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| Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations | |
|---|---|
| Name | Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations |
| Abbreviation | ALTAFF |
| Formation | 1977 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Region served | United States |
| Membership | Trustees, advocates, friends groups, foundations |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations is a national membership organization serving trustees, advocates, friends groups, and foundations associated with public libraries in the United States. It provides governance resources, fundraising guidance, and advocacy tools to strengthen library boards, philanthropic entities, and volunteer organizations. The association collaborates with library systems, philanthropic organizations, and cultural institutions to advance public library sustainability and civic engagement.
Founded in 1977 during a period of organizational consolidation in the American library field, the association emerged amid dialogues involving the American Library Association, the Carnegie Corporation, and state library agencies. Early leaders included trustees from the Boston Public Library, New York Public Library, and Chicago Public Library, while formative conferences attracted participants from the Library of Congress, Rockefeller Foundation, and Ford Foundation. Over decades the association interacted with landmark events such as the Tax Reform Act debates, the Library Services and Construction Act amendments, and philanthropic trends influenced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Collaborations with entities like the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and state historical societies shaped governance models adopted by regional systems such as the Los Angeles Public Library, Seattle Public Library, and Houston Public Library.
The association's mission emphasizes strengthening leadership for public libraries by supporting trustees, advocates, friends groups, and foundations linked to institutions like the New York Public Library, Boston Public Library, and San Francisco Public Library. Objectives include enhancing fiduciary knowledge exemplified by practices at the Library of Congress, promoting fundraising strategies used by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Free Library of Philadelphia, and fostering advocacy approaches aligned with campaigns by the American Library Association, National Education Association, and League of Women Voters. The association frames objectives consistent with policy discussions seen in the U.S. Congress, state legislatures such as the California State Assembly, and municipal councils across cities including Philadelphia, Detroit, and Phoenix.
Governance traditionally consists of a board of directors drawn from trustees of major institutions like the New York Public Library, Boston Athenaeum, and Newberry Library, alongside representatives from foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and local community foundations. Membership categories mirror structures used by organizations like the American Library Association, United Way, and Special Libraries Association, encompassing individual trustees, friends groups from libraries such as Queens Public Library, and independent foundations supporting institutions like the Free Library of Philadelphia. Governance practices reference nonprofit law precedents, model bylaws from the Council on Foundations, and fiduciary principles discussed by the Internal Revenue Service and state charity regulators.
Programs address board development, fundraising, ethics, and advocacy, drawing on case studies from libraries including Los Angeles Public Library, Chicago Public Library, and San Francisco Public Library. Services include workshops modeled after training by the Harvard Kennedy School, legal briefings referencing rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court, and grantwriting assistance similar to programs run by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Toolkits for friends groups emulate successful practices from the Friends of the New York Public Library, Friends of the Seattle Public Library, and Friends of the Boston Public Library, while fundraising seminars reference techniques employed by the Carnegie Corporation and local community foundations.
Annual conferences convene trustees and funders, featuring plenaries with speakers from institutions such as the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, and panels including representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and MacArthur Foundation. Regional workshops occur in partnership with state library agencies like the California State Library and New York State Library, and with professional development providers such as the Aspen Institute and Council on Foundations. Sessions often highlight governance case studies from the Los Angeles Public Library, New York Public Library, and Chicago Public Library and examine legislative advocacy in contexts like the U.S. Congress and state capitols.
The association publishes guides, policy briefs, and newsletters addressing topics such as fiduciary responsibilities, fundraising best practices, and public advocacy, drawing on frameworks from the American Library Association, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Council on Foundations. Advocacy efforts coordinate with coalitions including the American Library Association, EveryLibrary, and the Urban Libraries Council, and engage with legislative processes in the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, and municipal councils. Publications cite examples from landmark initiatives at the Free Library of Philadelphia, New York Public Library, and Los Angeles Public Library and reference research by organizations like Pew Research Center and the Brookings Institution.
Partnerships link the association with the American Library Association, Institute of Museum and Library Services, state library agencies, and philanthropic foundations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Impact is evidenced by strengthened governance at institutions such as the New York Public Library, Boston Public Library, and Chicago Public Library, enhanced philanthropic capacity for foundations supporting the Free Library of Philadelphia and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and improved volunteer engagement in friends groups associated with Seattle Public Library and San Francisco Public Library. Collaborative initiatives with organizations like the Urban Libraries Council, EveryLibrary, and the Council on Foundations have influenced fundraising practices, board development, and local advocacy campaigns across U.S. public libraries.