Joint Committees | The American Library Association Archives

Joint Committees of the American Libraries Association are established by Council action in accordance with Bylaws article VIII Section 6 which states inter alia that:

(a) The Council, on the recommendation of the Committee on Organization, may establish either standing or special, with the other organizations when the function of the proposed committee cannot be appropriately delegated to a single division of ALA committee (1).

During its meeting of June 23, 25, and 26, 1969 the Committee on organization voted to recommend to the Executive Board and Council that a INT Committee be defined as one which "develops and carries out programs of mutual interest, exchanges information, or discusses matters of mutual concern with an organization or organizations outside ALA" (2).

The current INT Committees are:

(i) INT Committees on Institution Libraries-- American Correctional Association --Association of Specialized Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA).

Effective September 1, 1978, this Committee formulates and implements standards, planning and guiding policies concerning libraries in correctional institutions.

(ii) INT Committees Library Service to Labor Groups the American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organization -- ALA Reference and Adult Services Division.

Created by Executive Board, October, 1964, its main function is to enhance cooperation between the libraries and local organizations and their constituencies (3).

(iii) Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Common Revision Fund.

Created during mid-winter conference of ALA 1977. The Committee administers the royalties from sale of AACR2 materials.

(iv) Anglo-American Cataloguing, INT Steering Committee for Revision of

Created during March, 1974 Chicago meeting of ALA with representatives of the Canadian Library Association and British Library (4). This committee is in charge of coordination revision of ACR2 as well as defining and maintaining appropriate activities and liaisons.

(v) Association for Educational Communications and Technology -- American Association of School Libraries (AASL).

Created during ACA Conference of June 22-25, 1980 in St. Louis Mo. (5), the main aim of this Committee is to improve educational services for students and teacher as well as to enhance professional growth of its members.

(vi) Association for Educational Communications and Technology -- Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

Came into operation in 1985 to bring the advances in communications technology to bear on the improvement of junior college libraries and learning resource centers.

(vii) Association of American Publishers -- Resources and Technical Resources Services Division (RSTD)

Began in 1975 as task force charged with examining the effectiveness of publishers' promotion to libraries (6).

Created January/February, 1965 when AAP was referred to as American Book Publishing Council. The main function of the Committee is to stimulate exchange of ideas between both organizations.

(ix) Children's Book Council -- ALA

Created during January/February Mid Winter meeting of 1958 in Chicago to improve content, format, distribution and promotion of juvenile literature.

(x) Society of American Archivists -- ALA INT Committee on Library - Archives Relationships, created by Executive Council of Fall meeting of 1970 (7). Created to develop and sustain cooperation between archivists and librarians as well as to encourage establishment of common standards for acquisition, preservation and delivery of written and graphic records to users.

Sub-Groups:

1-Society of American Archivists (Committee on Library-Archives Relationships)

2-Canadian Library Association

3-Children's Book Council

4-Association for Education Communications and Technology (AECT)

5-American Association of Publishers/ALA, RTSD

6-National Education Association

17-Far Eastern Association Education

20-National Parent Education Association

21-Library Work as a Career

22-American Book Publishing Council Committee on Reading Development

23-Rural Sociological Society

24-Union List of Serials

1. ALA bylaws Article VIII, Section 6.

2. ALA Handbook of Organization 1988/89, Chicago: American Library Association, 1988.

3. ALA Handbook of Organization 1948, Chicago: American Library Association, 1948 p. 44.

4. Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd. Ed. Chicago and Ottawa: ALA and CLA, 1978. p. vi.

5. ALA Yearbook 1980, Chicago: American Library Association, 1980, p. 41.

6. See ALA Yearbook 1976, p. 448.

7. ALA Handbook of Organization, 1971-1972 p. 22.