Mission Statement (purpose)

From those humble beginnings when 103 librarians gathered to form an organization for librarians and their craft, the ALA is now one of the largest association of librarians in the world, although foreign membership is less than five percent of the total.

Today’s Mission Statement: The ALA Constitution states the purpose of ALA as, “The object of the American Library Association shall be to promote library service and librarianship.” The stated mission is, “To provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”