Library Research Guides: Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards at Northwest Library: Professional Organizations

Reforma

REFORMA
The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking, more commonly known as REFORMA, is an affiliate of the American Library Association formed in 1971 to promote library services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking.
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Nationally there are twenty REFORMA chapters. These function autonomously, working through their local library systems, state library associations, and local organizations to achieve local objectives. The goals of REFORMA include: Development of Spanish-language and Latino-oriented library collections.

Professional Resources

Texas State Library
The Texas Library Association was established in 1902 to promote and improve library services in Texas. Membership includes academic, special, public and school librarians, interested lay people, library board members and vendors of library products.

Border Regional Library Association

BRLA Information
The Border Regional Library Association (BRLA) is an organization founded in 1966 for the promotion of library service and librarianship in the El Paso/Las Cruces/Juárez metroplex. Current membership includes over 100 librarians, paraprofessionals, media specialists and library friends and trustees from all types of libraries in the tri-state area of Trans-Pecos Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Chihuahua.

American Library Association

ALA
The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world.

Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is “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.”
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ALA’s Core values, key action areas and strategic directions
On June 28, 2015, the ALA Council adopted a new Strategic Plan (2017 Update) and the Association’s new strategic directions for the next three to five years. Building on the Council-adopted Key Action Areas, three strategic initiatives have been identified as priority areas of focus for the Association. At the 2017 Midwinter Meeting, ALA Council approved a fourth direction on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. At their 2018 Fall meeting, the ALA Executive Board voted to affirm that ALA will apply a social justice framework to the ALA strategic directions. The four strategic directions are:

Advocacy
Information Policy
Professional & Leadership Development.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
In pursuing our mission, the Association’s core value statements define our deepest aspirations and how we approach our work together. They are:

Extending and expanding library services in America and around the world
All types of libraries - academic, public, school and special
All librarians, library staff, trustees and other individuals and groups working to improve library services
Member service
An open, inclusive, and collaborative environment
Ethics, professionalism and integrity
Excellence and innovation
Intellectual freedom
Social responsibility and the public good
Sustainability
Eight Key Action Areas, refined over time by the ALA Council as the Association’s annual programmatic priorities, have defined the broad scope of our work and where we seek to have significant impact:

Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession
Diversity
Education and Lifelong Learning
Equitable Access to Information and Library Services
Intellectual Freedom
Literacy
Organizational Excellence
Transforming Libraries

Texas Library Association

TLA
Mission & History
The Texas Library Association (TLA) is the largest state library association in the U.S. It’s 6,000+ members represent all library types: academic, public, school and special.

Professional Organizations in Library and Information Sciences

National/International/States
A resource guide for topics related to librarianship and library/information science.