ALA approves five-year strategic plan

Contact: Larra Clark


ALA Media Relations


312-280-5043

For Immediate Release


August 16, 2005

ALA approves five-year strategic plan

(CHICAGO) The American Library Association (ALA) Council has approved the new ALA five-year strategic plan “Ahead to 2010.” The plan outlines six key goals: advocacy and the value of the profession, education, public policy and standards, building the profession, membership and organizational excellence.

“This new plan will lead to a stronger and even more effective association during the next five years,” said ALA President Michael Gorman. “The priorities we have agreed on will ensure that we make progress in carrying out our mission to promote the highest quality in library services and to ensure universal access to recorded knowledge and information.”

“Ahead to 2010” is the result of two years of feedback from focus groups, open forums and surveys to gather information from ALA members about the issues important to them and the trends affecting the future of libraries and the association. More than 14,000 members responded to the 2004 ALA member survey.

“The level of member participation in the development of this plan is unprecedented in ALA's history,” said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. “We believe that the goals and objectives of the plan reflect the issues and needs of the membership, and provide a clear blueprint for responding to the challenges facing libraries, ALA members and information users. The new plan is not ‘business as usual' for the association.”

ALA's previous strategic plans, Goals 2000 and ALAction 2005, have led to such important initiatives as the Spectrum Scholarship program, the Office for Information Technology Policy and the Campaign for America's Libraries.

For more information on Ahead to 2010, please visit the ALA Web site at
www.ala.org/ala2010.