The Catholic Library Association is an international membership organization concerned with Catholic Church libraries. Its activities include the development of reference tools and guidance on materials related to Catholicism, and it holds annual conferences and presents awards.
History
The Catholic Library Association was founded in 1921 as a section of the National Catholic Educational Association, and became independent in 1929. Francis E. Fitzgerald served as its first president (1929–1931).
St. Katharine Drexel Award, est. 1966, recognizes an "outstanding contribution to the growth of high school librarianship".
John Brubaker Award, est. 1978, recognizes an “outstanding work of literary merit, considered on the basis of its significant interest to the library profession which was published in Catholic Library World". Zachary Lewis, Student Success Librarian at the University of Dayton, Roesch Library, was recipient of the award in 2022–2023 for his article, "Committing to the Common Good: Reframing Student Success Using Catholic Social Teaching." For 2023–2024, the John Brubaker Memorial Award was given to Hugh Burkhart, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Instruction and Undergraduate Learning at the University of San Diego’s Copley Library. In 2021–2022, Tim Senapatiratne, director of the Spencer Library at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, received the award for “What is Metaliteracy?: Using the Concepts of Metaliteracy in Theological Librarianship.”
Aggiornamento Award, est. 1980, is presented by the Parish and Community Library Services Section in recognition of "an outstanding contribution made by an individual or an organization for the renewal of parish and community life in the spirit of Pope John XXIII (1881–1963)."
Jerome Award, est. 1992, is presented by the Academic Libraries, Archives, and Library Education Section in recognition of "outstanding contribution and commitment to excellence in scholarship which embody the ideals of the Catholic Library Association." It is named after St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church (331-420), patron of librarians. Father David Endres, a priest from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in Ohio, received the Jerome Award for 2024. In 2025 the Jerome Award was presented to theologian, Dr. Mary Healy.
Philip F. Neau Memorial Award, est. 2007, is presented biennially by the Children’s Library Services Section to a member, past or current, of the Section for their "outstanding contributions to the Section."
Mary A. Grant Volunteer Service Award, est. 1996, is presented to a CLA member for their "outstanding volunteer service to the Association." This award is presented by the CLA executive board.
Charlotte Decker Award is an annual award presented to whom the Catholic Library Association considers an "outstanding member" of the Children’s Library Services Section or the High School/Young Adult Library Services Section.
Scholarships and grants
The Heritage Fund provides funding for services and growth for the association.
John T. Corrigan, CFX Memorial Continuing Education Grant, re-established in 2008, supports chapters of the association in their continued offering of educational opportunities for members.
↑Delozier, A. (2023). The Preface and Introductory Chapter of the Catholic Library Association 1919-29. Catholic Library World, 93(3): 178–185.
↑Dunleavy, Sr. Consolata Maria, S.S. J., "The History of the Catholic Library Association, 1921-1961," Ph.D. dissertation, Catholic University of America, 1964
↑Catholic Library World ISSN 0008-820X, is indexed in Book Review Index, Catholic Periodical Index, Library Literature and Information Science Index,Library and Information Science Abstracts, Reference Book Review Index, Current Index to Journals in Education (ERIC), Information Science Abstract, and Universite des sciences humaines de Strasbourg (CERDIC).
↑Origins of the CPLI outlined in Sister Consolata Maria Dunleavy, S.S.J. (1964)."The History of the Catholic Library Association, 1921-1961: Dissertation, Catholic University of America. (1922).
↑Mary, M. 1979. “Margrabe Is the First to Receive the Catholic Library Association’s John Brubaker Memorial Award for an Outstanding Work of Literary Merit.” Wilson Library Bulletin 53 (March): 532.
↑Zachary Lewis Receives the 2022-2023 John Brubaker Memorial Award.(2023) Catholic Library World 94 (August): 12.
