Random Ramblings—The American Library Association, Not Just for Librarians

摘要

Think quickly. Who belongs to the American Library Association? If you answered librarians, you're only partially correct. I know for sure because I've been an ALA member since 1973 and haven't been a librarian since 2000. I was a library science professor until 2015 and then retired. I've frequently been annoyed when ALA hasn't recognized this fact. My prime examples are official surveys on what I want from ALA or what my opinions are on library issues. One of the first survey questions is often about what type of library I work in without any choice in the list beyond the traditional answers of academic, public, school or special. I consider Against the Grain as a good place to express my concerns because the mix of library and non-library attendees at the Charleston Conference would indicate that many readers may be ALA members but not librarians, just like me. As far as I can tell from my research, ALA doesn't provide statistics about how many members are non-librarians. I'll identify categories where I believe non-librarians are ALA members, provide some evidence on their numbers and importance, and conclude with my thoughts on why this issue is important for ALA.