By (Unknown); Faith McConnon
Collection Overview
Title: Organization Reports File, 1911-74
ID: 18/1/26
Creator: Headquarters Library
Extent: 3.0 Cubic Feet
Arrangement: Alphabetical by name of organizational unit
Languages: English [eng]
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Organization Report File including printed copies of annual reports from the ALA Bulletin; special reports; minutes of meetings; memoranda and correspondence concerning boards, committees, divisions, joint committees, round tables, divisions and special projects of the ALA, and reports of ALA representatives to meetings of external bodies with attachments and newspapers clippings.
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).
Administrative Information