[3] It was formed through a merger of two organizations, The Jewish Librarians Association, founded in 1946, which concerned itself with collections of Judaica in academic, archival or research institutions, and The Jewish Library Association, founded in 1962,[4] which concerned itself with collections in the synagogue, school and community, and several other smaller libraries and media centers.
The organization has various professional development opportunities, including library training webinars.
AJL also has an electronic mailing list called Hasafran, which is Hebrew for "the librarian".
[10] The journal seeks to publish research articles and essays related to the development and management of Judaica collections in all types of libraries and archives, the initiation and coordination of digital curation projects, the creation and dissemination of information resources in all formats, and the promotion of Jewish information literacy for diverse audiences through various outreach activities.
The AJL Conference, held annually, is a valuable way for Judaica librarians to share ideas, learn, and network with their peers.