Online Accessibility and Leadership: A Critical View at the American Library Association‪.‬

INTRODUCTION The American Library Association (ALA) is the largest and most influential professional library organization in North America. In a variety of ways, including legislative lobbying, the issuing of model policy, standards, and guidelines, educational campaigns, the granting of scholarships, etc., it seeks to keep the profession on track in an ever changing social, political, and technological environment. While some might argue, particularly with regard to policies and guidelines, that ALA's activities are fairly irrelevant in the big scheme of things--who, other than some core members, pays attention to them anyway?--I am prepared to argue that ALA's impact should not be underestimated. Whether with regard to information literacy, distance learning, reference services or any other aspect of librarianship, guidelines developed by ALA often serve individual libraries as a starting point for drafting their own institutional policies.