The American Indian Library Association (AILA) is an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), and is a membership action group that focuses on the library-related needs of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The organization's members consist of both individuals and institutions that are interested in improving library services to Native American people in any type of library in the United States.

History

The American Indian Library Association was officially established in 1979 as a result of the Indian White House Pre-Conference of 1978 on Indian Library and Information Services On or Near Reservations. This Pre-Conference took place in Denver, Colorado, and its focus was on the amelioration of library services and resources to American Indians. The individuals who attended the meeting represented a number of Indian tribes from different parts of the United States. The initial idea of such an organization began in the early 1970s, however. In 1971, at the ALA's Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas, Lotsee Patterson, Charles Townley, and Virginia Mathews formed a Task Force on American Indians within the Social Responsibilities Round Table and held an initial meeting. Around the same time, the ALA Advisory Committee in the Office for Library Service to the Disadvantaged created the Committee on Library Service for American Indian People, in which Charles Townley served as the first chair. Additional issues that influenced the creation of the organization were the implementation of tribal libraries and changes in United States federal law that reflected the increasing concern regarding the inadequacy of library services to American Indians. The AILA held its first meeting as an individual entity in New York during the ALA's 1980 Annual Conference, its constitution was passed the following year during the Annual Conference in San Francisco and, in 1985, the ALA Executive Board finally approved the AILA as an affiliate during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC, Inc.) was founded in June of 2015 as an organization "that advocates for and addresses the common needs of the American Library Association ethnic affiliates"; these ethnic affiliates include the AILA, as well as the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the Chinese American Librarians Association, and REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking.

Membership

Annual membership costs $40 for organizations (such as libraries, tribal governments, or other institutions), while individuals must pay $20 and students must pay $10. Membership includes a subscription to the American Indian Libraries Semi-Annual Newsletter and AILA-L, a discussion group for all AILA members. Members are also encouraged to join one or more of the committees listed below.

Governing Structure

The AILA is governed by an Executive Board, which meets annually and delegates to the Association's committees that are listed below. The Board enables those committees to both develop and implement programs and activities that are in accordance with the Executive Board's policies.

Committees

Current ad hoc AILA committees include the Budget and Finance Committee, By-Laws and Constitution Committee, Children's Literature Award Committee, Communications and Publications Committee, Development and Fundraising Committee, Distinguished Service Award Committee, Nominating Committee, Programming Committee, Subject Access and Classification Committee, and the Scholarship Review Board.

Goals

According to Loriene Roy's "Retaining Cultural Identity in a Transformed Future: the American Indian Library Association Response to ALA Goal 2000," as excerpted onto the AILA's official website:

Activities

The AILA participates in a multitude of programs, awards, outreach services, conferences, and publications. Below is a list of those that are quite prominent and notable.

Awards

Outreach

Conferences

Publication

Press Releases

On February 1, 2019, the AILA released a statement showing support for 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits conference goers who experienced racism and discrimination. The AILA further mentioned continuing to work alongside the American Library Association (ALA) to battle discrimination, racism, and bias.