Finding Aid for Circular Book, 1939-1942 | The American Library Association Archives

Title: Circular Book, 1939-1942

ID: 18/1/3

Primary Creator: Headquarters Library

Extent: 1.0 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: By type of report and chronological thereunder

Subjects: Clearing House for Library Problems, Green, Harriet H., Headquarters Library of The ALA, Library Architecture and Building Planning Committee

Languages: English

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), and the first mention of an ALA Librarian appears in the 1924 September Handbook, listing Dilla Whittemore (MacBean) as the ALA Librarian. 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).

Repository: The American Library Association Archives

Other Note: 1 Page

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/alasfa/1801003a.pdf

PDF finding aid for Circular Book (18/1/3)