Massachusetts Library Association
Encyclopedia
The Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) is the Massachusetts
, United States
professional library association that "advocates for libraries, librarians, and library staff, defends intellectual freedom
, and provides a forum for leadership, communication, professional development, and networking to keep libraries vital." MLA publishes standards for library services to Massachusetts children and young adults. MLA sponsors an annual conference, as well as continuing education programs and organizational reports of interest. MLA's offices are based in Bedford
, MA.
. The MLA had a committee called The Art Club that created sets of photographs for travelling art exhibits that would rotate through Massachusetts member and associate libraries as early as 1900.
In 1962 MLA's Intellectual Freedom Committee gave testimony before the Massachusetts Obscene Literature Control Commission opposing the suppression of Henry Miller's
book Tropic of Cancer
supporting Massachusetts residents' freedom to read.
as well as an author on many state standards for library services to different populations.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional library association that "advocates for libraries, librarians, and library staff, defends intellectual freedom
Intellectual freedom
Intellectual freedom is the right to freedom of thought and of expression of thought. As defined by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is a human right. Article 19 states:...
, and provides a forum for leadership, communication, professional development, and networking to keep libraries vital." MLA publishes standards for library services to Massachusetts children and young adults. MLA sponsors an annual conference, as well as continuing education programs and organizational reports of interest. MLA's offices are based in Bedford
Bedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, MA.
History
MLA was founded in 1890 as the "Massachusetts Library Club". The gavel that has been passed down from president to president is said to be made from the wood of the USS ConstitutionUSS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
. The MLA had a committee called The Art Club that created sets of photographs for travelling art exhibits that would rotate through Massachusetts member and associate libraries as early as 1900.
In 1962 MLA's Intellectual Freedom Committee gave testimony before the Massachusetts Obscene Literature Control Commission opposing the suppression of Henry Miller's
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
book Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer (novel)
Tropic of Cancer is a novel by Henry Miller which has been described as "notorious for its candid sexuality" and as responsible for the "free speech that we now take for granted in literature." It was first published in 1934 by the Obelisk Press in Paris, France, but this edition was banned in the...
supporting Massachusetts residents' freedom to read.
Publications
MLA has acted as both a publisher of authors such as Robert FrostRobert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
as well as an author on many state standards for library services to different populations.
- Books We Like: Sixty-two Answers to the Question...
- Standards for Public Library Services to Children in Massachusetts
- Standards for Public Library Services to Young Adults in Massachusetts
- Bay State Libraries, the MLA newsletterNewsletterA newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
published quarterly (January, April, July, and October), focuses on items of interest to the association and to Massachusetts librarians in general.
- The MLA has developed a Library Use Value Calculator spreadsheetSpreadsheetA spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas...
, which is used by many libraries throughout the United States.
Committees
- Conference Committee
- Education Committee
- Intellectual Freedom Committee
- Jordan Miller Committee (annual storytelling program)
- Legislative Committee
- Membership Committee
- Personnel Committee
- Public Relations Committee
Sections
Affiliated Organizations
- Massachusetts Friends of Libraries (MFOL)
- Massachusetts Library Trustees Association
- The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC)
- Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA)
- American Library Association (ALA) (See also: Wikipedia article on the American Library AssociationAmerican Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
) - New England Library Association (NELA)
- Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)