Professional Organizations

National Organizations

American Library Association (ALA)

Mission: 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.

American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

Mission: To advocate excellence, facilitate change, and develop leaders in the school library media field.

State Organizations

New York Library Association (NYLA)

Mission: To lead in the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning, quality of life, and equal opportunity for all New Yorkers.

School Library Media Section (SLMS)

Mission: To lead in advancing the profession; to encourage, promote, and advocate the interest of school library media programs, school library media specialists and school library systems; and to ensure that each student becomes an active reader, responsible information seeker, and critical thinker.

How Does NYCSLA Fit In?

The New York City School Librarians’ Association is a NYLA-SLMS Affiliate (Region 2). Here’s a handy diagram to show the relationships between these professional organizations. Our sister organization in Region II is the Hudson Valley Library Association (HVLA), serving primarily librarians from K-12 independent schools in the Tristate area.

NYCSLA also works closely with the New York City Office of School Library Services, whose mission is “to provoke and support the development of libraries that foster communities of inquiry and literacy, lead to high academic achievement, catalyze independent reading and learning, and enhance collaboration throughout the school.”