In the run-up to IFLA’s Centenary celebration in September 2027, IFLA’s Library History (LibHist) Special Interest Group is organising a series of webinars: the LIS Education Internationalisation Webinar Series.

The first of these will take place at 15:00 on 27 April 2026. It is entitled: The American Library in Paris: an experiment in internationalism.

From the IFLA website:

“When the American Library in Paris opened its doors to the public in May 1920, it was the first library of its kind in France. It embodied the philosophy, practices, and organization of what the American Library Association deemed an exemplary model of a modern library. Unlike public libraries in the United States, the American Library in Paris was founded as a non-profit organization that aimed, among other objectives, to “aid in the international exchange of information about books, libraries, and library methods”.

During this webinar we will explore the first decade of the history of the American Library in Paris, as it transitioned from merely showcasing modern American librarianship to becoming an international hub for the exchange of ideas and library education. There will also be discussion on the role the Paris Library School played in this transition, as well as the role of the School’s faculty in laying the groundwork for the establishment of the International Federation of Library Associations.”

The convener of the Webinar, to be held in English, is Professor Anna Maria Tammaro. It will be moderated by John Budd, Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri. The two speakers are from the American Library in Paris: Abigail Altman, Assistant Director; and Mayanne Wright, the Library’s docent.

See here for information and registration details.

Some Literature from a quick search in my Zotero database. With some background items:

American Library in Paris. 2009. “A Short History of the Library.”

American Library in Paris. 2017. “Lending since 1920/Timeline of the Library/Detailed History.” The American Library in Paris. 2017. https://americanlibraryinparis.org/history/

Bertrand, Anne-Marie. 2010. Bibliothèque publique et public library: essai de généalogie comparée. Collection Papiers. Lyon: Enssib

Kniffel, Leonard. 2020. “We’ll Always Have the American Library in Paris.” American Libraries Magazine. May 1, 2020. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2020/05/01/well-always-have-american-library-in-paris/

Maack, Mary Niles. 2005. “American Bookwomen in Paris during the 1920s.” Libraries & Culture 40 (3): 399–415

Maack, Mary Niles. 2007. “‘I Cannot Get along without the Books I Find Here’: The American Library in Paris during the War, Occupation, and Liberation, 1939-1945.” Library Trends 55 (3): 490–512. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2007.0013

Nix, Larry T. 2012. “American Library in Paris, Librariana.” Blog. Library History Buff Blog (blog). March 3, 2012. http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-library-in-paris-…

OpenLearn. 2025. “Roaring Twenties? Europe in the Interwar Period.” Open University. 2025. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/roaring-twenties-europe-the-interwar-period/content-section-5.1.4/?printable=1.

Thompson, Susan Otis. 1964. “The American Library in Paris: An International Development in the American Library Movement.” Library Quarterly 34 (2): 179–90

Weeks, Linton. 2015. “When America’s Librarians Went To War.” NPR.Org. July 4, 2015. http://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/07/04/418840245/when-americas-librarians-went-to-war

Witt, Steve W. 2013. “Merchants of Light: The Paris Library School, Internationalism, and the Globalization of a Profession.” Library Quarterly 83 (2): 131–51. https://doi.org/10.1086/669549

Witt, Steve W.  2014. “Agents of Change: The Rise of International Librarianship and the Age of Globalization.” Library Trends 62 (3): 504–18. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2014.0006American Library in Paris. 2009. “A Short History of the Library.”

American Library in Paris. 2017. “Lending since 1920/Timeline of the Library/Detailed History.” The American Library in Paris. 2017. https://americanlibraryinparis.org/history/

Bertrand, Anne-Marie. 2010. Bibliothèque publique et public library: essai de généalogie comparée. Collection Papiers. Lyon: Enssib

Kniffel, Leonard. 2020. “We’ll Always Have the American Library in Paris.” American Libraries Magazine. May 1, 2020. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2020/05/01/well-always-have-american-library-in-paris/

Maack, Mary Niles. 2005. “American Bookwomen in Paris during the 1920s.” Libraries & Culture 40 (3): 399–415

Maack, Mary Niles. 2007. “‘I Cannot Get along without the Books I Find Here’: The American Library in Paris during the War, Occupation, and Liberation, 1939-1945.” Library Trends 55 (3): 490–512. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2007.0013

Nix, Larry T. 2012. “American Library in Paris, Librariana.” Blog. Library History Buff Blog (blog). March 3, 2012. http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-library-in-paris-…

OpenLearn. 2025. “Roaring Twenties? Europe in the Interwar Period.” Open University. 2025. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/roaring-twenties-europe-the-interwar-period/content-section-5.1.4/?printable=1.

Thompson, Susan Otis. 1964. “The American Library in Paris: An International Development in the American Library Movement.” Library Quarterly 34 (2): 179–90

Weeks, Linton. 2015. “When America’s Librarians Went To War.” NPR.Org. July 4, 2015. http://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/07/04/418840245/when-americas-librarians-went-to-war

Witt, Steve W. 2013. “Merchants of Light: The Paris Library School, Internationalism, and the Globalization of a Profession.” Library Quarterly 83 (2): 131–51. https://doi.org/10.1086/669549

Witt, Steve W.  2014. “Agents of Change: The Rise of International Librarianship and the Age of Globalization.” Library Trends 62 (3): 504–18. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2014.0006