The American Library Association, organized in 1876, is an association of libraries, librarians, trustees and other friends of libraries, pledged to carry out the purpose of its founders "by dis posing the public mind to the founding and improving of libraries." It had in 1927 a membership of more than 10,000. Its total budget in the fiscal year 1927 was more than $325,000, the largest items of expenditure being for the promotion of professional library edu cation and the publication of text-books, professional literature and aids to book selection. Headquarters are located in Chicago. During the World War, the association provided libraries for soldiers, sailors and marines, sending more than 2,000,000 books overseas from 1917 to 1920. Other associations affiliated with the A.L.A. are the American Association of Law Libraries, the League of Library Commissions, the National Association of State Li braries, and the Special Libraries Association. Nearly every State has its own library association or joins with neighbouring States in a regional association. Library clubs are found in many of the larger cities. (C. C. WO Library Association, Library Extension: A Study of Public Library Conditions and Needs by the Committee on Library Extension (1926), School Library Year Book (1927); A Survey of Libraries in the United States (1927) and American Li brary Directory (1927) ; A. E. Bostwick, The American Public Library (1923) ; H. C. Long, County Library Service (1925) ; D. A. Plum, A Bibliography of American College Library Administration, 1896 r926 (1926) ; J. L. Wheeler, The Library and the Community ; G. A. Works, College and University Library Problems (1927).
Administration.—In the United States details of administra tion differ because of varying requirements from local and State governments, with marked tendency toward uniformity due to the influence of library schools and the A.L.A.
In general the public library is administered by a board of trustees or directors elected by the community or chosen or appointed by the mayor, city manager, council, or some similar officer or board. A few libraries are controlled by the local school. boards, and fewer by self-perpetuating boards related to the city by contract or agreement. That in 13 cities of over 30,00o in habitants boards of trustees have been discontinued, is an indica tion of a growing trend under city commission or city manager control. State aid—and therefore control—is a growing factor. Growth in county library service (even super county libraries) is noteworthy. The trustees are charged with the duty of fixing the policy for the institution, establishing principles governing the staff, determining the kind of library best fitted for the community.
They usually work through committees. Tenure of office and length of service may differ in detail, but the aim and intent gen erally seem to be the choice of a middle ground between changes so frequent and rotation in office so constant as to make impossible continuity of policy, and infrequent as to suggest danger of dry rot.
The librarian is usually recognized as executive officer of the board.
Current rules seem to emphasize fair play for all users of books, equitable treatment for the public, rather than conven ience for the staff. How many volumes may be taken at one time, length of withdrawal before renewal, fines for failure to return books for renewal, regulations for summer or vacation privileges, special consideration for teachers or other classes of readers, these and similar administrative controls differ widely because of varying local conditions. Most libraries limit loans for ordinary books to two weeks, set fines of one or two cents a day for books not renewed, grant special privileges when general harm or inconvenience will not follow.
Support usually comes from public funds granted by the com mittee or board fixing the local tax levy. Money thus granted is turned over to the library board for spending under proper account ing, or is paid from the office of the local disbursing agent when warrants are presented bearing proper authorization.
Book selection through librarian and staff is increasing, de creasing through trustees. Occasionally books must be bought by public bids and tenders, but the tendency seems towards giving the librarian greater discretion as to purchase of books and sup plies. Preliminary steps and details are in many cases regulated by statute, but once the books have passed this stage their ad ministrative processes are fairly uniform, thanks to standardizing of methods and processes resulting from the influence of the library schools and the training classes. Cataloguing, accession ing, subject heading, classifying, charging to borrowers, registra tion of borrowers, inventory work, reading the shelves are all coming to show little variation. One important element in uni formity of cataloguing is the growing use of printed cards supplied by the Library of Congress. Several classification schemes had ardent advocates a generation ago ; today the Dewey decimal system is almost universal among the more popular libraries, and the Library of Congress system bids fair to equal it among the larger college, university, and reference libraries. A similar tend ency toward uniformity in the reporting of activities is shown by the growing use of the system recommended by the A.L.A.