What Florida Library Association does

The Florida Library Association (FLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1901 and headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. It serves as the statewide chapter of the American Library Association, dedicated to advocating for Florida's libraries and supporting library professionals through continuing education, networking, intellectual freedom resources, and public policy engagement. FLA's membership spans individuals (salary-tiered dues from $25 to $140/year), library organizations and systems (operating-expense-tiered dues from $300 to $6,000/year), Friends of Library groups ($100/year), businesses ($250/year), students, and retired library employees.

FLA's core offerings include the annual conference (Orlando, themed 'AI in Libraries' in 2026, with venues secured through 2029), the triannual peer-reviewed Florida Libraries journal, a Zoom-based professional development webinar program (free for members, $20 for non-members), the Library Legislative Day advocacy event at the Florida Capitol, an awards program with 14+ categories, and MLIS scholarship programs for students at Florida State University and University of South Florida. Technology infrastructure is provided by third-party SaaS platforms — Glueup for membership management and mobile app, Zoom for webinars, BetterWorld for donations, and Threadless for merchandise e-commerce — with no proprietary technology stack.

Revenue derives from membership dues (the largest and most stable stream), annual conference registrations and exhibitor fees, sponsorships (e.g., OverDrive for Library Legislative Day), donations (including advocacy honor roll and scholarship funds), journal advertising, and merchandise royalties. A 800+ member listserv, six regional directors, and active committees (advocacy, awards, DEIA, intellectual freedom, professional development, membership) form the operating backbone. FLA engages the law firm Gray Robinson as professional lobbyist at the Florida Capitol, where it has historically driven the establishment of the State Library and the county library law, and continues to advocate for State Aid to Public Libraries and Library Cooperative Grants in state budget cycles.

Name

Florida Library Association

Legal name

Florida Library Association, Inc.

Website

https://flalib.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Florida Library Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1901 that advocates for Florida libraries and supports library professionals through membership programs, an annual conference, webinars, a triannual journal, scholarships, awards, and legislative lobbying at the Florida Capitol.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Library Professional Association Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

Keywords

• Library advocacy services
• Professional association membership
• Continuing education webinars
• Legislative lobbying
• Scholarly journal publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallahassee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from individuals (ranging from $25 for students to $140 for top salary tier) and organizations (ranging from $300 to $6,000 based on operating expenses). Corporate/business memberships at $250/year. Friends groups at $100/year. The membership year runs January to December.
2. Annual Conference Revenue: Revenue from annual conference registrations, exhibitor fees, and sponsorships. The conference is the primary staff training and continuing education resource for librarians in the state.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) organization. Includes general fund donations, advocacy honor roll fund, scholarship fund, past presidents scholarship fund, and Christmas in July fundraising campaign. Also receives donations via BetterWorld platform.
4. Conference Exhibits and Sponsorships: Business members receive 10% discount on exhibitor registration fees. Organizations sponsor events such as Library Legislative Day. Sponsors include OverDrive for Library Legislative Day.
5. Merchandise Royalties: Products hosted on Threadless.com; FLA receives a small royalty for each product purchased, with all royalties going toward FLA's General Revenue.
6. Journal Advertising: Florida Libraries journal accepts advertising; the journal is triannual and open-access with growing viewership.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The Florida Library Association (FLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association that provides membership-based services to Florida's library community. Its core offerings include tiered membership programs (individual, organizational, student, retired, business, and Friends group), an annual conference for professional development, the triannual peer-reviewed Florida Libraries journal, continuing education webinars, annual legislative advocacy (Library Legislative Day), scholarship programs for MLIS students, awards recognizing excellence in librarianship, and intellectual freedom resources. Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues, conference exhibits and sponsorships, donations, and journal advertising.

Product overview

The Florida Library Association offers a portfolio of membership-based services centered around professional development, advocacy, and community building for Florida library workers. Core offerings include the annual FLA Conference, the triannual Florida Libraries Journal publication, professional development webinars (via Zoom), and Library Legislative Day advocacy events. The association also provides scholarship programs for MLIS students, an awards program recognizing excellence in the field, a members-only directory for networking, and advocacy resources including intellectual freedom support. The organization operates tiered membership programs for individuals, organizations (based on operating expenses), business partners, Friends groups, students, and retired library employees. The association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and chapter of the American Library Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FLA Membership Programs Tiered membership programs for individuals (salary-tiered $25-$140/year), organizations (operating-budget-tiered $300-$6,000/year), business members ($250/year), Friends groups ($100/year), students, retired employees, and library supporters. Benefits include committee participation, continuing education webinars, networking events, employment information, mentorship, conference discounts, advocacy support, intellectual freedom resources, and journal access.
• FLA Annual Conference Annual professional conference (held each May in Orlando, with 2027-2029 dates reserved at DoubleTree Orlando Theme Park Resort and Orlando World Center Marriott) bringing together Florida librarians for networking, continuing education, breakout sessions, and exhibit hall access. The 2026 theme was 'AI in Libraries: Friend, Foe, or Future?' The conference is the primary staff training and continuing education resource for librarians in the state.
• Florida Libraries Journal The official triannual peer-reviewed open-access digital journal of the Florida Library Association, published in Spring, Summer (Conference Proceedings), and Fall. Includes refereed articles, news, field notes, invited articles, and editorials. The journal accepts advertising at various rates (Full Page, Half Page, Quarter Page, Eighth Page, Business Card).
• Professional Development Webinars Continuing education webinars delivered via Zoom, typically 1 hour in duration, covering professional development topics for library workers. Free for FLA members and $20 for non-members. Recordings available to members only.
• Library Legislative Day Free annual advocacy event at the Florida Capitol where librarians meet with legislators to advocate for library funding and services. Includes legislative briefing, appointments with legislators, and networking. OverDrive sponsored the 2026 event. Open to all library advocates.
• FLA Awards Program Comprehensive awards program recognizing excellence in Florida libraries across 15+ categories including Lifetime Achievement, Librarian of the Year, Library of the Year, Outstanding New Librarian, Administrator of the Year, Innovative Program or Service, Communications Excellence, Intellectual Freedom Award, and others. Awards are announced annually at the FLA conference.
• Scholarship Programs Graduate scholarships for MLIS/LIS students including Past Presidents Graduate Scholarship, Bernadette Storck Scholarship, and Kimberly L. Amos-Tata FSU iSchool Scholarship. Available to students at Florida State University and University of South Florida.
• FLA Merchandise Store Online merchandise store featuring branded FLA products (T-shirts, etc.) hosted via Threadless.com. FLA receives a royalty on each purchase, with all royalties going to FLA's General Revenue.
• FLA Member Directory Exclusive online member directory available to FLA members for networking and connecting with library professionals across Florida.
• Days in the District Program Program encouraging librarians to build relationships with legislators in their home districts outside of legislative session, supplementing the annual Library Legislative Day.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Library Association (ALA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLA is a chapter of the American Library Association. The newly formed group voted in 1920 to affiliate with the American Library Association. FLA offers a joint FLA-ALA student membership program for $46, limited to five years, allowing students to join both organizations simultaneously. FLA also coordinates with ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom on censorship and challenge support.
• Southeastern Conference of LibrariansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLA voted in 1920 to affiliate with the Southeastern Conference of Librarians at the time of its re-establishment.
• OverDrivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOverDrive is the sponsor of the 2026 Library Legislative Day event. OverDrive is a major digital library platform provider (e-books, audiobooks) serving public libraries. The sponsorship relationship provides marketing exposure at FLA's premier advocacy event.
• Florida State University (FSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSU hosts the FLA Listserv at lists.fsu.edu. FSU School of Library and Information Studies is one of two Florida institutions offering MLIS degrees (alongside USF). FSU is represented on the FLA Board through a student representative (Leila Gibradze, FSU Representative). FLA scholarships are awarded to FSU iSchool students.
• University of South Florida (USF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLA's archives are maintained in Special Collections Archives at the University of South Florida in Tampa. USF School of Library and Information Science is one of two Florida institutions offering MLIS degrees. USF is represented on the FLA Board through a university representative (Amelia Anderson, PhD). FLA awards Bernadette Storck Scholarship to USF students.
• Florida State Library / Division of Library and Information ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services oversees the State Library and administers grant programs including State Aid to Public Libraries. FLA advocates for adequate funding of these programs. The State Librarian (Amy Johnson) serves on the FLA Board. The State Library Capitol Branch (7th Floor of Florida Capitol) serves as a workspace during Library Day.
• Gray Robinson (Law Firm)coreOthersFLA engages the law firm Gray Robinson as its professional lobbyist to advocate on behalf of libraries of all types at the Florida Capitol.
• GlueupcoreTechnology or IntegrationFLA uses the Glueup platform for membership management, event registration, conference management, and its mobile app. The website and member portal are powered by Glueup.
• BetterWorldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFLA uses BetterWorld (powered by Stripe) for its online donation processing including general fund donations, advocacy honor roll fund, scholarship fund, and Christmas in July fundraiser. BetterWorld does not charge FLA transaction fees.
• Threadless.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFLA's merchandise store is hosted on Threadless.com. FLA receives a small royalty for each product purchased, with all royalties going toward FLA's General Revenue. Products include T-shirts with FLA branding.
• Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAME members can join FLA at a special rate of $30/year. FAME represents school library media specialists in Florida, and the partnership facilitates collaboration between school libraries and other library types.
• REFORMA de FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerREFORMA de Florida (the Florida chapter of REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking) is represented on the FLA Board through Alma Ramos-McDermott.
• NEFLIN (Northeast Florida Library Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 2005 to approximately 2018, NEFLIN in Orange Park managed FLA's business office under a contract, handling day-to-day operations alongside the executive director.
• Florida Multitype Library Cooperatives (MLCs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLA supports continued recurring funding for the Multitype Library Cooperatives, which provide essential training for library staff, resource-sharing activities, shared ebook/e-resource access, WiFi hot spot lending, and collaborative purchasing for all Florida libraries. MLCs produced over $10 in value for every $1 invested by the State.
• Crow-Segall (Association Management Company)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFrom the late 1970s until 2005, FLA's day-to-day operations were handled by an executive secretary employed with Crow-Segall, an association management company.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA): National independent association of state library agency leaders (heads of state library administrative agencies). FLA sits alongside COSLA's constituents (including Florida's State Librarian Amy Johnson, who serves on FLA's Board). COSLA operates upstream of FLA in the policy pipeline, making it an adjacent rather than competitive peer.
• American Library Association: The national parent body of which FLA is a chapter since 1920. ALA operates at a much broader geographic and functional scale (national conferences, policy advocacy, accreditation, publishing), making it the umbrella incumbent that FLA complements rather than competes with. The ALA-FLA student joint membership and shared intellectual freedom infrastructure demonstrate deep functional overlap.

Direct peers

• Texas Library Association: Direct counterpart state-level library association serving Texas library professionals with the same operating model: tiered individual and institutional dues, annual conference, peer-reviewed journal, legislative advocacy, and awards programs. TLA is the most structurally comparable peer to FLA — both are 501(c)(3) state chapters of ALA serving large, populous states with strong library systems.
• New York Library Association: Statewide library association serving New York library workers through tiered membership, conferences, advocacy, publications, and awards. Mirrors FLA's structure and product set at a larger state scale, making it one of the closest peers for benchmarking operating efficiency and member engagement.
• California Library Association: State-level membership association for California library professionals, offering tiered dues, annual conference, advocacy, journal, and continuing education. Comparable to FLA in mission and operating model, though California has a different legislative environment and library funding structure.

Others

• Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME): FLA's sister association in Florida representing school library media specialists. FLA and FAME operate a cross-membership discount ($30 FAME-to-FLA rate). FAME is an adjacent member-services organization rather than a competitor — the two collaborate on advocacy for all Florida library types, including K-12.
• REFORMA: National association promoting library services to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities. REFORMA de Florida is represented on FLA's Board (Alma Ramos-McDermott), making REFORMA a collaborating peer in the same ecosystem rather than a competitor — both serve overlapping member segments in advocacy and professional development.

Regional players

• Southeastern Library Association: Regional multi-state library association serving the southeastern U.S., including Florida. SELA's broader geographic scope overlaps with FLA on continuing education and networking, but FLA is the Florida-focused direct peer. SELA serves a complementary role for cross-state programming that FLA does not duplicate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TweetFLAlibrary
• Facebookfacebook.com/FloridaLibraryAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/floridalibraryassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/floridalibraryassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Florida Library Association