The Role of the Special Libraries Association in Promoting Library Professionals on a Global Scale
Since World War II, the library profession has grown worldwide both extensively and at an impressively rapid rate, resulting in an increase in international librarians and international library associations. Several possible reasons for this growth are emphasized in Baldwin (1997, 392-393): “Our shrinking world has caused increasing awareness of other parts of the world with accompanying demands for access to information from those areas; growth of information and publishing throughout the world; awareness through increased automation of resources in other parts of the world; growth of international business interests in the second half of the twentieth century after the war; more sophisticated users who demand specialized services and increased knowledge of the access to information resources by their librarians.” This chapter focuses on one particular international library association, the Special Libraries Association (SLA), and its role as the outstanding voice for the world’s information professionals. It shows that this association has consistently developed numerous initiatives and programs promoting library professionals worldwide with an emphasis on librarians outside of the United States. Although some SLA programs may no longer be active in the capacity they had when first introduced, their influence has had an impact on many SLA chapters and divisions, inspiring them to continue the practices by adopting similar programs.