Promoting library service and the profession of librarianship in the State of Arkansas since 1911.

2012 ALPS Conference

ArLA Facebook Page

Our Mission

To further the professional development of all library staff members; to foster communication and cooperation among librarians, trustees and friends of libraries; to increase the visibility of libraries among the general public and funding agencies; to serve as an advocate for librarians and libraries.

President's Message

Welcome Visitors,

We are glad you have found the Arkansas Library Association (ArLA) web-site. Whether you are an ArLA member, a prospective member, or just exploring, I hope you find our site worthwhile, and welcome any comments or suggestions you might have.

This year ArLA begins its second century as Arkansas’ “Community for Libraries” and we are focusing on how best to meet the challenges and opportunities we will be facing in the coming years. My theme for this year is “ArLA 101: The Beat Goes On,” which is also the theme of this year’s annual conference.

We live in exciting and rapidly changing times, even for as staid a profession as librarianship is perceived by many to be. We are in the midst of an information and communication revolution that is rocking the entire world. Traditionally libraries have been the places where people come to sift and organize information into usable knowledge. Today the sea of information is becoming an overwhelming flood. Our challenge as libraries is to help our users find ways to organize and access that vast flood of information so it becomes usable knowledge for them.

As ever, ArLA’s challenge is to help Arkansas libraries meet their challenges – the beat does indeed go on.

Jim Robb, ArLA President

Background

The Arkansas Library Association was formed in 1911:

To further the professional development of all library staff members; to foster communication and cooperation among librarians, trustees and friends of libraries; to increase the visibility of libraries among the general public and funding agencies; to serve as an advocate for librarians and libraries. 

ArLA has supported Arkansas' academic, public, school, and special libraries. In the past 100 years the association has had many successes; we established a state library commission, begun an association publication, established salary guidelines, supported the continuing education of librarians, and protected intellectual freedom. 

In 1911, there were 8 libraries in operation in Arkansas serving a population of 1,574,449 people. Today there are 231 public libraries with 118 degreed librarians serving a population of 2.9 million people. The eight libraries include: Garland County Library, Van Buren Public Library, Clark County Library, Conway County Library, Clark County Library, Blytheville Public Library and the Eureka Springs Carnegie Library.

Affiliations

The Arkansas Library Association is a chapter of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Southeastern Library Association (SELA). It is represented in ALA and SELA by a councilor who is elected by the members of the Arkansas Library Association.

ArLA Diversity Statement

Diversity is a fundamental value of the Association and its members, and is reflected in its commitment to recruiting minorities and people with disabilities to the profession and to the promotion and development of library collections and services for all people. The Association endorses opportunities for the professional development and education of all library staff members and trustees; it promotes continuous, lifelong learning for all people through library and information services of every type. The Association advocates funding and policies that support libraries as great democratic institutions, serving people of every age, income level, location, ethnicity, or physical ability, and providing the full range of information resources needed to live, learn, govern, and work.

Legal Disclaimer