(Sent by ALA Chapter Relations)
The five ethnic
affiliates of the American Library Association have collaborated to officially
form the Joint Council of Librarians of Color, Inc.(JCLC Inc.), a nonprofit
organization that advocates for and addresses the common needs of the ethnic
affiliates.
Coming together
through JCLC Inc. are the Black Caucus of the American Library Association
(BCALA), the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), the American
Indian Library Association (AILA), the Asian/Pacific American Librarians
Association (APALA) and REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library
& Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking. These five
organizations each have a decades-long tradition of promoting the library and
information needs of their constituent communities through various endeavors, including
providing scholarships for students, awarding grants to libraries for cultural
programing, acquiring and donating relevant library materials and advising ALA
and other professional organizations of constituent concerns . . .
JCLC Inc.’s
official purpose statement is: “To promote librarianship within communities of
color, support literacy and the preservation of history and cultural heritage,
collaborate on common issues, and to host the Joint Conference of Librarians of
Color every four to five years.”
Program Officer
Chapter Relations Office
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
dwood@ala.org
