About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world, providing association information, news, events, and advocacy resources for members, librarians, and library users. ALA uses five Key Action Areas as guiding principles for directing the Association’s energies and resources: Diversity, Equity of Access, Education and Continuous Learning, Intellectual Freedom, and 21st Century Literacy. The ALA Strategic Plan builds a world where libraries, both physical and virtual, are central to lifelong discovery and learning and where everyone is a library user. ALA is governed by an Executive Board and Council, guided by the Charter of 1879 and ALA’s Constitution and Bylaws.