Washington Library Association

The Washington Library Association (WLA) is a professional organization for librarians and library workers in the U.S. state of Washington. It is headquartered in Seattle and has 1,504 individual members and 49 institution members as of 2019^[update].^[1]

Washington Library Association

Formation	March 27, 1905
Headquarters	Seattle, Washington
Website	wla.org

WLA was founded by the Washington State Library at a meeting in Tacoma on March 27, 1905.^[2] Meetings were held annually until 1909 when the first WLA was merged with the newly formed Pacific Northwest Library Association.^[3] It was briefly organized as the Puget Sound Library Association and then re-established in its current form with its first meeting on June 30, 1932.^[2][3] The WLA has published an academic journal called Alki since 1983.^[2]

WLA has four divisions: Academic, Public, School, and Special.^[2] WLA also has eleven interest-based sections, Collection Development & Technical Services (CATS), Children's and Young Adult Services (CAYAS), College Libraries Across Washington State (CLAWS), Intellectual Freedom Section (IFS), Leadership is For Everyone (LIFE), Library & Information Student Section (LISS), Serving Adults in Libraries (SAIL), Social Responsibilities (SRRT), WA Library Employees (WALE), WA Library Trainers (WALT), and WA Library Friends, Foundations, Trustees, and Advocates (WLFFTA).^[2]