The Connecticut Library Association (CLA) is a professional organization for

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

librarians A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...

and library workers. It is headquartered in Belchertown, Massachusetts. It was founded on February 23, 1891, in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

, with the purpose of promoting "library interests by discussion and interchange of ideas and methods, and not to 'trench upon the province of the American Library Association.'" The first regular CLA meeting was held in the

Wadsworth Atheneum The Wadsworth Atheneum is an art museum in Hartford, Connecticut. The Wadsworth is noted for its collections of European Baroque art, ancient Egyptian and Classical bronzes, French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School lands ...

in May 1891. CLA's initial membership was thirty people and dues were fifty cents. The first CLA president of the Association was

Addison Van Name Addison Van Name (November 15, 1835 – September 29, 1922) was an American philologist and librarian, serving as University Librarian of Yale University from 1865 to 1904, and was made librarian emeritus in 1905. He himself attended Yale, gra ...

who served from the organization's founding in 1891 to 1892. CLA urged the state of Connecticut to provide incentives for towns to make their libraries public. The state responded by offering grants of up to $200 yearly for libraries to spend on books. The CLA, jointly with the Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL) hosts the annual Nutmeg Book Awards to honor children's and young adult literature. Nominees are selected by CLA and CASL members, as well as students. Winners are chosen by a student vote.

References

External links

Connecticut Library Association website
Library associations in the United States Organizations based in Connecticut {{Library-org-stub