Round Table on Library Service to the Blind | The American Library Association Archives

In Fall 1957, the ALA Council organized the Round Table on Library Service to the Blind (LSB) to replace the Committee on Library Service to the Blind and to expand the scope of the Round Table (1).

Its original purposes were "to promote effective library service to the blind in accordance with professional library standards and to promote the cooperation of the entire library profession in helping to provide such service" (2).

In January 1965 these purposes and the scope of the Round Table were expanded to include "those whose limited vision prevents the use of materials in ordinary INT" (3).

LSB was originally governed by an executive committee consisting of a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, and treasurer (4). It functioned through standing committees including membership, nominating, publicity and local arrangements committees (5). Through the years, the executive committee membership was expanded to include a chairman-elect, a member-at-large, and a staff liaison (6).

LSB published a quarterly Newsletter (7). From Fall 1982, this was superceded by the News and Views, Nov. 1967 (8). News and Views was published semi-annually until 1974 when the Round Table was reorganized (9).

From 1968, LSB sponsored the annual Francis Joseph Campbell Award (10).

In 1974 the functions of the Round Table were taken over by the Library Service to the Blind and Physically Handicapped Section of the Health and Rehabilitative Library Services Division (11).

Sub-Groups:

1-Officers

2-Publications (News and Views)

30-Francis Joseph Campbell Award

31-Local Arrangements, Convention

32-Membership

34-Publication Board

35-Publicity

36-Standards, Production of Reading Materials for the Blind and Visually Handicapped

37-Standards, Library Service to the Blind and Visually Handicapped

1. ALA Bulletin: Organization and Information 1958-59, p. 862.

2. Ibid.

3. ALA Bulletin: Organization and Information 1965-66, p. 924.

4. ALA Bulletin: Organization and Information 1958-59, p. 862.

5. Ibid.

6. ALA Bulletin: Organization and Information 1970-71, p. 87.

7. Newsletter of the Round Table on Library Services for the Blind, v. 1, no. 1, p. 1 (48/2/10).

8. Colton. Note dated 4/1/70 (RS 48/2/10).

9. ALA Handbook of Organization, 1973-74, p. 50.

10. ALA Bulletin: Organization and Information 1968-69, p. 1243.

11. ALA Committee on Organization. Report to the ALA Council, June 1973, (1972-73 ALA Council Document #73 Exhibit 20), p. 2 (RS 1/1/1, Box 9).