Library Education Division (LED) | The American Library Association Archives

The Division of Library Education (LED) was established June 21, 1946, by a vote of the Council accepting the petition for divisional status submitted by the Professional Training Round Table. The Round Table thus became the Division of Library Education. Constitution and bylaws were adopted and officers were elected June 21, 1946.

The purpose of the division was to advance the interests of librarianship through the maintenance and improvement of standards in education for librarianship and through the study of personnel problems (1).

The Library Education Division had specific responsibility for:

1. Continuous study and review of changing needs for library education, development of educational programs, and continuing education of library personnel.

2. Conduct of activities and projects within its areas of responsibility.

3. Synthesis of the consideration by library educators and practicing librarians of education for librarianship.

4. Representation and interpretation of library education in contact with other educational groups.

5. Stimulation of the development of librarians engaged in its type of activity, and stimulation of participation by members in appropriate type-of-library divisions.

6. Planning and development of programs of study and research which will improve and extend library education for the whole profession.

In January, 1952, the Council of New Library Schools became the Teachers Section of the Division (2).

The Library Education Division also had specific responsibility for identifying materials needed in library education and prompting their preparation, publication, evaluation, dissemination, and use (3).

In 1977, the Library Education Division was dissolved by the ALA Council and was replaced by the Committee on Education, effective February 1, 1978 (4).

1. ALA Bulletin, 1946, p. H-57.

2. Ibid., December, 1957, p. 858.

3. Ibid., November, 1964, pp. 917-18.

4. ALA History, http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php?title=ALA_History.