-2014
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Brief Description: Vertical Files established by the Library for reference use containing material on ALA organization, constitution and bylaws (1914-51, 1971), elections and officers, membership, publicity (1876-1954), Council (1947-80), Executive Board (1960-79), publishing (1967-79), committees, round tables, boards and divisions and sections. The files include folders on meetings (1952-62), War Service during World Wars I and II, bibliography committee (1924-35), Reading Habits Study (1927-29), international relations, (1941-69), Books for Latin America Project (1942-45), Adult Education Survey and Grant Evaluation (1952-58), Financial Status of Publications Survey (1930), committee reports (1925-80), Wayne A. Wiegand's article The Wayward Bookman about K. August Linderfelt and related reproduced documents, awards (1924-80), headquarters administrative memoranda (1954-69), travel reports (1958-62), copies of articles by Carl Milam (1959-65) and the Freedom to Read Foundation (1969-90), organizational anniversaries, annual reports of the ALA (1973-97), election returns (1953-88), copies of the ALA Constitution (1889-78); a subject file on library topics; historical documents; National Library Week materials (1949-1983); project files; conference materials; and Council of National Library Associations (CNLA) minutes and proceedings (1941-1968).
Held at:
The American Library Association Archives
19 Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61802
Phone: 217 333 0798
Fax: 217 244 2868
Email: ala-archives [at] library.illinois.edu
Record Series Number: 18/1/56
Created by: Headquarters Library
Volume: 31.0 Cubic Feet
Acquired: 4/26/74 [See IWS]; 6/22/2021
More information is available at https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/alasfa/1801056a.pdf
Arrangement: Alphabetical by subject
Biographical Note for Headquarters Library : 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
Adult Education Survey
Adult Services Division
ALA Annual Conference
ALA Council
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
American Issues forum
American Reference Center
Architectural Plans
Armed forces Library Section
Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
Automation
Awards
Awards Committee
Bibliography Committee
Booklists
Bostwick, Arthur E.
Children's Services Division (CSD)
China-Libraries
Classification of Library Personnel Committee
Committee Reports
Conference Materials
Conferences
Constitution and By-Laws
Council of National Library and Information Associations
County Libraries
Division of Cataloging and Classification
Elections and Officers
Enlarged Program Committee
Executive Board, ALA
Federal Aid for Libraries
Financial Status of Publications Survey
France-Libraries
Freedom to Read Foundation
Headquarters Administration
Headquarters Library of The ALA
Intellectual Freedom, Office for
Intellectual Freedom Committee
International Relations Board
International Relations Office
Latin America Project, Books for
Library Administration Division (LAD)
Library Education Division (LED)
Library Film Advisor
Library History
Library Trends
Melcher Scholarships
Milam, Carl H.
National Library Week
Newbery-Caldecott Awards
Newbery Award
Personnel Administration, Board On
Postwar Planning
President, ALA
Prison Libraries
Publications
Publishing Board
Publishing Services
Religious Books Round Table
Resources and Technical Services Division (RTSD)
School Library Development Project
Section for Library Work With Children
Switzerland-Libraries
Victory Book Campaign
War Service
Washington Office
World War I
World War II
Languages of Materials
English [eng]
Finding Aid Revisions: 12/9/2022 - created Word doc, fixed formatting