About ASGCLA

The Association of Specialized Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA), was a division of the American Library Association. Following votes by the ALA Council at the 2020 ALA Virtual Annual Conference, ASGCLA dissolved as a division effective September 1, 2020.

The division began in 1977, from the merger of American Association of State Library Agencies and the Health and Rehabilitative Library Services Division. It took the name of Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA). It grew in 1998 from a merger with the Independent Librarians Exchange Round Table (ILERT) and in 2018 from a merger with the Federal and Armed Forces Round Table (FAFLRT). ASCLA became ASGCLA following the 2018 merger.

The Association of Specialized Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA) was known as the division where ALA members could find information and build capacity to serve populations that are served by state library agencies, federal libraries, armed forces libraries, specialized libraries ( Library agencies and individuals which provide library materials and service to underserved populations which include, but are not limited to, people with sensory, physical, health, developmental, learning, attention, or behavioral conditions, and people who are incarcerated or detained), library networks and cooperatives, and library consultants. ASGCLA member activity centered around our interest groups.

Information about where to find ASGCLA Interest Groups are https://www.ala.org/asgcla/asgcla-transitions-2020-updates