The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), is a

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

non-profit, professional membership organization which has existed since 1891. WLA represents nearly 2000 members statewide --- primarily librarians and

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

staff from school, public, academic, and special libraries, in addition to students, trustees and library Friends. Because of its broad membership base, WLA is concerned with the needs of all types of libraries in the state. Based in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th ...

, WLA is a chapter of the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit 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 49,727 members ...

Programs and services

:* Conferences and workshops on a wide range of library issues :* Networking and leadership opportunities available within more than 20 special interest units, including the Wisconsin Library Trustee & Friends; Association of Wisconsin Special Librarians; Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries; and the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians :*Unified statewide advocacy for libraries, including an annual Library Legislative Day, co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association. :*Awards and scholarship programs :*Online Membership Directory, listing approximately 2,000 members, plus other library community contacts :*Automatic WLA Foundation membership to all WLA members. The Wisconsin Library Association Foundation (WLAF), the charitable arm of the WLA, conducts the '' Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries'', awards continuing and library education scholarships, and carries out other programs in support of Wisconsin libraries.

History

In 1882, Theresa West Elmendorf, Deputy

Librarian 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 ...

of the Milwaukee Public Library, became the first member of the American Library Association from Wisconsin. After attending the 1890 American Library Association conference and learning of the creation of state library associations in some Eastern states, she returned to Wisconsin and began promoting a Wisconsin state library association. This idea came to fruition on February 11, 1891, when she, along with Reuben Gold Thwaites,

Edward Asahel Birge Edward Asahel Birge (September 7, 1851 – June 9, 1950) was an American professor and administrator at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was one of the pioneers of the study of limnology, and served as acting president of the university f ...

(Madison Public Library Board member), and Frank Avery Hutchins,Wisconsin Library Heritage Center
Hall of Fame Inductees. Retrieved July 5, 2009 gathered in the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to organize the Wisconsin Library Association. The WLA and its successor, the Wisconsin Free Library Commission (WLFC) established in 1895, were the main bodies promoting the establishment and improvement of public libraries in Wisconsin, seeing libraries as essential to the intellectual and moral development of children and young adults. Today's Wisconsin Library Association consists of over 2000 members who represent many kinds of libraries and library staff, including

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes co ...

, and special libraries, as well as friends of the library, trustees, and other community members and corporate library supporters.

Publications

The WLA publishes a quarterly newsletter (January, April, July, and October) that reflects the purposes and responsibilities of the association and reports the activities and developments of the library profession in addition to keeping members informed about the organization’s current activities and initiatives. Other WLA communications include e-news reports, blog postings, Twitter updates, and online bulletin boards.

References

External links

Wisconsin Library Association (WLA)
{{Authority control American Library Association Professional associations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Wisconsin Libraries in Wisconsin Organizations based in Madison, Wisconsin