Beginnings

The history of PNLA is a pioneering story. The vast region of the Pacific Northwest was still a frontier in the 1900s, and the librarians of that time were pioneers in their field. Even with today's rapid transportation, the distance separating this region from the eastern and central portions of North America is appreciable. In 1909 the travel time, and even more, the slowness of communication by mail emphasized the isolation of these early librarians, valiantly gathering their small collections of books, and appealing to Andrew Carnegie for help in sheltering them. It was a time of small beginnings, but these early efforts held the promise of a great and productive future. The Pacific Northwest was fortunate in its leadership. Strong personalities with vision and foresight guided the young organization from its earliest days.

The Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition of 1909 provided the colorful setting for the inception of this first, and to this day unique, international regional library association. Born in June, 1909 at a three day conference held at the University of Washington campus in Seattle, the new organization adopted a constitution and by-laws on the morning of June 10. Some thirty-five Oregon and Washington librarians were in attendance as well as the Provincial Librarian from British Columbia. Eighty-five names were printed in the first membership list including one from British Columbia, twenty-five from Oregon and fifty-nine from Washington. In 1911, two Idaho librarians joined the Association, and in 1914 three Montana librarians were added to the membership. 1919's membership directory included librarians from Utah as well. Thus, it was not until a full decade after the association was organized that the membership reflected the entire geographic area originally contemplated by the founders.

The constitution and by-laws adopted that first meeting were not changed for nine years, when changes raised annual dues from fifty cents to a dollar and increased the number of committees from two to eight.

From the very beginning the framework for continuing education was present. The early 'proceedings recount the topics of papers given to the benefit of the membership. The second conference saw papers on problems still with us today: "Work with Children in the Small Library," "Vacation Reading," "How to increase the Culture Reading of College Students," and "Methods of Preserving Clippings and Small Pamphlets."

Trustees first took part in PNLA in 1913. A paper presented by Mrs. J.S. McKee and Frank Lamb, trustees of the small public library of Hoquiam, Washington, was entitled "The Trustee's Point of View." It is reported that Mrs. McKee's speech with its frequent witty comments kept the Association in a gale of laughter. Her common sense is as applicable today as it was in 1913.

The Association voted in 1914 to affiliate with the American Library Association, and William E. Henry was designated as the first PNLA representative. That affiliation was lost during the recent reorganization of ALA. PNLA moved many concerns to the national level and drew attention of ALA to the needs of Northwest librarians and libraries. For example, PNLA compiled and published the Subscription Books Bulletin until it was taken over by ALA in 1930.  The conference in 1916 focused on the need for libraries in Alaska. Cornelia Marvin who "has had a good deal of correspondence on the subject and feels that the Pacific Northwest Library Association should do all in its power to secure good library legislation for Alaska and to help the small libraries there in every possible way." The first PNLA Committee on Alaska was established in that same year.

By 1918, membership had grown to 233, with 8 permanent standing committees.