Library Association Unit- 4

UNIT 4: LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

UNIT STRUCTURE

4.1 Learning Objectives

4.2 Introduction
4.3 Historical Account
4.4 Functions and Activities of Library Associations
4.5 International Library Associations
4.5.1 IFLA
4.5.2 UNESCO
4.6 National Library Associations
4.6.1 ILA
4.6.2 IASLIC
4.7 State Library Associations
4.7.1 Assam Library Association
4.7.2 Bengal Library Association
4.8 Local Library Associations
4.9 Let Us Sum Up
4.10 Further Readings
4.11 Answers to Check Your Progress
4.12 Probable Questions

4.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit you will be able to

 Know about the library association and its functions;
 Explain the different types of library associations;
 Analyse the functions of IFLA, UNESCO, ILA, IASLIC, etc.

4.2 INTRODUCTION

The existence of a profession rests on the bonds among the

practitioners and these bonds can take the shape of a formal association.
So the professional associations are by and for the professionals in the

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concerned field. It serves as a forum for coordinate efforts for the concerned
profession.
In the context of libraries, the association means the organization of
the library staff members, persons or institutions related to the library matter
and profession. The library associations are those professional organizations
of learned people which foster a spirit of public service among the members,
promote the library services, and protect the interest of their members and
builds up the image of the library profession in the society.
Based on the coverage of geographical area library associations
can be grouped into International, National, State and Local. Library
associations can also be grouped based on the particular area of activities
as Special and General. The special library association can again be a
medical library association, school library association, rural library
association, and the like. Most professional librarians belong to at least
one professional organization.

4.3 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

In 1852, a group of librarians, scholars, teachers and clergymen

met in New York for the foundation and management of a collection of
books or knowledge for public use. In May, 1876 a few library devotees,
by taking the hint from the meeting of 1853, proposed a like gathering in
connection with the great exhibition in Philadelphia. The announcement
of the meeting that would be held in October 4, 1876 was sent to the
leading libraries and to the leading librarians abroad. As a result of this
gathering, the American Library Association (ALA) was formally inaugurated
on October 4, 1876 and this was followed only a year later by the Library
Association (LA) in the United Kingdom.

4.4 FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF LIBRARY

ASSOCIATIONS

The functions of a library association depend upon the particular

pursuit for which the association is formed. Generally a library association
performs the following functions-
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a) Act as a Common Forum: Library association acts as a common forum

for library professionals for exchange of information, ideas, experience
and expertise.
b) Library Movement: Library association works as the backbone of
library movement in a country. It spreads knowledge and information.
c) Planning: The library association puts a behavioral future planning of
the present position of libraries, library staff and library services after
proper evaluation of its present state of affairs.
d) Force the Authority: The association forces the government to accept
their demand by the right movement for the welfare of the library staff,
like enacting the library legislation.
e) Development of the Profession: The association works for the
betterment of salaries, grades, service and working conditions for the
library professionals and also for improving their status in the society.
f) Problem Solving: Library association works hand in hand to find out
solution for the adhoc professional problem.
g) Conduct Survey and Research: Library association conducts surveys
and research of library facilities and services to ascertain the existing
conditions so as to take necessary steps for improvement.
h) Code of Conduct: Library association prepares the code of conduct
for the librarians and other library staff to maintain the professional
standard.
i) Resource Sharing: It works for the sharing of resources to avoid
duplication of efforts.
j) Make General Public Conscious: Library association makes the
general public conscious towards the utility of the library and information
centers.
k) Holds Conferences, Seminars, Meeting, and Lectures: To discuss
and exchange ideas and experiences, library associations hold
conferences, seminars, meeting, lectures, etc.
l) Training Courses: They also conduct training programmes for self
improvement of the professionals.

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m) Standardization: A library association establishes and encourages the

adoption of standards to improve the quality of library services.
n) Institute Prizes, Rewards, Fellowship: Library association institutes
prizes, rewards for library science students and professionals in
recognition of their contribution to the profession.
o) Publication: A library association creates and publishes professional
literature in the subject areas.
p) Cooperation: Maintains cooperation and healthy relation with other
professional associations of various levels within and outside the
country.
In the following sections we are going to discuss the different library
associations and their functions.

4.5 INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS

Several professional organizations and private foundations around

the world work to promote international cooperation in establishing new
libraries and in improving services at the existing libraries. These
organizations provide the librarians with information about the international
forums in which they can exchange ideas, develop networks for sharing
resources, and create compatible standards and protocols for various
library procedures. Some of the most prominent international library
programmes are those sponsored by the International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions (IFLA) <[Link] the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) <http:/
/[Link]/en>; the International Council on Archives (ICA) <http:/
/[Link]/>; the British Council <[Link]
the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) <http://
[Link]/>; the U.S. Department of State, through its Office of
International Information Programs and the Chartered Institute of Library
and Information Professionals (CILIP) <[Link]
Organization like the International Council of Scientific Unions
(ICSU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the

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International Organization for Standardization (ISO), World Trade

Organization (WTO), the International Publishers Association (IPA), the
International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Council on
Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the International Committee of the Blue
Shield (ICBS) also play important role in library and information science
activities.

4.5.1 The International Federation of Library Associations

and Institutions (IFLA)

IFLA is an independent association that represents libraries

and library associations around the world. At an international
conference of librarians and booklovers in Prague in 1926 a
proposal to set up an international committee with representatives
of national library associations was accepted. This was acted upon
during the British Library Association conference in Edinburgh,
Scotland in 1927, when an international library and bibliographic
committee was created by the representative associations from
fifteen countries. IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971.
The name was changed to International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions in 1976. Its headquarter is located at
The Royal Library, the national library of the Netherlands, in The
Hague. IFLA’s website, formerly known as IFLANET is available
over web at <[Link]
a) Objectives: The federation is an independent non-
governmental and non profit making professional organization.
In 2004, the Governing Board decided to endorse a new model
for IFLA’s operations, the three pillars that are supported by
the infrastructure offered by the Federation’s governance
structures, its website and its Headquarters (HQ) in The Hague.
These three pillars are- Society Pillar, Professional Pillar, and
the Members’ Pillar.

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i) The Society Pillar: It focuses on the role and impact of

libraries and information services in society and the
contextual issues that condition and constrain the
environment in which they operate across the world. Those
issues are addressed currently through FAIFE, CLM, Blue
Shield, and the advocacy in the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) and other arenas.
ii) The Profession Pillar: It focuses on the issues covered by
the long established Core Activities - ALP, ICADS
(webmaster: formerly known as ICABS), PAC, UNIMARC -
and the Sections and Divisions. They lie at the core of our
professional practice and help libraries and information
services to fulfil their purposes and to shape responses to
the needs of the clients in a rapidly changing global
environment.
iii) The Members Pillar: It is of course central to IFLA. It includes
the services they offer to members, management of their
membership of IFLA, conferences and publications. We
must work together to make IFLA more vibrant and attractive
and beneficial for members throughout the world.
b) Organization: The governing structure of IFLA has been
revised and came into force in 2001. The General Council of
Members is the supreme governing body, consisting of
delegates of voting members. It normally meets every year
during the annual conference. The Governing Board is
responsible for the managerial and professional direction of
IFLA within guidelines approved by Council. The Governing
Board meets at least twice every year, once at the time and
place of the annual World Library and Information Congress.
The Executive Committee has executive responsibility
delegated by the Governing Board to oversee the direction of
IFLA between meetings of this Board within the policies

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established by the Board. It is the duty of the Professional

Committee to ensure coordination of the work of all the IFLA
units responsible for professional activities, policies and
programmes (Sections, Core Activities, Special Interest Groups).
c) Membership: Till 2009 IFLA have 1600 Members approximately
in 150 countries around the world. IFLA has two main categories
of voting members: Association Members and Institutional
Members. Besides these, it has also Honorary Members
(Honorary Presidents, Honorary Fellows, IFLA Medal). Over
the years the membership has been expanded to include
individual libraries, library schools and other appropriate
institutions as well as personal affiliates.
d) Functions and Activities: The issues common to library and
information services around the world are the concern of the
IFLA Core Activities. Directed by the Professional Committee,
the objectives and projects of the Core Activities relate to the
Federation’s Programme and the priorities of the Divisions and
Sections. Some of the major core programmes are given below.
i) Action for Development through Libraries Programme
(ALP): The ALP Programme was launched in 1984 at the
IFLA Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, and was the subject of
intensive discussion between 1987 and 1989. It was further
developed and defined during 1990 and 1991 as a special
project and is fully operational ever since. The name of the
Programme was originally “Advancement of Librarianship
Programme”, but in 2004 it was changed to “Action for
Development through Libraries Programme”. However, the
acronym still remains as “ALP”. The mission of ALP is to
further the library profession, library institutions and library
and information services in the developing countries of
Africa, Asia and Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean.
ii) Preservation and Conservation (PAC): IFLA Core Activity
on Preservation and Conservation (PAC) was officially
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created during the IFLA annual conference in Nairobi in

1984 to focus efforts on issues of preservation and to initiate
worldwide cooperation for the preservation of library
materials. The PAC programme was effectively launched
in Vienna during the 1986 Conference on the Preservation
of Library Materials co-organized by the Conference of the
Directors of National Libraries, IFLA and UNESCO.
iii) IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Digital Strategies (ICADS): ICADS
is a joint alliance of IFLA and the Conference of Directors
of National Libraries (CDNL). The alliance was established
in August 2008 as a successor to ICABS (IFLA-CDNL
Alliance for Bibliographic Standards) which was established
as a national libraries initiative in 2003.
iv) IFLA UNIMARC: Succeeding to the IFLA UBCIM Core
Activity, the IFLA UNIMARC Core Activity (UCA) was
established in 2003 with the responsibility for the
maintenance and development of the Universal MARC
format (UNIMARC).
IFLA’s previous programme includes Universal Bibliographic
Control (UBC) launched in 1973, International MARC
Programme (IMP) established officially in 1983, Universal
Availability of Publication (UAP) taken up in 1973, etc. Some
other programmes and activities of IFLA are:
v) Publication: Each issue of IFLA Journal (Quarterly) covers
news of current IFLA activities and articles, selected to
reflect the variety of the international information profession,
ranging from freedom of information, preservation, services
to the visually impaired and intellectual property.
Council Report (biennial) records IFLA’s achievements in
five key areas: access to information, the electronic
environment, preservation and conservation, services and
standards and professional development. The IFLA
publications series include such titles as Intelligent library
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buildings, and adapting marketing to libraries in a changing

worldwide environment. The IFLA Professional Reports
series feature reports of professional meetings and
guidelines to best practice. Recent reports include
Proceedings of the IFLA/UNESCO pre-conference seminar
on public libraries and Guidelines for easy-to-read materials.
Besides the above, many IFLA groups (Divisions, Core
Activities, Sections and Special Interest Groups) have their
own newsletters. Some are produced regularly, others only
appear sporadically. Each year the proceedings of the World
Library and Information Congress, IFLA General
Conference and Assembly are made available on the IFLA
website. It also publishes International Cataloguing and
Bibliographic Control (ICBC) Journal, IFLA Directory,
International cataloguing, world directory of administrative
libraries, world directory of map collection, LIBRI- Library
journal.
vi) Seminars, Conference and Workshop: IFLA regularly holds
“World Library and Information Congress: IFLA General
Conference and Assembly” and Regional Meetings. IFLA’s
general conferences are large scale conference. In 1961
IFLA holds the international conference on cataloguing
principles in Paris.
vii) Fellowships, Funds and Grants: IFLA administers a number
of Grants and Scholarships to enable the aspiring library and
information professionals from all over the world to enhance
their training and to provide funding for new and exciting
projects in the field of librarianship. Such programmes include
Guust Van Wesemael Literacy Prize, IFLA International
Marketing Award, Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career
Development Fellowship, Margreet Wijnstroom Fund, Dr
Shawky Salem Conference Grant (SSCG), etc

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viii) Cooperation: IFLA is now quite an active international

organization. It has Formal Associate Relations with
UNESCO, observer status with the United Nations,
associate status with the International Council of Scientific
Unions (ICSU) and observer status with the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In
1999, it established observer status with the World Trade
Organization (WTO). It has also offered consultative status
to a number of non-governmental organizations operating
in related fields, including the International Publishers
Association (IPA). It is also a member of the International
Council on Archives (ICA), International Council of Museums
(ICOM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS), and the International Committee of the Blue
Shield (ICBS). Again, till 2009 more than 25 corporations in
the information industry have formed a working relationship
with IFLA under its Corporate Partners scheme.
ix) Standardization: IFLA has standardized international loan
request form in 1935 and has been progressively revising
it since then. IFLA developed and published in 1974 the
International Standard Bibliographic Description for
Monographic Publication [ISBD(M)] as the basis for rules
of description of monographic material in AACR-II. In 1975
IFLA and the Joint Steering Committee for the revision of
AACR - (JSC/AACR) jointly developed General International
Standard Bibliographic Description [ISBD(G)]. It serves as
a framework for the description of all types of publication.
x) Mailing Lists and Forum: Sympa software provides web
access to IFLA’s lot of mailing lists. IFLA also serves as an
international forum for librarians and advises international
bodies relating to library and information science. It provides

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expert advice and assistance in the planning and

development of library services.
IFLA advises libraries on matters such as interlibrary loan
practices, copyright laws, library building design, and
development of legal deposit regulations that entitle national
libraries to receive copies of every work registered for
copyright in their respective countries. It also stimulates
cooperation among writers, scholars, publishers, and
libraries, and it assists librarians in promoting literacy and
universal access to knowledge. In addition, IFLA advocates
the formation of a worldwide information network.
India is represented in the Executive Board of IFLA. In
October, 1985 ILA organised the IFLA’s regional seminar
on UAP in New Delhi. ILA also hosted 58 th General
Conference of IFLA in New Delhi from August 30-
Septermber 5, 1992.

4.5.2 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

The representatives of 37 countries mt in London to sign

UNESCO’s Constitution which came into force on November 4,
1946 after ratification by 20 signatories. It is an inter-governmental
specialized agency of the United Nations. The UNESCO’s
permanent Headquarters is in Paris, France. UNESCO’s website
can be found over <[Link]
a) Objectives: UNESCO deploys its action in the fields of
Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences,
Culture, Communication and Information. UNESCO works on
a number of priorities that require a trans-disciplinary approach
alongside the traditional focus of its five programme sectors.
Here in this discussion we will only deal with Communication
and Information.

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The main objective for UNESCO is to build a knowledge society

based on the sharing of knowledge and incorporating all the
socio-cultural and ethical dimensions of sustainable
development. UNESCO’s priorities in the field of Communication
and Information include:
i) Empowering people through access to information and
knowledge with special emphasis on freedom of expression;
ii) Promoting communication development;
iii) Advancing the use of ICTs for education, science and
culture.
b) Organization: The General Conference consists of the
representatives of the Member states of the Organization. It
meets every two years, and is attended by Member States and
Associate Members, together with observers for non-Member-
States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). Each country has one vote, irrespective
of its size or the extent of its contribution to the budget.
The Executive Board, in a sense, assures the overall
management of UNESCO. It prepares the work of the General
Conference and sees that its decisions are properly carried
out. The Secretariat consists of the Director-General and the
Staff appointed by him. As of January 2007, the Secretariat
employed around 2,100 civil servants from some 170 countries.
The staff is divided into Professional and General Service
categories. Under a recent decentralization policy, more than
700 staff members work in UNESCO’s 58 field offices around
the world.
c) Membership: In short, UNESCO promotes international co-
operation among its 193 (As of October 2009) Member States
and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science,
culture, and communication.

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d) Functions and Activities: The aim of UNESCO in the field of

Communication and Information is to Empower people through
the free flow of ideas by word and image, and by access to
information and knowledge. The Communication and
Information Sector (CI) was established in its present form in
1990.
i) UNISIST: It is an international project sponsored by
UNESCO to foster and coordinate international
bibliographical services being provided by various
organizations. It is an inter-governmental programme to
encourage and guide voluntary cooperation in the exchange
of information at national, regional and international levels.
ii) National Information System (NATIS): NATIS is a brain-child
of UNESCO. It implies that governments at different levels
(national, state and local) should maximize the availability
of all relevant information.
iii) General Information Programme (PGI): PGI is the initials
of its French name Program General d’ Information. It was
established in 1976 combining both the NATIS and UNISIST
programmes. The primary role of PGI is to promote
computer application and communication technologies in
library and information services, information network and
provision of on line facilities for sharing and exchanging
information between different countries all over the world.
iv) Universal Bibliographic Control (UBC): For compilation of
bibliographies UNESCO has launched an ambitious project
in cooperation with IFLA known as UBC.
v) ASTINFO and APINESS: In 1984 UNESCO established
Regional Network for Exchange of Information and
Experience in Science and Technology in Asia and Pacific
(ASTINFO) to promote regional cooperation, better
understanding and socio-economic development in Asia and
Pacific region. Later in 1986 another network called Asia
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Pacific Information Network in Social Sciences (APINESS)

was established.
vi) Others: New World Information and Communication Order
(NWICO), Intergovernmental Programmes for the
Development of Communication (IDDC), International
System in Research in Documentation (ISORID), Science
and Technology Policies Information Exchange System
(SPINES), Data Retrieval System for Documentation in the
Social and Human Sciences (DARE), International Bureau
of Education Documentation and Information System
(IBEDOC) are some other programmes of the UNESCO.
The ISORID was established for collection and
dissemination of information on research activities in
documentation, libraries and archives.
vii) Publication: In 1980 the first two volumes of UNESCO’s
General History of Africa was published. UNESCO also
brought out a publication namely “Public Library Manifesto”
1949, revised in 1972, which gives a new image and a wider
scope to the principles upon which the documentation and
library services are based. Other publications include
UNESCO Courier (monthly), Copyright Bulleting (Quarterly),
Impact of Science in Society, Index Treanslationum, World
guide to Library Schools and Training courses in
Documentation, 1981. Public Libraries and their mission
(1961) by Andre Maurios etc.
viii) Seminars, Conference and Workshop: UNESCO has
supported library conferences, seminars and meetings. In
1952 an intergovernmental conference convened by
UNESCO adopted the Universal Copyright Convention. In
the decades following World War II, the Convention served
to extend copyright protection to numerous states.
ix) Fellowships, Funds and Grants: The UNESCO Fellowships
Programme, through the award and administration of
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fellowships, study and travel grants provide various

opportunities for librarians. UNESCO is also responsible
for sending a large number of experts as consultants and
advisors to developing countries for the purpose of initiating
and expanding library services. UNESCO also helps its
member states to rebuild their libraries during the Second
World War. It also gives a huge grant to IFLA and FID (it
was dissolved in 2002). UNESCO initiated the pilot public
libraries at New Delhi (India), Enugu (Nigeria) and Medellin
(Colombia) which demonstrates UNESCO’s Faith in public
libraries. UNESCO also sponsored research on librarianship
especially for the developing countries.
x) Cooperation: UNESCO maintains healthy cooperation with
IFLA, International Council on Archives (ICA), Committee
on Data for Science and Technology (CoDATA) established
by International Council of Scientific Union (ICSU), etc.
xi) Standardization: The Common Communication Format (CCF)
was published by UNESCO in 1984 and a second edition
was published in 1988. CCF is a structure format for creating
bibliographical record and exchange of records between
groups of information agency and libraries.
xii) Mailing Lists and Forum: The WebWorld Portals Discussion
forum is the place to discuss various topics related to
Libraries, Archives, Information Society, Free and Open
Source Software. It also provides feedback on and
discusses all aspects of WebWorld Portals. WebWorld, the
website of UNESCO’s Communication and Information
Sector, offers a daily news service to its users. The news
articles mainly cover UNESCO’s activities in the area of
communication and information, both at UNESCO’s
Headquarters and its field offices.
The UNESCO Libraries Portal gives access to websites of library
institutions around the world. It serves as an international
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gateway to information for librarians and library users and

international co-operation in this area. The UNESCO Archives
Portal gives access to websites of archival institutions around
the world. It is also a gateway to resources related to records
and archives management and international co-operation in
the area. The Observatory on the Information Society monitors
the impact of globalization on knowledge societies through the
collection of pertinent information and by observing the trends.
The UNESCO Free Software Portal gives access to documents
and websites which are references for the Free Software/Open
Source Technology movement. It is also a gateway to resources
related to Free Software.
India became a member of UNESCO on 4 November 1946.
UNESCO for the first time started the first pilot project in library
in India by establishing the Delhi Public Library in October 1951.
This later on developed into Delhi Public Library. The main aim
of this project was to provide information on the problem of
public library service for the parts of India in particular and for
the Asia in general.
The Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC)
was set up in 1952 by the government of India with technical
assistance from UNESCO. In 1964 UNESCO assisted INSDOC,
again, in setting up its regional centre in Bangalore. Now Indian
National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC) has
merged with National Institute of Science Communication
(NISCOM) to form National Institute of Science Communication
and Information Resources (NISCAIR) on 30 September 2002.
The Indian national commission is the official agency of
UNESCO and National Information System for Science and
Technology (NISSAT) in the Department of Scientific and
Industrial Research (DSIR) is the focal point for UNISIST (PGI)
and is also the coordinating centre for ASTINFO programme.

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NASSDOC of ICSSR is the focal point for UNESCO supporting

APINESS programme.
Besides the above, the UNESCO honoured the Indian librarians
by inviting them to advise upon various library projects meant
for the member country. The prominent among them were Dr.
S. R. Ranganathan, B. S. Kesavan, S. S. Saith and a few others.
India also organized a few conferences and regional seminars
of UNESCO. Notable among them are Seminar of the
development of public libraries in Asia held at Delhi from October
6-26, 1955; Ninth General conference at Delhi in 1956; Regional
seminar on library development in South Asia, University of
Delhi library, 3-14 October, 1960; Seminar on Handling and
Retrieval of Chemical Information, Delhi, 1986.

4.6 NATIONAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS

The American Library Association (ALA) (1876), Association for

Information Management (ASLIB), The Canadian Library Association (CLA)
(1946), The Library Association, London, The Special Libraries Association
(SLA), (1909), The Association for Library and Information Science
Education (ALISE) (1915), The American Society for Information Science
(ASIS), The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) (1932), The Society
of American Archivists (SAA) (1936), etc are some of the most popular
national library associations in the world.
In India, All India Public Library Association (1919); Indian Library
Association (1933); Government of India Library Association (1933);
All India Rural Library Association (1933); Indian Library Association (1933);
All India Manuscripts Library Association (1944) are some of popular library
associations that were established before independence. The Raja
Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), Indian Association of Special
Libraries and Information Centers (IASLIC) (1955); All India College Library
Association (1966); Indian Association of Teachers of Library and
Information Science (IATLIS) (1969); Society for Information Science (SIS)

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(1969); Indian Theological Library Association; Medical Library

Association of India (MALI), etc. were established after independence.

4.6.1 Indian Library Association (ILA)

In 1933 some of the government of India Librarians,

especially those in Calcutta, under the leadership of K. M. Asadullah
organized the first All India Library Conference. It was at this
conference that the Indian Library Association was founded on 12
September, 1933. The ILA Headquarters is in Delhi.
a) Objectives: ILA was formed with three fold objectives. In 1935
two more objectives were added. An amendment to the
constitution of the ILA in 1970 added another four objectives.
Another amendment in 1987 added three more objectives.
Some of the objectives of ILA are:
i) Promoting library movement in the country,
ii) Developing Library and Information Science education,
iii) Training and research, improvemen of library personnel,
iv) Cooperation at the national and international levels,
v) Promotion of standards, norms, services and guidelines,
and
vi) Providing a forum for professionals and publication of
materials.
b) Organization: The Council of the association acts as the
governing body. The executive committee is constituted by the
council in its very first meeting.
c) Functions and Activities
i) Act as a Driving Force: ILA takes up with the state
governments the issue of enacting library legislation in order
to develop the public library system.
ii) Development of the Profession: ILA has been pursuing with
the government, UGC and other concerned bodies at all
levels on matter relating to better salary, grades, service
condition and status of the library professionals.

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iii) Undertaking of Projects: ILA undertook compilation of “Union

catalogue of Periodicals in the Libraries of South Asia”. Two
other projects were allocated to ILA by the UNESCO. They
are “Rendering of Asian Names” and “Directory of Asian
Periodicals”.
iv) Publication: Library Bulleting (1942-46), Journal of Indian
Library Association (1955-64), ILA Bulletin, ILA Newsletter,
etc some of the publications of the ILA. ABGILA (1949-52),
was another publication, which was an intionym, a
confluence of three journals in one periodical that is Annals,
Bulletin, Granthalaya of ILA.
v) Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Training: ILA holds
All India Library Conference Annually; in 1995 Regional
Conferences were started. Besides, the Association also
arranges lectures, round table discussion etc. mostly in
Delhi. Several training programmes in computer application
(in Delhi from 2-7th June 1986), use of CDS/ISIS software
etc were also organized with support of NISSAT.
vi) Fellowships, Funds and Grants: Vedanayaki Fellowship for
MLISc students; Dr. Umapati Fellowship for LIS students;
P. V. Verghese Prize for the best article contribution to ILA
Bulletin, etc are some of the fellowship and award
programmes of ILA for promoting librarianship.
vii) Cooperation: The ILA has cooperation with international
organizations such as IFLA, UNESCO, COMLA, etc. It has
also been playing an important role in the JOCLAI, RRRLF,
Good Office Committee (GOC), National Book Trust (NBC),
etc.

4.6.2 Indian Association of Special Libraries and

Information Centres (IASLIC)

Three leading librarians from Calcutta, J. Saha, A. K.

Mukherjee and G. B. Ghosh convened a meeting of librarians and
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documentalists on June 25, 1955 at Indian Museum, Calcutta. This

meeting resulted in the formation of IASLIC <[Link]
on 3rd September 1955. Dr. Sunal Lal Hora was unanimously
selected as its first president and Jibananda Saha was the general
secretary. IASLIC headquarters is located at P-291, CIT Scheme
No 6M, Kankurgachi, Kolkata – 700 054.
a) Objectives: The objectives of IASLIC are to
i) Promote the quality of Library and Information Services;
ii) Coordinate the activities, and
iii) Foster mutual cooperation and assistance among the
special libraries, scientific, technological and research
institutions, learned societies, commercial organizations,
industrial research establishments as well as centres of
studies in social sciences and humanities;
iv) Improve the technical efficiency of the professionals;
v) Act as a centre of research and studies in special
librarianship and documentation techniques;
vi) Act as a centre of information in scientific, technical and
other related fields of LIS in pursuance of the aforesaid
objects.
b) Organization: The general body of the members of IASLIC
biennially elects 14 office-bearers and 20 members of the
Council, which is the highest organ to formulate the policies
and programmes of work. The Council appoints from among
its members the Executive and Finance Committee consisting
of 8 office-bearers and 4 members to manage the regular
activities. Six Divisions are also constituted by the Council for
each term. They are
i) Documentation Services;
ii) Education;
iii) Publication & Publicity;
iv) Library Services;

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v) Documentary Reproduction and Translation;

vi) Cooperation and Coordination of Libraries.
c) Membership: IASLIC is composed of four kinds of members,
namely Honorary Membership, Donor Membership, Institutional
Membership, Individual Membership (Donor, Ordinary
Membership, and Life Membership).
d) Functions and Activities
i) JOCLAI: To bring about mutual co-operation and unified
action on matters of common interests, IASLIC mooted the
idea of forming the Joint Council of Library Associations of
India (JOCLAI) especially of those at national level. The
JOCLAI meetings take place during the national meets of
each IASLIC and ILA. It has formulated a Code of Ethics
for the library profession in India.
ii) Documentation, Documentary Reproduction & Translation
Services: The IASLIC undertakes compilation of
bibliographies and English translation of documents from
Russian, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, etc. and also
undertakes imaging of documents for archiving. All these
services are provided on non-profit basis.
iii) Library Consultancy Service: The Association undertakes
consultancy services like creation of computerized
bibliographic databases, retrospective conversion of
records, preservation & conservation of documents,
cataloguing, classification and stock verification in public
and private organizations on non-profit basis.
iv) Publication: Its publications include IASLIC Bulletin, IASLIC
Newsletter, Different books, Monographs, Directory, IASLIC
Proceedings, IASLIC Annual Report, etc.
v) Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Training: The
Association in its continuing education programmes
conducts short term courses, workshops, round tables,
seminars etc. It holds a biennial seminar and a conference
in alternate years.
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vi) Mailing Lists and Forum: IASLIC Council created Special

Interest Groups (SIG) to bring together persons of common
interests. SIG Group meetings are held during IASLIC
Conference of common interests. The SIG includes SIG on
Industrial Information; SIG on Social Science Information,
SIG on Computer Application, SIG on Humanities
Information, SIG on Informetrics, and SIG on Library &
Information Science Education.
vii) Others: The IASLIC conducts study circle meetings for
discussion on various issues of interest concerning LIS. It
also conduct Ranganathan Memorial Lecture which has
been held since 1993 on any topic of Library, Information
and Communication science by leading personalities of the
profession. Besides, it also conducts Annual Special Lecture
and celebrates the Librarian’s Day every year.

4.7 STATE LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS

In case of state level library association, Assam Library Association,

Sadau Asom Gramya Puthibharal Santha, Gujarat Library Association
(Gujarat Granthalaya-Seva Sangh - GGSS), Karnataka State Library
Association, Kerala Library Association, Punjab Library Association, Uttar
Pradesh Library Association, Bengal Library Association (Bangiya
Granthagar Parishad), etc are functioning regularly. Among the state level
associations the Andhra Pradesh Library Association’s “Granthalaya
sarvaswamu (1915)” is the oldest professional journal which is still in
publication.

4.7.1 Assam Library Association

The Assam Library Association (Sadau Assam Puthibharal

Sangha) was started in the year 1938 mainly by the personal
enthusiasm of Shri Kumudeswar Borthakur (1893-1966), a man
who devoted his life for the growth and development of libraries in
Assam. He was fully assisted in the matter of public library services
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by Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi and other political and social

workers. By establishing this Association, Assam became the 8th
state in country in establishing state level library association. After
the executive meeting held on 16th July 1972 ALA became inactive
till 1996. However, on 22nd February, 1997 it got revived with a full
fledged executive council.
The Association has been performing the following functions and
activities
i) Making People Aware: After the birth of ALA an attempt was
made for a wide publicity of the library movement through
different avenues like Bihu festivals, public meeting,
advertisement through the screen of Kelvin Cinema, Guwahati
etc. With the help of daily newspapers and using the market
places people were sought to be made aware of the library
movement. Children were encouraged to demand books from
their parents on the occasion of their birthday or as reward for
good performance in examination. The lower income groups
of people were approached for small contribution through
“mustibhiksha”, which was a unique way of collecting handful
of grains and the money thus collected from the sale of the
grains was to be spent on libraries.
ii) Organization of Rural Libraries: In the 1st conference of Assam
Library Association in 1938 hardly 50 libraries were recorded
to have been engaged in library work throughout the villages
of Assam and during the span of 10 years (1938-1948)
Barthakur organized 250 libraries. Between May-July, 1971 it
established Goalpara, Tezpur, Jorhat, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta,
Dibrugarh, Mangoldoi, Guwahati Mahkuma Committee for
carrying out its activities but in the subsequent years it did not
give much fruitful result. The Association, further, at its
“Granthalok” of 1972/73 listed 169 rural libraries of Assam with
detailed address (Granthalok: 1973: 81-87) that were affiliated
to ALA.
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iii) Draft Public Library Act: On the invitation of the 8th conferences
(1964) of the All Assam Library Association held at Gauhati
under the chairmanship of Pandit Dr. Maheswar Neog, Dr. S.
R. Ranganathan prepared a Draft Public Libraries Act for Assam
which was submitted to the Government and further in the 9th
Annual conference held at Guwahati on 9, 10 and 11th April,
1971 reiterated its earlier demand but it has not got any fruitful
result till now. The Draft Public Library Act was published in the
Souvenir of Assam Library Association of 1971. Again, since
1998 attempt has continuously been made to enact the library
legislation in Assam. A draft Assam State Public Library and
Information Bill made by a Govt-appointed committee has been
submitted and now it is in the process of being accepted.
iv) Publication: In connection with the 8th Annual conference of
1964 ALA published one Souvenir; A Souvenir was also
published by the reception committee with 9th Annual
conference in 1971. At the 10th Annual Conference on 24th
and 25th November, 1972 at Nagaon the half yearly official
organ of the Association titled “Granthalok” took birth. In 1972/
73 it brought out another volume of “Granthalok”. One
newsletter was published in the year 1999.
v) Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Training: ALA also
made an attempt to build up a voluntary village library system
by organizing conferences in different districts and in this way
has been able to arouse and enlist public support and sympathy
for public libraries by holding different conferences at Dibrugarh
(1938), Tezpur (1952), Nagawn, Jorhat (1953), Golaghat (1955),
Bokakhat (1957), Mangoldoi (1959), Guwahati (8th conference,
24th and 25th October 1964), Guwahati (9th conference on 9,
10 and 11th April, 1971), Nagaon (10th Annual Conference on
24th and 25th November, 1972) etc.
vi) Librarian’s Day Celebration: In 1998 ALA celebrated Librarian’s
Day with Guwahati Library Association (GLA) at Guwahati and
in 1999 with Jorhat Library Association. It observed its 12th
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Annual Conference on 12th August at Guwahati District Library

Auditorium along with the Librarian’s Day which was also
observed in association with the Department of Library and
Information Science, Gauhati University and Guwahati Library
Association.
Through a resolution passed in the 8th Conference (1964),
the All Assam Library Association had resolved to start a
certificate course in Library Science but till now it has not been
implemented. The Association, however, is passing into an
inactive stage day by day. Unless some young and energetic
librarians take the responsibility, the future of the Association
is not encouraging.

4.7.2 Bengal Library Association

Bengal Library Association (Bangiya Granthagar Parishad),

formerly known as All Bengal Library Association, was established
in 1925 under the presidentship of Poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Presently, the Association is housed in its four-storied building
accommodating its office, library, class rooms and computer room
at P64, CIT Scheme 52, Kolkata - 700 014.
a) Objectives: The Objectives of the Association are:
i) Propagating the importance of library and information services
for individuals and for the society and developing awareness
for the library and information services;
ii) Suggesting measures for improvement and expansion of library
services for all categories of libraries in the state;
iii) Organizing movement for the improvement of the service
conditions and proper pay and status of the library workers;
iv) Organizing conferences and seminars to enlighten people about
the various aspects of the library movement and library services
v) Organizing training courses, refresher courses, workshops etc.
and publishing books, periodicals, reports etc pertaining to
library science and library services.

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b) Organization: The General Body, the Council and the Executive

Committee form the organizational structure of BLA.
c) Membership: Anybody interested in the library movement may
become a member of the Association. There are five categories
of members of the Association i.e. Patron, Honorary Member,
Donor Member, Life Member, Personal Member and Institutional
Member.
d) Functions and Activities: The Association is performing the
following functions and activities
i) Library Service: The Association has a library of its own
with a collection of more than 5 thousand books on library
and information science and reference tools. The Library is
open to all members and students.
ii) Publication: The first periodical on Library Science in Bengal
was published by the Bengal Library Association in 1937
as “Bengal Library Association Bulletin – Bangiya
Granthagar Parishad Patrika”. Presently, the Association
publishes a monthly journal in Bengali with English Abstract
named “Granthagar”. Besides this, the Association also
regularly publishes books on Library and Information
Science and library services in English and Bengali. The
English collection includes Research Methodology, Book
Classification, Phanibhusan Roy Commemorative Volume,
Library Movement in India, etc.
iii) Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Training: Bengal
Library Conference is a forum of the library users and
workers where any person having interest in library services
can participate.
iv) Course in LIS: It has been conducting a Certificate Course
in Library Science since 1937, Special Course on Computer
Application in Library Services, and Refresher courses for
working librarians.

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4.8 LOCAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS

Madras Library Association, Bombay Science Librarian’s

Association (BOSLA), Guwahati Library Association (GLA), Jorhat Library
Association etc are very active local level library associations in India.
a) Guwahati Library Association (GLA): The highly inactive Assam
Library Association was behind the establishment of GLA on 8th
February, 1993 by some enthusiastic library personnel at District Library,
Guwahati. The first ad-hoc executive body meeting was held at the
Department of Library & Information Science, Gauhati University on
2nd July 1993 and the first general body meeting was held on 6th
December 1993. The Association carried out the following functions
and activities
i) Revival of ALA: The GLA is behind the revival of ALA in 1996. In
1996 when it was observing the Librarians’ Day at Guwahati District
Library, in the afternoon session its platform was given to the living
members of ALA for its revival and ultimately ALA got revived on
22nd February, 1997 at the 11th Annual conference at Gauri Sadan,
Guwahati.
ii) Publication: The GLA in connection with its first annual conference
in 1995 brought out a souvenir titled “Librarianship in Assam: A
Challenging profession”. After that it published another 4 volumes
of its souvenir and one Newsletter in 2001.
iii) Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Training: The first annual
conference of GLA was held at Assam Agricultural University
Campus, Khanapara (1995) and since then its annual conferences
are being held more or less regularly.
iv) Librarian’s Day Celebration: Under the banner of Guwahati Library
Association the Librarian’s Day was celebrated for the first time in
Assam on 12th August, 1994 at Lakhiram Barooah Sadan,
Guwahati.
Within its own scope, the GLA is striving for the growth and
development of the Library and Information Science profession in Assam.

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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

A) Match the Following

a) IFLA a) Delhi.
b) UNESCO b) Kolkata
c) Indian Library Association (ILA) c) Paris, France
d) IASLIC d) Netherlands, in The Hague.
B) Find out True and False Sentences
a) IFLA stands for International Federation of Library Associations
and Institutions.
b) The full form of CILIP is Clinical Institute of Library and Information
Professionals.
c) UNESCO stands for The United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization.
d) Joint Council of Library Associations of India (JOCLAI) formulated
a Code of Ethics for the library profession in India.
C) Write the Full Form of the Following
a) ASIS b) ASLIB c) IASLIC
d) IATLIS e) ISO f) MALI
g) RRRLF h) SIS i) WIPO
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................

4.9 LET US SUM UP

The professional associations address issues like financial support

for libraries, censorship, and cooperative acquisition of library materials.
They also attempt to influence legislation that affects libraries, establishes

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policies and standards relating to libraries and librarians, and support

continuing education for librarians. Almost all of these organizations publish
journals or monographs relating to their particular areas of interest.
Professional library associations hold conferences on a regular basis so
that librarians may come together in order to develop policies and share
ideas.
Private foundations also promote increased and improved library
services around the world. Private philanthropic organizations also provide
leadership in the establishment and maintenance of libraries around the
world. In the early 20th century the Carnegie Corporation of New York
was instrumental in establishing free public libraries in Africa, Latin America,
and the South Pacific, but the organization stopped this programme in
1917. Today the Ford Foundation, based in New York City, provides vital
financial support for libraries in the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and
Latin America.

4.10 FURTHER READINGS

1) Chakrabarti, Bhubaneswar (1993). Library and information society.

Calcutta: World press.
2) Kawatra, P. S. (1980). Fundamentals of documentation: With special
reference to India. New Delhi: Sterling.
3) Krishan Kumar (1987). Library organization, New Delhi: Madhuban
Educational Books.
4) Library (institution). (n.d). Retrieved October 9, 2009, from Microsoft®
Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2009: [Link]
text_761564555___54/Library_(institution).html)
5) P. S. G. Kumar (2004). A students manual of library and information
science, 2nd ed.. Delhi: B.R. publishing corporation.

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6) Tripathi, S.M., Lal, C and K Kumar (2002). Descriptive questions in

Library and Information Science. New Delhi: Ess Ess.

4.11 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

A) Match the Following

a) IFLA a) Netherlands, in The Hague.
b) UNESCO b) Paris, France
c) Indian Library Association (ILA) c) Delhi.
d) IASLIC d) Kolkata
B) Find out True and False Sentences
a) True. b) False. c) True. d) True.
C) Write the Full Form of the Following
a) ASIS: The American Society for Information Science.
b) ASLIB: Association for Information Management, previously,
the Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureau.
c) IASLIC: Indian Association of Special Libraries
and Information Centers.
d) IATLIS: Indian Association of Teachers of Library and
Information Science.
e) ISO: International Organization for Standardization.
f) MALI: Medical Library Association of India.
g) RRRLF: The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation.
h) SIS: Society for Information Science.
i) WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization.

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4.12 PROBABLE QUESTIONS

A) Short Answers Type Questions

a) Write the name of four international library associations.
b) Describe the activities of Assam Library Association.
c) Write a short note on Bengal Library Association.
d) Describe the activities of GLA.
e) Describe the three pillars of IFLA.
f) Write a short note on UNESCO’s contribution towards Indian Library
and Information Science.
B) Essay Type Questions
a) What do you mean by library association? What are the functions
and activities that are performed by a library association?
b) Describe the role of IFLA in furthering the library and information
science in the world.
c) Describe library related functions and activities of UNESCO.d) Write
descriptive notes on Indian Library Association (ALA) and IASLIC.

*** ***** ***

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