Have you heard of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA)? This 50 year old organization is the oldest ethnic affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA). Established in 1970, BCALA, was formed to serve as an advocate for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation’s African American community.

Throughout the years, BCALA has been at the forefront of promoting Black excellence and spearheading equity and inclusion in the library profession. To support the work and in celebration of Black History Month in the United States (BHM) become a member of the Black Caucus. It is not necessary to be Black to join; BCALA is open to everyone. We thank you in advance for your membership.

To become a member, go to bcala.org

I’m Shauntee Burns-Simpson and I’m the current President of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. I’m so proud to feature blog posts from our membership and celebrate our Blackness for the month of February. Feel free to join the celebration and share your recommendations from around the globe, use #BlackIsBeautiful on social media, or please leave them in the comments throughout the month.

Thank you and enjoy 🙂

Shauntee Burns-Simpson (MLIS) currently serves as the 2020-2022 President of BCALA. She is the Associate Director of School Outreach for The New York Public Library. An ambassador for libraries and Youth Librarian, President Burns-Simpson enjoys connecting people to the public library and its resources. She works closely with at-risk teens and fosters a love of reading & learning with her innovative programs. In addition to leading BCALA, she chairs the American Library Association Office of Diversity, Literacy, & Outreach Services (ODLOS) Committee on Diversity.