COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

CHINESE AMERICAN LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION
BAYSIDE, NY · EIN 237417422 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE B037 · Education · Micro (<$100K) · cala-web.org
revenue
$48K
expenses
$56K
net assets
$517K
employees
0
program ratio
100%
mission · from form 990

TO SUPPORT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELPMENT OF CALA MEMBERS AND ENHANCE THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OF CHINESE AMERICAN LIBRARIANS THROUGH TRAINING, MENTORING, NETWORKING, AND COLLABORATION WITH COLLEAGUES IN THE UNITED STATEG AND ABROAD. CALA'S WORK INSPIRES CHINESE AMERICAN LIBRARIANS TO MEET THEIR PROFESSIONAL GOALS AND TO MAKE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GLOBAL LIBRARY COMMUNITY.

profile · synthesized from sources

Professional association supporting Chinese American librarians through leadership development, mentorship, networking, and collaboration. Provides professional development opportunities, awards, and scholarships to enhance the contributions of its members to the global library community. Operates nationally with nine regional chapters and partners with major library organizations.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $4K
    RECEIVE AND REMIT ANNUAL AND INITIAL MEMBERSHIP DUES
  2. #2 $53K
    OFFER ONLINE ADVERTISING FOR CALA-APPROVED JOB POSTINGS AND RELATED MESSAGES
named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

CALA Best Book Award
Annual award recognizing outstanding books by Chinese or Chinese American authors on topics related to Chinese culture, heritage, or experience
CALASYS Mini-Grant Program
Funds projects that preserve and highlight the contributions of Chinese American librarians through digital archiving
Conference Travel Grant
Provides financial support for members to attend professional conferences, particularly the ALA Annual Conference
Mentorship Program
Facilitates professional growth through structured mentoring relationships between experienced and early-career librarians
Sally C. Tseng's Professional Development Grant
Supports professional development activities for members through competitive grants
Sheila Suen Lai Research Grant
Funds research projects by members focused on library and information science topics relevant to Chinese American communities
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 3 activities
    • Conducting research on contributions of Chinese American librarians
      Develops a curated research collection documenting Chinese American librarians’ contributions in areas such as information literacy, scholarly communication, and AI-enhanced teaching.
    • Raising awareness about Chinese American experiences and cultural heritage
      Conducts advocacy efforts to raise public awareness about topics related to Chinese Americans, Chinese cultural heritage, and authors of Chinese descent in North America.
    • Supporting professional development and leadership of Chinese American librarians
      Advances professional development, research scholarship, leadership, and advocacy for Chinese American librarians through training, mentoring, networking, collaboration, and representation in professional organizations.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 2 activities
    • Distributing organizational updates via newsletter
      Produces and distributes a newsletter to share updates from leadership, chapters, and members with the broader membership community.
    • Operating the CALA Listserv for professional communication
      Manages the CALA Listserv, launched in 1994 and migrated over time to independent domains, to disseminate organization-related information and support professional exchange among members.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Awarding grants, scholarships, and recognition to members
      Offers awards, grants, and scholarships to current members, including the Best Book Award and Student Membership Scholarship, and recognizes individuals and committees through the President's Recognition Award.
  • Regular Membership Meetings 1 activity
    • Hosting annual general membership meetings
      Convenes an annual general meeting for members to conduct organizational business and foster community engagement.
  • Educator Conferences & Professional Development Events 1 activity
    • Organizing annual conference programs at ALA events
      Plans and hosts annual conference programs during the American Library Association Annual Conference to engage members and promote the organization’s mission.
  • Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
    • Preserving organizational and chapter history
      Collects and centralizes historical materials including conference proceedings, workshop content, and member scholarly works to strengthen institutional memory and preserve chapter history.
  • Member-Focused Advertising Services 1 activity
    • Providing online job posting and advertising services
      Offers online advertising services for job postings and other approved messages, available to both members and non-members.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Funding mini-projects contributing to the CALASYS repository
      Provides grant funding for mini-projects that contribute at least 30 high-quality entries to the CALASYS digital repository.
    • Recognizing outstanding books by authors of Chinese descent
      Administers the CALA Annual Best Book Award to recognize books published in English or Chinese that address Chinese Americans, Chinese people, those of Chinese origin, Chinese cultural heritage, or China, authored by individuals of Chinese descent.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$48K
Contributions & grants$7K16%
Program service revenue$26K54%
Investment income$14K30%
Other revenue$196
expenses
Total expenses$56K
Program expenses100%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$517K
Cash$244K
Investments$273K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$517K
Liquid reserves110.3 mo
4 years on record · 2022–2025 · YoY revenue -62.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 6
  • ANTHONY CHOW — INCOMING VICE PRESIDENT
  • GUOYING LIU — IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
  • HONG YAO — TREASURER
  • LEI JIN — VICE-PRESIDENT/PRES-ELECT
  • MICHAEL BAILOU HUANG — EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
  • YAN HE — PRESIDENT
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • ALA Network — Participates in the ALA Annual Conference through a scheduled annual program.
  • ALA Partner — Recognized as a related professional association.
  • Allison Wong Partner — Editor on the CALA Newsletter Editorial Team
  • American Library Association Network — Member organization affiliated with the American Library Association.
  • American Library Association Partner — Hosts CALA's annual conference programs at its national conference.
  • Bonfire Partner — Partner platform for selling CALA-branded apparel, with proceeds supporting the organization.
  • Bookshop.org Partner — Partner platform for promoting CALA Annual Best Book Award winning books and generating affiliate revenue.
  • CALA Southeast Chapter Partner — Regional chapter collaborating on the Southwest & Southeast Chapter Collection project
  • CALA Southwest Chapter Partner — Regional chapter collaborating on the Southwest & Southeast Chapter Collection project
  • Chi-Yuen Wu Partner — Editor on the CALA Newsletter Editorial Team
  • Esther De Leon Partner — Co-Chair of the CALA Newsletter Editorial Team
  • IFLA Partner — Partner organization supported through registration grants.
  • International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Network — Member organization affiliated with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
  • Jen Woo Partner — Co-Chair of the CALA Newsletter Editorial Team
  • Joint Council of Librarians of Color Network — Member organization affiliated with the Joint Council of Librarians of Color.
  • Membership Network — Offers membership that provides eligibility for awards, grants, and scholarships.
  • University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee Partner — Hosted the launch of the CALA Listserv in June 1994.
  • Yan He Government — CALA President for 2025-2026
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Cultural Visibility through Recognition of Chinese American Voices
    methodology: cultural visibility through recognition
    By recognizing books authored by individuals of Chinese descent that focus on Chinese American and Chinese cultural experiences, CALA increases cultural visibility and awareness in North American library discourse because representation in professional spaces validates and amplifies underrepresented perspectives.
  • Leadership and Professional Development through Networking and Collaboration
    methodology: professional_development_network
    By providing training, mentoring, networking, and cross-regional collaboration opportunities, CALA fosters leadership and professional growth among Chinese American librarians because sustained peer and professional connections enhance career advancement and collective impact.
  • Member Engagement through Communication and Institutional Memory
    methodology: member_communication
    By using newsletters, electronic forums, and centralized archival of chapter materials, CALA strengthens member connection and organizational continuity because consistent communication and preserved history reinforce collective identity and long-term engagement.
  • Open Access to Knowledge and Services
    methodology: open_access
    By providing open access to publications and services, CALA increases inclusivity and broadens reach because removing membership barriers allows wider participation and engagement with Chinese American librarianship.