Committee on Education | The American Library Association Archives

The Council Standing Committee on Library Education (SCOLE) was established in 1978, assuming many of the functions of the Library Education Division which was dissolved by Council at the January 1978 ALA Conference (1).  SCOLE's role is:

To develop and recommend Association policies related to the training and education of library personnel.  To encourage other ALA unites to establish committees concerned with education and training relevant to their specific fields of interest and to work closely with such units in the attainment of their educational objectives.  To coordinate the recommendations and policies concerning library education promulgated by the several divisions, round tables, or other units to eliminate conflict or unnecessary duplication.  To maintain communication and rapport with other library organizations concerned with library education.  To represent the Association to organizations and agencies outside the library field which are concerned with professional education and staff preparation.  To work with other ALA committeed where their interests and those of the Standing Committee on Library Education coincide.  To identify needed research in the field of library education and to help promote its accomplishment.  To act as a clearinghouse of information on all aspects of library education for the professions and the public-at-large (2).

The International Library Education Subcommittee is responsible for projects relating to both basic and continuing library education outside the United States, gathering and disseminating information about library education in other countries, promoting the exchange of information on curriculum and teaching methods between library education programs in this and other countries, and facilitating aid to library education programs in emerging nations (3).

SCOLE is responsible for the Carl Milam Lecture Series.  The subcommittee annually brings a distinguished lecturer from another country for a series of presentations at U.S. and Canadian library schools (4).

The Library Education Assembly, established by SCOLE, provides a broad base for communication matters among ALA unites, SCOLE, and Council (5).

The name of the committee was later changed to the Committee on Education.

1.  ALA Yearbook 1978, p. 101.

2.  ALA Handbook of Organization, 1983-1984, p. 15.

3.  Ibid.

4.  ALA Yearbook 1981, p. 162.

5.  ALA Yearbook 1978, p. 101.