The Japan Library Association

Abstract

The Japan Library Association (JLA) was established in 1892 following the establishment of American Library Association (ALA) in 1876, and Library Association (LA, now CILIP) in 1877 in the United Kingdom. JLA has been a leader in forming Japanese librarianship by organizing professional activities such as national conferences, local seminars, and publishing journals and books. This article describes the history and organization of JLA, and how JLA encourages Japanese librarians to develop professional skills.