Kerala Library Association or KLA was established in the year 1971 by a team of librarians, who were determined to erect an independent organisation at the state level to motivate the noble cause of creating libraries and raise the professional standards of librarians. The official headquarters of the Kerala Library Association is situated at Thiruvananthapuram. During numerous occasions, this association has fearlessly revealed the thoughts and emotions of the librarians to the concerned higher authorities. KLA has emphasized on the significance of enhancing the services of libraries in the different libraries in colleges and universities. It has cooperated with the Government and assisted it in forming rules with respect to the development of libraries in Kerala. The `KLA Newsletter` is published by Kerala Library Association which is freely distributed to its members and five books, several volumes of seminars and five research monographs.
Origin of Kerala Library Association
The very first attempt of creating a professional organisation was initiated during the year 1958, which inspired some skilled librarians in Kerala to give shape to the All Kerala College Libraries Association. The University of Kerala started a brand new department in 1961 which provided Bachelors Degree in the field of Library Science. With the passage of time and an increase in the quantity of degree holders, yet another organisation came into existence in 1964 at Thiruvananthapuram named Kerala Librarians Association. The current association was termed as the Kerala Library Association in the year 1971 and thereafter was registered under the Library Societies Registration Act. The Kerala Library Association thus became the oldest official association of professional librarians in Kerala.
Objectives of Kerala Library Association
The Kerala Library Association had several goals to accomplish which included the successful promotion of library development and improvements in various library services, bringing about a spirit of unity amongst the libraries of Kerala through regular meetings and conferences which would discuss questions connected to the functioning of libraries, to introduce better supervision and management of libraries, to implement programmes for training librarians and encouraging library science education amongst others. KLA also took measures to motivate research and bibliographical study, create more libraries in Kerala, to spread awareness about the information of service amongst the members of the Association, to extend assistance to global, national and many other associations with similar goals and much more.
Membership of Kerala Library Association
There are numerous types of memberships of Kerala Library Association which comprise Honorary Membership Life Membership, Ordinary Membership and Associate Membership. Such memberships are permitted to individuals with certain qualifications.
Programmes of Kerala Library Association
Kerala Library Association arranges innumerable conferences, seminars, computer training events and all kinds of workshops every year, for the benefit of the librarians and other library professionals. The summary of these programmes are library awareness, plans of creating new libraries, encouraging people to develop the habits of reading voraciously, promoting library legislation and library awareness and role of libraries in the sphere of national integration, etc. Along with the State Library Council the KLA had organised a training programme for librarians in the regional libraries of Kerala which are based in rural area during the period between 1996 and 1997.
Kerala Library Association awards the Gold Medal Awards to people who are first rank holders in the areas of Calicut, Kerala and Mahatma Gandhi Universities. It also presents the Holy Cross Endowment to toppers.
