Illinois Library Association

Name

Illinois Library Association

Legal name

Illinois Library Association

Website

https://ila.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB), Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

Keywords

• Library association services
• Professional development
• Summer reading programs
• Library advocacy
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Personal, institutional, and associate memberships with annual dues that provide access to member benefits, events, and publications.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from annual conference, workshops, ILA Noon Network webinars, and various professional development events throughout the year.
3. iREAD Summer Reading Program: Sale of iREAD Resource Guides, themed materials, and incentives for summer reading programs. Adopted in multiple states nationwide.
4. JobLine Postings: Job listing service for library positions at $100 per posting. ILA members receive one complimentary posting per calendar year.
5. Publications and Merchandise: Sale of publications including ILA Reporter, Legal Issues for Libraries, and merchandise through the ILA Store (operated via Threadless.com).
6. Sponsorships and Advertising: Advertising in ILA Reporter and Annual Conference print program, plus sponsorship programs for events and initiatives.
7. Individual Contributions: Donations through the Illuminate fundraising initiative and designated funds, supporting library programs and services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Illinois Library Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association that develops, promotes, and improves library services in Illinois. ILA sells annual memberships (personal, institutional, and associate categories), delivers professional development through conferences, workshops, and webinars, distributes the proprietary iREAD summer reading program to libraries nationwide, advocates on library legislation at state and federal levels, publishes the ILA Reporter magazine and other library resources, operates the JobLine job board, and provides group purchasing and insurance benefits through the LIRA program.

Product overview

The Illinois Library Association offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for Illinois libraries and library professionals. The core offerings include: iREAD (a national summer reading program developed by ILA since 1981), Illinois Libraries Present (virtual programming initiative), JobLine (job board service), and multiple publications including the ILA Reporter quarterly magazine, ILA E-Newsletter, and ILA Voices. Professional development is delivered through the ILA Noon Network (webinars), Annual Conference, Directors University Core, Illinois Youth Services Institute, and various training programs like Ready, Set, Advocate. ILA also provides advocacy resources (Unite Against Book Bans, More Than a Building campaign), group purchasing through LIRA, mentorship and trustee programs, and manages an awards and scholarships program. The association operates forums for specialized library professionals and maintains a merchandise store. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association representing nearly 2,000 personal and 500+ institutional members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iREAD: A flexible, nonprofit summer reading program designed by librarians featuring appealing incentives, compelling and adaptable themes, and comprehensive resource guides. iREAD has been operating since 1981 and is available to libraries in all states without requiring membership.
• Illuminate

Products and services

• iREAD Summer Reading Program A flexible, nonprofit summer reading program designed by librarians featuring appealing incentives, compelling and adaptable themes, and a comprehensive resource guide. Since 1981, iREAD has provided high-quality, low-cost resources and products that enable local library staff to motivate children, young adults, and adults to read. Adopted in 15+ states, Canada, and Department of Defense libraries worldwide.
• ILA Membership Annual memberships offered in personal, institutional, and associate categories providing access to member benefits including ILA Reporter, e-newsletter, member rates for events, advocacy representation, committee and forum participation, JobLine complimentary posting, and LIRA/Amazon Business group benefits.
• JobLine The Library JobLine of Illinois helps employers locate qualified staff by announcing job openings to library and information professionals throughout the state. Job postings are $100 per listing for 30 days; ILA members receive one complimentary posting per calendar year.
• Annual Conference Annual conference featuring workshops, industry exhibits, sessions for trustees, support staff conference, and networking opportunities for library professionals across Illinois.
• ILA Noon Network Remote learning resource featuring free webinars covering the latest topics in librarianship. All Noon Network webinars are free and open to all libraries in Illinois.
• Directors University Core Professional development program designed for library directors focusing on leadership, management, and strategic skills.
• Illinois Youth Services Institute Professional development event focused on youth services in library settings.
• Illinois Libraries Present A virtual programming initiative providing collaborative online events and programming for Illinois public libraries, transitioning to ILA management in Season 5.
• Libraries of Illinois Risk Agency (LIRA) Group purchasing and insurance pool initiative for Illinois libraries, providing economies of scale and operational risk coverage for member libraries.
• ILA Store Online merchandise store offering ILA-branded items including t-shirts, bags, mugs, and more, operated through Threadless.com.
• ILA Reporter Quarterly magazine covering association news, library trends, legislative updates, and professional development topics for Illinois librarians; includes advertising and sponsorship placements.
• Legal Issues for Libraries Publication covering legal topics and issues relevant to library operations and services in Illinois.
• Illinois Public Library Standards Standards publication providing guidelines and benchmarks for public library operations and services in Illinois.
• ILA Awards and Scholarships Program Program recognizing excellence in librarianship with multiple awards including Librarian of the Year, Illinois Academic Librarian of the Year, Intellectual Freedom Award, Young Adult Library Professional of the Year, Youth Services Librarian of the Year, Trustee of the Year, Innovative Programs and Services Award, Crosman Memorial Award, Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award, and Illinois Library Luminary Program, plus scholarships for library education.
• Illuminate Fundraising Initiative ILA's fundraising initiative designed to inspire giving with universal recognition of all gifts of $5 or more, and increasing honors for increasing levels of cumulative lifetime support. Supports library programs and services through individual contributions and designated funds.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000 members representing all types of Illinois libraries serving millions of Illinoisans

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amazon BusinesscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerILA partners with Amazon Business to help institutional public library members access business purchasing benefits. This membership benefit provides practical tools to support day-to-day library operations and purchasing.
• American Library Association (ALA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILA is a chapter of the American Library Association and works closely with ALA's Public Policy and Advocacy Office on federal legislative issues. ILA's president accepts awards on behalf of the association at ALA Annual Conference.
• Northbrook Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthbrook Public Library previously administered the Illinois Libraries Present initiative through an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). Transition completed in 2025 with ILA assuming full responsibility for the ILP initiative.
• Threadless.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerILA partners with Threadless.com for the ILA Store, handling merchandise orders including t-shirts, bags, and mugs. Customer service for orders is managed through Threadless.
• Illinois State LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe More Than a Building campaign is made possible by support from the Illinois State Library using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act.
• Abraham Lincoln Presidential LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe archives of the Illinois Library Association are housed in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, originally the Illinois State Historical Library, created in 1889 by the Illinois General Assembly.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Library Association: State-level library association serving Texas librarians and libraries. Among the largest US state library associations, running comparable programming including annual conference, advocacy at the state capitol, publications, and continuing education in the same operational structure as ILA.
• New York Library Association: State-level library association serving New York libraries and library professionals. Direct comparable to ILA in mission and operating model (membership, conference, legislative advocacy, publications), differing primarily in geography and scale of membership.
• California Library Association: State-level library association serving California librarians and libraries. Operates the same model of membership dues, annual conference, advocacy, publications, and continuing education as ILA, but in a much larger state with proportionally larger membership base.
• Ohio Library Council: State-level library association serving Ohio libraries and library professionals. Operates the same state-association model as ILA — membership, advocacy, continuing education, publications, and an annual conference — for a neighboring Midwestern state with comparable library demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Special Libraries Association: International professional association serving special librarians across corporate, government, and specialized settings — one of ILA's four primary library segments. Operates a parallel membership, conference, and continuing education model focused on special libraries.
• American Library Association: National umbrella professional association for US librarians and libraries. ILA is explicitly a chapter of ALA, sharing the same advocacy, professional development, publications, and conference model — but operating at the national level with broader policy reach.
• American Association of School Librarians: ALA division serving school librarians, a key ILA constituency that ILA serves through its School Libraries segment. AASL operates at the national level with standards, advocacy, and professional development that intersects with but does not duplicate ILA's state-level offerings.

Others

• Chief Officers of State Library Agencies: Independent association of state librarians (the heads of state library administrative agencies). COSLA complements state associations like ILA by representing the government/library agency perspective; ILA partners with the Illinois State Library (a COSLA member) on the More Than a Building campaign.

Emerging players

• Public Library Association: ALA division focused specifically on public libraries, offering continuing education, publications, and leadership programming for public library staff. Overlaps significantly with ILA's public library segment (a primary ILA constituency), providing national-level resources that complement rather than directly compete with state associations.
• Urban Libraries Council: Membership organization for large urban library systems, addressing public library leadership, innovation, and advocacy at the metropolitan level. Overlaps with ILA's public library segment (e.g., Chicago Public Library) and provides urban-focused programming that complements ILA's statewide scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IllLibraryAssoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ILlibraryAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-library-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/illibraryassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Library Association