July 24, 2023
The Arizona Library Association’s mission is to promote library service and librarianship in libraries of all types in the state of Arizona. AzLA’s membership in the American Library Association (ALA) supports our mission, and helps to expand our reach through advocacy, grants, and networking opportunities.
Just like Arizona’s libraries meet a range of needs in our communities, the ALA meets a variety of needs in our profession. The ALA is a membership organization inclusive of all types of libraries and library workers, serves a national network connecting and supporting state chapters, and accredits master’s degree programs for librarians.
Benefits to ALA membership include access to ALA’s standards for library services, continuing education and professional development opportunities, community of practice and subject matter experts, funding sources, grants, scholarships, and resources that help to underwrite the delivery of programs and services for library users.
As a state chapter of ALA, the Arizona Library Association has access to professional support from staff members and divisions at ALA. The two organizations work in tandem to support Arizona libraries by advocating for federal funding programs, guiding local librarians through materials challenges, and providing grants and scholarships directly to Arizona Librarians.
Over the past two years, libraries in Arizona have received over $1.9 million from ALA via program grants, including $100,000 from ALA’s Library COVID Relief Fund. This support is in addition to their advocacy for state-level funding from the federal government through the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) grants to states.
The ALA is a non-partisan, non-profit membership organization that develops, promotes, and improves library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. The Arizona Library Association is proud to be a state chapter of the ALA, and stands in solidarity with its members and its mission.
