American Library Assoc. Snapshot
The ALA Constitution states the purpose of ALA as, “The object of the American Library Association shall be to promote library service and librarianship.” The stated 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.”
The American Library Association (ALA) is a not-for-profit that works to develop, promote, and improve library and information services. Governed by an elected council, the ALA works with libraries of all types, from public to academic to prison. The more than 67,000-member organization consists of 11 divisions, as well as affiliated organizations and chapters in all 50 states, all working to advance ALA causes, such as Banned Books Week, an annual event promoting awareness about efforts to ban certain books from libraries. The ALA's Washington, DC branch office tries to influence federal legislative policy to ensure the public's right to free access to information. The group was founded in 1876.