Dear LIS Professionals, This is an appeal to all LIS Professionals in India to enroll in the ACADEMIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (ALA). Though it was started functioning during 1996, it has been registered as Scientific Society recently with No. TSR/TC/267/2014, Thrissur, Kerala-680651 Library professionals with minimum BLISc can enroll as Life Members of ALA. DLISc/CLISc holders and LIS students can also enroll as Associate Members. The membership fee is Rs. 100/- for both. Assoc. Membership will be automatically converted to Life Membership on acquiring BLISc or higher, without any additional fee. This year’s major focus of ALA is School Libraries without its development no academic, special or public library will survive. The use of all libraries and dignity of all librarians are closely associated with how school libraries are maintained. Unfortunately, most of the school libraries (other than international / central/ Navodhaya / CBSE / ICSE / Similar schools) in Kerala and India in general are totally neglected. This situation adversely affects the reading and learning skills of the people. Research findings revealed that people without reading habit are more attuned to anti-social activities like, drinking, drugs, ragging, riots etc. Hence, it is the duty of the LIS Professionals to do all sorts of effort to revamp our School Library System with enough facilities and qualified Library Education Teachers. Unity is the strength in any democratic society. Members’ enrolment in associations, collaboration of associations and effective and targeted functioning of them are the need of the day. That is why we keep the membership fee to the minimum. So, this is a humble request to all LIS Professionals in India to enroll in ALA. As a most easy way, you can remit the fee by Electronic Transfer/DD in favour of “Academic Library Association”, SBT, Ollukkara Branch, (Branch Code: 70210)Mannuthy, Thrissur, A/c. No. 67277881745; IFS Code: SBTR0000210and send your application/details by e-mail or sms. Remittance of fee as group is also possible. Kindly pass this message to your professional friends to encourage this campaign. Mr. P.A. Pradeep (KeralaVeterinaryUniversity, Papradeep08@Gmail.com, Phone: 9995087645) is the General Secretary and myself is the President of ALA. With regards, Dr. A.T. FRANCIS, MCom, MLISc, NET, PhD HEAD, LIBRARY College of Horticulture Kerala Agricultural University Thrissur - 680 656, India, 91-9496839409 (m) francisaloor@yahoo.com -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.