User:Erinrenee514/sandbox

Mission and Accomplishments
The Arizona Library Association (or AzLA), was formed in 1926 to answer the need for an organization of librarians to improve libraries across the state of Arizona. From the beginning, the members of the Arizona Library Association have worked alongside others committed to the promotion and improvement of libraries and librarianship around the state, continuing the vision of the founding members. Based in Tempe, Arizona, the AzLA leads all sorts of initiatives relating to its mission goals. Accomplishments of the AzLA include: sponsoring the Horner Fellowship, regional forums to provide statewide perspective, nominating young librarians for the Snowbird Leadership Institute, continuing education credits for librarians working in public schools, development of contracts outlining statewide materials purchasing, and many others. The AzLA also supports legislation to the state government that improves the environment for libraries in Arizona.

AzLA Leadership
As of March 2012, the current leaders of AzLA are divided up into offices. There are various levels of presidency, secretary and treasurer for the organization. The state of Arizona is also divided up into sections and each is given a regional representative. There are also division officers, who represent the different areas of librarianship in the state. Then there are committee officers who represent other important interests of the AzLA and who are in charge of committees such as the Grand Canyon Reader Award, the Horner Fellowship, and other awards and interests of the association overall.

Events and Awards
The AzLA holds an annual conference that anyone may attend. Each conference usually has a specific theme, though not all events may follow that theme exactly. During the conference they hold panels on subjects relating to librarianship in general and specifically relating to Arizona. There are also various author and speaker events going on which differ year to year. The AzLA gives two book awards: the Grand Canyon Reader Awards and the Judy Goddard/Libraries Ltd., Young Adult Author Award and Children's Author/Illustrator Award and multiple service awards every year.

Publications
The AzLA publishes a monthly newsletter for its members to keep them up-to-date on the work of the association. The AzLA also updates a blog where members can go to see information as it happens from day to day. In addition the AzLA publishes a handbook and bylaws and keeps a variety of listservs which members can choose to be added onto. The website also contains a list of resources in the form of clickable internet links to information about libraries in Arizona, jobs, scholarships, and other information that could be useful to its members.