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Committee on Committees Correspondence, 1929-1940

Collection Overview

Title: Committee on Committees Correspondence, 1929-1940

ID: 92/8/5

Creator: Committee on Committees

Extent: 0.6 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: Chronological

Languages: English [eng]

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Committee on Committees correspondence of Chairmen Ernest J. Reece (1928-30), Henry O. Severance (1930-32) and William J. Hamilton (1932-33) relating to written statements of functions of ALA committees (1930-33), relations between cognate committees and sections (1929-30), readjustment of functions of section and Committee on Library Work with Children (1931), committee conflicts and duplication (1930), functions of subcommittees (1930), conflict between Hospital Library and Institution Library Committees and creation of Committee on Libraries in Eleemosynary Institutions (1932) and creation of Committee on Library Architecture and Bogle Memorial Committee (1932-33), written statements of functions, ALA Committees: Organization and Duties report and committee reports (1928-29, 1932, 1933). The series also includes correspondence of Chairpersons Judson T. Jennings (1934-36) and Clarence B. Lester (1936-40), with ALA Headquarters and with individual committee chairpersons, about the functions and status of each committee and ALA reorganization; including replies to a 1934-35 committee questionnaire and correspondence with 3rd Activities Committee chairperson Charles H. Brown.

Biographical Note

The ALA Committee on Committees was established in 1921 at the suggestion of President Alice S. Tyler (ALA President, 1920-21) (1).  The Committee, in conference with the ALA president, made recommendations to the Executive Board regarding the creation of discontinuance of committees according to the needs and requirements of the Association (2).  In 1940, the evaluation of ALA Boards was added to the committee's responsibilities and consequently, it was renamed the Committee on Boards and Committees (3).  On June 21, 1956, the Committee on Boards and Committees was discontinued and, by action of the ALA Council, was replaced by the Committee on Organization (4).  This new committee not only made recommendations relating to the establishment or discontinuance of committees but also ALA divisions and round tables (5).

In 1972, an ALA Council Committee on Committees was created to make appointments to Council committees and to nominate candidates for the Executive Board (6).  However despite its name, this committee is not related to the original Committee on Committees or its successors.

1.  ALA Bulletin, Vol. 15, 1921, p. 6.

2.  ALA Handbook, 1921, Section XII.

3.  ALA Bulletin, Vol. 37 (7), August, 1940, p. 25.

4.  ALA Bulletin, Vol. 50, 1956, p. 713, 719.

5.  ALA Bylaws, 1957, Article IX, Section 2(a), 2(b), 4 and 5.  See also, ALA Handbook 1992-93, Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 2(b).

6.  ALA Council Committee on Committees Workbook, 1976, p. 1-3.  See also ALA Handbook 1992-93, Bylaws, Article III, Section 6(a), 6(b), 6©; and Article VIII, Section 2.