Amid growing isolationism after World War I, the American Library Association transferred its wartime programs to train librarians in Europe and promote the American model of public libraries. Working in collaboration with American philanthropists and members of the French library community, ALA established a permanent library school in Paris that…

The activities of the American Library Association in its attempt to influence the selection of the Librarian of Congress in 1939 are discussed. (26 references) (NH)

Concludes that women librarians were more active in leadership roles at the local and state levels rather than the national level. (JG)

In the library field, union-related, social, technological, economic, and legislative factors have been contributing to union membership growth. Recent limited research indicates, however, that if librarians had a choice, they would prefer to affiliate with a professional association turned quasi union rather than a traditional labor organization.…

Addresses issue of viability of the American Library Association (ALA) as a quasi-union. Discussion covers concerns raised over whether ALA should become collective bargaining agent for librarians, experiences of three professional organizations that became quasi-unions, and impact of ALA's decision not to accept role on its professional stature.…

Relates the experiences of three public librarians in Alabama during the Civil Rights movement who challenged the resistance to integration. Discusses conflicts between professional and regional values; local racial customs; the ethics of librarianship; and the roles of the American Library Association and the Alabama Library Association.…

Ralph A. Ulveling's 1951 challenge to the American Library Association (ALA) policy on censorship is described. Ulveling's proposal to segregate materials containing propaganda and the efforts of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee to address lack of consensus in the profession and librarians' role in protecting intellectual freedom are…