The Public Library Association (PLA) is a division of the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

, is a

professional association A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and t ...

of public

librarians A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...

and supporters dedicated to the "development and effectiveness of

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamen ...

staff and public library services." In keeping with this mission, the PLA provides

continuing education Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. ...

to members, hosts a biennial

professional conference A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

, publishes a

trade journal A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for this ...

, and advocates for public libraries and literacy. The PLA was founded in 1944 and currently has over 9,000 members.

Mission & Goals

The mission of the Public Library Association is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staffers and public library services. This mission allows the PLA to: * Focus its efforts on serving the needs of its members * Address issues which affect public libraries * Commit to quality public library services that benefit the general public The goals of the PLA, as of 2014, now are: * Advocacy and Awareness: PLA plays a major role in public library advocacy and in influencing public perception about the library. * Leadership and Transformation: PLA is a leading source for learning opportunities to advance the transformation of public libraries and helps to position the library's institutional and professional orientation from internal to outward toward the community. * Literate Nation: PLA is a leader and valued partner of public libraries’ initiatives to create a literate nation. * Organizational Excellence: PLA is positioned to sustain and grow its resources to advance the work of the association. These Mission & Goals come from the PLA Strategic Plan, approved by the PLA Board of Directors, June 2014.

Issues

The PLA identifies the following areas as "priority concerns": * Adequate funding for public libraries * Improved management of public libraries * Recognition of the importance of all library staff members in providing quality public service * Recruitment, education, training, and compensation of public librarians * Intellectual freedom * Improved access to library resources * Effective communication with the nonlibrary world.

Governance

The PLA is governed by an 11-member

Board of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit orga ...

elected by the association's members. The PLA Board of Directors consists of the President, President-Elect, Past-President, six Directors-at-Large, ALA Division Councilor, and PLA Executive Director. The Executive Director is an

ex-officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

and non-voting board member tasked with enacting the board's decisions. The PLA's current president is Carolyn Anthony, its president-elect is Larry Neal, and its executive director is Barbara Macikas. Members of PLA standing committees, award juries, task forces, and advisory groups are appointed to one- or two-year terms by the president-elect. Active committees include a Budget and Finance Committee, Every Child Ready to Read Oversight Committee, Intellectual Freedom Committee, Leadership Development Committee, Legislation and Advocacy Committee, Public Libraries Advisory Committee, and committees to manage the PLA's biennial conferences and nominate candidates for committee service.

Publications

''Public Libraries'' is the PLA's official

trade magazine A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for t ...

. Published six times annually, this magazine focuses on news and issues pertaining to public libraries and librarianship. It commenced publication in January 1947 under the editorship of Muriel E. Perry of Decatur Public Library.Hughes, K. (2003). Public Library Association. In M. Drake (Ed.), ''Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science: Vol. 4, 2nd ed.'' (pp. 2393-6). ''Public Libraries Online'' is the digital companion to the print journal and offers three full articles from each print issue, plus daily updates, interviews, blogging, and other exclusive content. The print magazine is a delayed open access journal; its web companion is free and open to all users. PLA is also responsible for the publication of many key monograph titles in the field of public librarianship.

History

PLA was formed in 1944 as the Division of Public Libraries of the

. The formation of the Division of Public Libraries of the American Library Association was approved by the ALA Council in 1944 following petitions signed by nearly 1,200 members. The first PLA president was Amy Winslow of

Cuyahoga County Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S.-Canada maritime border. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1 ...

Library. The first Executive Secretary (a position now known as Executive Director) was Julia Wright Merrill. The original mission of the division was to advance public library interests and to cooperate in the promotion of library service in general. In 1971 Effie Lee Morris became the first woman and black person to serve as president of the PLA. The PLA's First National Conference, with the theme "Serving People: Public Libraries Today and Tomorrow" was presented March 23–26, 1983 in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference chair was Charles W. Robinson. The core purposes was to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve.

References

External links

Public Library AssociationAmerican Library Association''Public Libraries Online''
{{Authority control Library associations in the United States Library-related professional associations Professional associations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Chicago * Public libraries