Pacific Northwest Library Association

American professional association

Pacific Northwest Library Association
Nickname	PNLA
Formation	June 10, 1909; 114 years ago (1909-06-10)
Founded at	Seattle, Washington
Headquarters	Bothell, Washington
President	Pam Henley
Vice President	Nicole Thode
Second Vice President	Ilana Kingsley
Parent organization	American Library Association
Website	pnla.org

The Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA) is a professional organization for the Pacific Northwest's librarians and library workers headquartered in Bothell, Washington. It has over 200 members from Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.^[1]^[2]

History

PNLA was formed in 1909 as the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition was occurring.^[3] It was sponsored by the Washington Library Association and was formed by thirty-five librarians from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia who met at the University of Washington to create an organization to overcome the "geographic isolation" which separated libraries in the Pacific Northwest from other libraries in the eastern and central parts of the United States.^[3] Some of the early initiatives of PNLA included advocating for library legislation in Alaska and the Yukon, as well as formation of the Subscription Book Committee which published Subscription Books Bulletin.^[3]

Publications and awards

Subscription Books Bulletin notified libraries of low-quality books available via subscription. The newsletter was eventually taken over by the American Library Association and merged into ALA Booklist.^[3] PNLA has been publishing PNLA Quarterly since 1936.^[4] In 1972 PNLA published Index of Pacific Northwest Portraits, an index to the illustrations of 12,000 men and women with historical importance in the states of Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, which appear in over 350 publications.^[5]

PNLA has been giving out the Young Reader's Choice Award since 1940.^[6] It is the oldest children's choice award in the US and Canada, and the only regional award chosen by children of both countries.^[6]

State and Provincial Library Associations within the Pacific Northwest

Alaska Library Association
British Columbia Library Association
Idaho Library Association
Library Association of Alberta
Montana Library Association
Oregon Library Association
Washington Library Association

References

^ "Pacific Northwest Library Association". Pacific Northwest Library Association. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
^ "UI Library Associate Professor Elected President of Pacific Northwest Library Association". University of Idaho. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Frederiksen, Linda (Summer 2009). "A Century of Cooperation: The Pacific Northwest Library Association, 1909-2009" (PDF). PNLA Quarterly. 73 (4): 5–35. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
^ "PNLA Quarterly". Pacific Northwest Library Association. 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
^ Appleton, Marion (2020-06-10). "Index of Pacific Northwest portraits". Internet Archive. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
^ ^a ^b "Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award Archives". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Retrieved 2021-01-14.