History Committee

Established June 1977; Revised December 1984, September 1996, September 2005 Name changed to History Committee from Oral History Committee in June 2022; revised March 2024

The History Committee coordinates the multifaceted efforts of MLA members and their communities in retaining and preserving the history of MLA, to enrich member’s knowledge and understanding, inform their decisions, and contribute to their continuity and growth. Specific objectives include:

• fostering an understanding of the diverse cultural identities of health information professionals and a sense of continuity and shared experiences;
• learning from the past to make informed decisions in the present and plan for the future;
• ensuring that significant events, achievements and narratives are not forgotten, contributing to a collective sense of memory and knowledge;
• promoting social cohesion through capturing discussions, dialogue and engagement among diverse groups;
• maintaining tangible links to the past, allowing future members to appreciate and learn from historical origins;
• recording experiences of accountability, reconciliation and social justice to promote the educational, scientific, and professional growth of members;
• fostering inspiration and empowerment to help members overcome challenges and pursue their goals; and,
• providing a foundation for academic research, analysis, and the advancement of knowledge in librarianship and associated fields.

Committee activities include:

• support and promote the development, use, and archiving of MLA’s history both internally and externally;
• identify traditional and emerging formats for capturing histories across the association;
• develop toolkits to support the submission of histories;
• promote engagement of historical voices and stories;
• support training for interviewers, editors and other roles for capturing histories;
• help maintain the MLANET history website page; and,
• prepare and submit annual objectives, a budget, and midyear and annual reports.

The committee consists of 8 to 12 members who reflect the diversity of MLA members:

• at least 5 members at-large who are selected because of their interest and expertise in the activities of the committee and serve staggered three-year terms;
• 1 chair serving a one-year term, previously appointed as chair-designate; if no chair-designate was available, a chair will preferably be appointed from a pool of members at large serving in their third or second year;
• 1 chair-designate serving for a one-year term, preferably selected from the pool of members at-large serving in their third or second year;
• 1 immediate past chair serving a one-year term;
• Liaisons from MLA caucuses or other MLA committees as recommended by the chair-designate and appointed by the MLA President-Elect for a one-year term.