ALA announces new distribution arrangement with the Chicago Distribution Center, University of Chicago Press

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce that effective July 1, 2021, the Chicago Distribution Center will provide customer service and fulfillment for the ALA Store. This includes books published by ALA Editions/ALA Neal-Schuman, ACRL Publications, and other ALA units; posters, bookmarks, READ-branded and other items that promote literacy and libraries, published by ALA Graphics; and ALA’s physical award seals such as the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Carnegie Medals seals.

The Chicago Distribution Center (CDC), a division of the University of Chicago Press, is a data-driven, state-of-the-art distribution and fulfillment operation, providing a full range of services to more than one hundred fifty client publishers and their customers worldwide. Originally founded to serve the University of Chicago Press in distributing its books and journals, the CDC has developed into an important partner in the overall scholarly publishing field over time.

In addition to offering superior and future-focused business capabilities and a competitive cost structure, CDC is well aligned with ALA’s mission and values. Like ALA’s business units, CDC is also a non-profit that helps fund the mission-focused work of its home institution through running efficiently and effectively.

"The opportunity to partner with a company whose values so closely align with where ALA is right now and where ALA is headed in the next few years is exciting," said Mary Mackay, ALA associate director of publishing. "We have been delighted by CDC's responsiveness, their willingness to learn about our business, and their commitment to pivoting with us as we all move into the future of publishing. And they clearly understand our work and our operation, given their deep experience with non-profit publishers."

"We're honored that ALA has chosen to join the Chicago Distribution Center's family of publishers, university presses, museums, and associations. We are looking forward to partnering with ALA and its members to help them continue to advance ALA's mission today and forward into the future," commented Joseph D'Onofrio, director of the CDC.

"There are so many ways our organizations are already harmonious, given the exchange among universities, their presses, and libraries. Together, our shared esprit de corps stands to grow even more as we develop our partnership," noted Saleem Dhamee, director of client services and business operations at the CDC.

View the full list of CDC clients on their website.

About the American Library Association 
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.