LA—Library Association (UK)

The Library Association (UK) is one of the oldest and largest library associations, similar to the ALA in the US. It was founded in 1877 in London during the First International Conference of Librarians held in Brussels. Originally known as the Library Association of the United Kingdom, it later changed its name to the Library Association in 1896. The association started publishing the Library Association Record as its official journal. In 1992, it became a fully professional association with the implementation of new bye-laws.

 

Activities and Functions:

1. Library Legislation: The Library Association has played a vital role in promoting library legislation. It has been instrumental in the creation and revision of acts like the Public Libraries Act of 1892, Public Libraries Act of 1919, and the bye-laws of the Public Libraries and Museums Act of 1964. The association also clarifies issues related to legislation when necessary.

2. Research Programs: The Library Association gives importance to research and development. It sponsors various research projects and collaborates with institutions like the British Library and ASLIB (Association for Information Management) to advance research in the field.

3. Conferences and Seminars: The association holds an annual conference, and its branches and groups organize their own conferences, meetings, and study schools. These events contribute to professional development and knowledge sharing. Proceedings of these conferences are published.

4. Standards in Libraries: The Library Association advocates for high standards in library services. It promotes a code of ethics for the library profession and works on developing standards and guidelines for techniques, procedures, and equipment. It also works towards improving the salary, status, and working conditions of library personnel.

5. Relations with Other Institutions: The association is represented in official bodies and committees, providing advisory services and professional assistance for library development. It played a role in establishing the British Library in 1973. The association collaborates with international organizations like UNESCO, IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), and FID (International Federation for Information and Documentation). It also works with Commonwealth countries and helped establish the COMLA (Commonwealth Library Association).

6. Publications: The association has its own publication programs managed by Library Association Publishing Ltd. They publish various serial publications covering topics in librarianship and information science.

7. Awards: The association recognizes excellence and outstanding performance in the library field through various awards. These include the Carnegie Medal for the best children's book, Kate Greenway Medal for the best illustrated children's book, Wheatley Medal for outstanding indexing, Besterman Medal for outstanding bibliography, and McColvin Medal for the best reference work. 

The following are its serial publications.

• Library Association Record (Monthly).
• Journal of Librarianship (Quarterly).
• British Humanities Index (Quarterly).
• Current Technology Index (Monthly).
• Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts (Bi-weekly).
• Library and Information Science Abstracts (Bi-monthly).
• Current Research in Library and Information Science.

Awards

This association also distributes awards to recognise excellence and outstanding performance in library field. Some of them are:

• Carnegie Medal for best children’s book,
• Kate Greenway Medal for best illustrated children’s book,
• Wheatley Medal for outstanding index,
• Besterman Medal for outstanding bibliography,
• McColvin Medal for best reference work.