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Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA)

The Art Libraries Society of North America was founded in 1972 at the initiative of Judith Hoffberg by a group of art librarians attending the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago. This group realized that to fulfill the need among art librarians for better communication and cooperation, and to provide a forum for ideas, projects, and programs, an entirely new and separate organization was required. Inspired by the model of the Art Libraries Society, established in 1969 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, ARLIS/NA was created. 

Today, ARLIS/NA is a growing, dynamic organization promoting the interests of nearly 1,500 members. The membership includes architecture and art librarians, visual resources professionals, artists, curators, educators, publishers, and others interested in visual arts information. To serve this diverse constituency, the Society provides a wide range of programs and services within an organizational structure that promotes participation at all levels.