Asian Pacific American Librarians Association
The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association is an affiliate of the American Library Association formed to "address the needs of Asian/Pacific American librarians and those who serve Asian/Pacific American communities." APALA was the successor to the Asian American Librarians Caucus, a discussion group within the ALA Office for Library Outreach Services that focused on providing library service to minority communities and on supporting minority librarians. APALA was established in 1980, was incorporated in 1981, and became part of the ALA in 1982. The founders of APALA included Lourdes Collantes, Suzine Har Nicolescu, Sharad Karkhanis, Conchita Pineda, Henry Chang, Betty Tsai, and Tamiye Trejo Meehan.
As of 2005, APALA was one of four organizations for librarians of color affiliated with the ALA; the others are the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the American Indian Library Association, and the Chinese American Librarians Association. Asian Pacific Americans are the only minority that is overrepresented within the library population as compared to the United States as a whole. As of 1997, APALA had approximately 300 members, of whom 40% were Chinese, 16% were Korean, 14% were East Indian, 10% were Filipino, and the remaining 20% belonged to 13 additional ethnic groups.
APALA publishes a quarterly newsletter and meets annually at ALA conferences. It also provides scholarships to library school students and awards the annual Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature, which honor books by or about Asian Pacific Americans.
