Libraries of all kinds have suffered damages and loss due to environmental disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. As hurricane season comes to a close (officially June 1 to November 30), it’s a good time to reflect on disaster planning. Hurricanes Florence and Michael caused significant damage in the United States this year, and Puerto […]
Following World War One and A.L.A. War Service program, the American Library Association’ Committee on Library Extension (later Library Extension Board) produced a great many publications supporting the work of county, district, regional, and rural librarians as well as their peers across the United States. Some of these publications can be found in Record Series 29/5/11, […]
From September 15 to October 15, it is Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States and we at the ALA Archives want to help you optimize your research into Hispanic American heritage and history. In this month’s blog post, we’ll take a tour through ALA Archives holdings and we’ll use multiple strategies for finding information. […]
Although a significant amount of an archivist’s work is spent communicating with donors and researchers, in addition to arranging and conserving or preserving a continuous influx of documents, there is always time for a little fun too. Archives are not exclusively repositories for records of historic value; but, they are also home to a great […]
This spring, the American Library Association Archives acquired a generous donation of photographs from Arthur Plotnik, a photographer, journalist, writer, and librarian. Plotnik is the former editor of ALA’s flagship magazine, American Libraries, and his career with the American Library Association spanned over twenty years. Before coming to ALA, Plotnik worked at the H.W. Wilson […]
Since 1969, the SRRT Newsletter has provided information resources on social issues affecting librarians, library communities, and libraries. Of course, older issues are still information rich for current and future readers. Read on to learn more about the early art and history of SRRT Newsletter!
Forty two years ago, at the 1976 Midwinter Convention, the recently established Jewish Librarians Caucus (now Jewish Information Committee) also founded a publication which would serve as an information rich resource on world issues from a Jewish perspective and issues affecting Jewish librarians and their communities. Other archival holdings also document a history of Jewish […]
The ALA Archives holds many treasures in unexpected places. The Issue Photographs files of American Libraries magazine in one such place, holding materials like original art and illustrations, such as original cartoons by Richard Lee. Lee’s cartoons for American Libraries are a treasure trove of classic and original library humor and were mostly published in […]
Since 1987, or since October 1957 if you count its predecessor (or since April 1957 if you count the predecessor’s predecessor [or really since 1950, for that predecessor’s predecessor]), the publications of the International Relations Round Table have been documenting goodwill between librarians in the form of publications like the RTLSA Newsletter, IRRT Newsletter, Leads, […]
Since 1976, the American Indian Libraries Newsletter has provided information resources for librarians working with American Indian library communities and libraries. Of course, older issues are still information rich for current and future readers. Read on to learn more about the early art and history of American Indian Libraries Newsletter!
