Masterminds Read

Illustration of an open book over white text on a turquoise background

“Masterminds read” was one of two buttons for sale as promotional material from the Library Association of Australia, which was sold through their trade journal InCite in the February 25, 1983 issue. The other button read “Be an informaniac,” and both sold for $1 each, or 3 for $2. Other promotional items advertised for sale include a wine bottled for LAA22 (the association’s annual conference held in Adelaide, Australia), a shoulder bag with the slogan “Get into…a book,” which sold for $3.50, a tote bag with the slogan “Read all about it…at your library,” which sold for $4, and a “sloppy joe” (a long sleeve shirt) which reads “Information is power,” and sold for $18.

LAA is now known as ALIA (the Australian Library and Information Association), a change that was made in 1989. The organization promotes library and information services throughout the country through leadership, advocacy, and partnerships with like industries. Though the organization is centered around a profession it is not a professional organization; membership is open to anyone interested in libraries or information management. As of 2019, ALIA has 5,000 members, 7 sitting board members, 11 advisory committees and 40+ interest groups such as Children and Youth Services, LARK (Library Applied Research Kollective), and University and Research Libraries. The core tenants of ALIA include: advocacy, education, lifelong learning, literacy, transformation/evolution of the practice, intellectual freedom, and preservation.