Provide an important vehicle for telling the story of America's libraries and librarians.
	Serve as a symbol of the importance and significance of libraries and librarians in the history of America.
	Provide recognition of those individuals and institutions that have made a significant contribution to the development of America's libraries.
	Contribute to a greater understanding by the public and librarians of how the legacy of the past has contributed to the development of today’s libraries.
	Promote the preservation of artifacts and archives of America's library heritage and access to those artifacts and archives.
	Provide additional resources for historical research on America's libraries.

Why Isn't There a Museum of American Library History?

There is no single answer to this question. It is actually extraordinary that there isn't a Museum of American Library History.  There are tens of thousands of museums throughout the United States devoted to every conceivable person, topic, institution, organization, type of artifact, and historic event, but no library history museum.  Here are some possible answers from one person's perspective.

 

	Librarians, as a whole, don't seem to value their heritage all that much, and if they don't who else will or should.
	With all the issues libraries face, library history is a pretty low priority.
	Developing any kind of museum would take commitment and resources.  Developing a really good museum would take a great deal of commitment and resources.
	Library historians appear to be more concerned with archives and research than artifacts and memorabilia.
	If we build it, would anyone really come?

Some Previous Efforts

There was a significant effort in the early 1980's by the Public Library Association to explore the possibility of a library history museum or some other mechanism for promoting public library history.  The Public Library Heritage Task Force was appointed in 1982 by PLA and was asked to develop recommendations in this regard.  A hearing on this topic was hosted by the Task Force at the ALA Annual Conference in Los Angeles in 1983. 

One serious idea that was explored was the development of a public library heritage trail.  State librarians were asked to identify historic libraries in their states, and a publication that included this information was planned.  Like many good ideas that go through the bureaucracy of a large association, this one finally ground to a halt and the Task Force was disbanded with no tangible outcome.

Another idea that was also explored was identifying a former public library building that could be used as the space for a library museum.  This also didn't work out.

Why the Time May be Right for a Library History Museum

 

	As an aging profession, maybe we might be a little more concerned about our own legacy as well as the legacy of those who came before us.
	Digitization offers the potential for developing a virtual museum.  Libraries seem hell bent on digitizing history.  Why not library history?
	The Institute of Museum and Library Services promotes both museums and libraries.  Why not a library history museum?
	We are reaching more and more historical milestones in the history of libraries.  In 2003, we celebrated the 170th anniversary of America's first free tax supported public library.  In 2006, we will celebrate the 275th anniversary of the Library Company of Philadelphia, America's oldest cultural institution.

The Archives of the American Library Association

The closest thing to a library history museum in the United States is probably the Archives of the American Library Association located at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.  The archives are maintained by the UICU under an agreement with ALA.  Although the archives include primarily paper documents related to ALA, there are some special collections of library postcards and photographs.  Recently, a project has begun to make some of these available in digital form over the Web. The vertical files from the now defunct library school of Columbia University are also part of the ALA Archives collection.  A digital exhibit of some of these materials is also available on the Web. The ALA Archives should play an important role in any library history museum.

The Norman D. Stevens Collection of Library Architecture