BCALA Mission & Purpose
Mission
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association serves as an advocate for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation’s African American community; and provides leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African American librarians.
Purpose
To call to the attention of the American Library Association the need to respond positively on behalf of the Black members of the profession and the information needs of the Black community by reviewing, analyzing, evaluating, and recommending to the American Library Association actions on the needs of Black librarians which will influence their status in the areas of recruitment, development, advancement, and general working conditions; and to provide information on qualifications of Black librarians.
To review the records and evaluate the positions of candidates for the various offices within the ALA to determine their impact upon Black librarians and services to the Black community.
To monitor the activities of Divisions, Round Tables and Committees of the American Library Association, by active participation within these groups, to make sure that they are meeting the needs of Black librarians.
To serve as a clearinghouse for information about Black Librarians in promoting their wider participation at all levels of the profession and the Association.
To support and promote efforts to achieve meaningful communication and equitable representation in state associations and on the governing and advisory boards of libraries at state and local levels.
To facilitate library service which will meet the information needs of Black people.
To encourage the development of authoritative information resources about Black people and the dissemination of this information to the larger community.
To open up channels of communication to and through Black librarians in every unit of the ALA.
Last updated January 15, 1997