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ALA Archives 
About About
The American Library Association, founded in 1876, is the world's oldest and largest national library association. As outlined in the ALA Handbook of Organization, it's mission is "to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all." With a membership of libraries, librarians, library trustees, and other interested persons, ALA's concerns span state, public, school, academic, and special libraries. The Association works closely with more than 70 other library organizations as well as with other organizations concerned with education, research, cultural development, recreation, and public service. Further information can be found on the the ALA homepage.
The current ALA Archives was established in the summer of 1973, when ALA entered into an agreement with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to have its noncurrent records of long term value, previously stored in a Chicago warehouse, housed at the University Archives in Urbana. ALA records, dating primarily from the 1920s to the present, are heavily used by historians, library school faculty, students, and ALA staff and members to study such topics as the history of well-known librarians, library schools, and the ALA's role in national and international events.
The ALA Archives consists of official records, correspondence, publications, photographs, sound recordings, films, and videotapes. This research material is arranged in five general areas: 1) Administrative and staff offices containing records from the Executive Board, Council, Annual Conferences, past-presidents, and publishing services; 2) Associations and divisions 3) Round tables on special interests and concerns. 4) Committees and members papers including the World War I Library and War Service Committee, Accreditation Committee, and the personal papers of Scott Adams, Sanford Berman, and Helen W. Tuttle; 5) Affiliated and associated organizations containing records from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), Friends of the Libraries USA (FOLUSA), and the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE).
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