Any Ideas?: The American Library Association and the Desegregation of Public Libraries in the American South

Sad fact: For the most of the twentieth century, the American Library Association (ala) chose to look past the issue of racially segregated public libraries in the South rather than confront, challenge, or even discuss it. Not until the early 1960s did a few vocal members of the nation's library community outside the association's control force ala to finally address the issue. Recounting the history of this neglect is not only instructive, but also essential to understanding subsequent ala history on race issues.