Building Bridges American Libraries A closer look at the American Library Association, ALA and the American Association of School Libraries, AASL

Missions of ALA & AASL ALA-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. AASL- The mission of the American Association of School Librarians is to advocate excellence, facilitate change, and develop leaders in the school library field.

Brief Background of ALA † ALA was founded in October of 1876 † Eleven membership units † Seven Key Action Areas-which are evaluated in the Strategic Plan every five years † Over 60,000 members American Library Association. (2011).

Meeting ALA’s Mission ALA develops a strategic plan that outlines their goals and priorities for the next five years. The current 2015 Strategic Plan, is broken into five goal areas: † Advocacy, Funding, and Public Policy † Building the Profession † Transforming Libraries † Member Engagement † Organizational Excellence American Library Association. (2011).

Brief Background of AASL † Started around 1914 † One of the 11 membership divisions of ALA † Proactive organization † Over 10,000 members † Not just for the library American Association of School Librarians. (2011).

Meeting AASL’s Mission AASL current Strategic Plan was adopted in This plan has four goal areas: † Guidelines and Standards † Professional Development † Advocacy † Community American Association of School Librarians. (2011).

How Libraries are Viewed As stated in the 2015 Strategic Plan, “Public libraries are recognized as the interactive place where people find the best resources, programming, and learning opportunities and use information to solve problems and BUILD BRIDGES between people.” Stevens, R. (2011).

References † American Association of School Librarians. (2011). Retrieved October 3, 2011, from † American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs. † American Library Association. (2011). Retrieved October 3, 2011, from † Clip Art on Slide 1, was taken from Microsoft Clip Art Gallery. † Stevens, R. (2011). ALAs 2015 Strategic Plan. American Libraries, 42(5/6), 16. Retrieved from Education Full Text database