The Louisiana Library Association (LLA) is a professional organization for

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

librarians A librarian is a person who professionally works managing information. Librarians' common activities include providing access to information, conducting research, creating and managing information systems, creating, leading, and evaluating educat ...

and library workers. It is headquartered in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

. The LLA publishes ''The LLA Bulletin'' (est. 1937) and ''Louisiana Libraries'' magazine. It was originally founded in 1909, called the Louisiana State Library Association, after a call for a statewide library group from the New Orleans Library Club. An initial meeting of thirty people was held at

Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...

in 1909 with the goal of increasing the number of trained librarians in the state and drafting library legislation. The main speaker was Chalmers Hadley president 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. History 19th century ...

. The LLA fell into some disorder during and after World War I, and was reorganized in 1925. The LLA Convention or Conference began in 1909 has been held annually (except for 1914-1924, 1933, and 1945). LLA became a chapter member of the American Library Association in 1939, and has been a member since then with the exception of a period from March 5, 1963 through mid-1965 when the Executive Board of LLA resigned from ALA because the organization was not integrated. LLA had voted in 1947 to admit Black members, but because of state segregation laws had not been able to implement the change. The history of the association under

Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation, " Jim Crow" being a pejorative term for an African American. The last of the ...

has been documented by Alma Dawson in "The Participation of African Americans in the Louisiana Library Association." Before 1965 the Louisiana Colored Teachers’ Association (later called the Louisiana Education Association) had a libraries section which counted public, school, and academic librarians among its members. In 1992 a joint conference was held in New Orleans with the Southeastern Library Association. The first Black president of LLA was Idella Washington who was elected in 1998. Alma-Culver Award

In 1999 the ''LLA Bulletin'' was renamed ''Louisiana Libraries.'' The 2021 conference was held as a virtual conference during the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic.

Awards

The Louisiana Library Association established its Awards program in 1944. *The Association bestows the

Essae Martha Culver Essae Martha Culver (November 15, 1882 – January 3, 1973) was an American librarian, the first state librarian of Louisiana and president of the American Library Association. Early life Culver was born in Emporia, Kansas to Joseph Franklin Cul ...

award for lifetime contributions to librarianship in Louisiana. In 2019 the award was given to Dr. Alma Dawson, the first African American so honored. *The Alex Allain Intellectual Freedom Award recognizes the contribution of an individual or a group who/which has actively promoted intellectual freedom in Louisiana. It is named for

Alexander Allain Alexander Peter Allain (June 27, 1920 – January 5, 1994) was an American lawyer and library advocate known for his work securing the freedom of expression."In memoriam: Alexander Peter Allain 1920-1994", ''Louisiana Libraries'', Winter 2006, 4. ...

, lawyer and library trustee who was first chair of the Louisiana Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee. *James O. Modisette Awards are given in memory of James O. Modisette, a Louisiana Library Commissioner who worked with Essae M. Culver to develop library services in the state. *Lucy B. Foote Award recognizing the contributions of subject specialists to the library profession in memory of Lucy B Foote, who made lasting contributions to Louisiana State Documents librarianship and special collections. *The Louisiana Literary Award promotes books related to Louisiana. The first award in 1949, was to folklorist, Hewitt L. Leonard Ballowe, for ''Creole Folk Tales: Stories of the Louisiana Marsh Country.'' Recent award winning books: **2024. '' Necropolis: Disease, Power, and Capitalism in the Cotton Kingdom'' by Kathryn Olivarius. **2023. ''Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana'' by Brian K.Mitchell published by the

Historic New Orleans Collection The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region of the United States. It is located in New Orl ...

. **2022. ''The Vanishing Half'' by Britt Bennet. **2021. ''Spreading the Gospel of Books: Essae M. Culver and the Genesis of Louisiana Parish Libraries.''by Florence M. Jumonville. **2020. ''Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation'' by Robert W. Fieseler. **2019. ''Tragedy of Brady Sims'' by Ernest J. Gaines. **2018. ''Ain't There No More: Louisiana's Disappearing Coastal Plain'' by Carl A. Brasseaux and Donald W. Davis. **2017. ''Legendary Louisiana Outlaws: The Villains and Heroes of Folk Justice'' by Dr. Keagan LeJeune. **2016. ''Billy Cannon: A Long, Long Run'' by Charles N. deGravelles. ** 2015. ''Bourbon Street: A History'' by Richard Campanella. ** 2014. ''Louisiana Eats! The People, the Food, and Their Stories'' by Poppy Tooker and David G. Speilman.

Scholarships

The LLA offers multiple scholarships each year. The LLA Scholarship is for students enrolled in full-time study toward a Master's Degree in Library Science at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

School of Library and Information Science. The Mary Moore Mitchell Scholarship is for part-time study. Recipients of both scholarships are selected by the Scholarship Committee with advice of the faculty at the Louisiana State University School of Library and Information Science.

References

External links

Louisiana Library Association websiteLouisiana Literary Award

Southeastern Library Association website

Organizations based in Louisiana Literary awards {{Authority control