The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) is an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA) formed to "address the needs of Asian/Pacific American librarians and those who serve Asian/Pacific American communities." APALA was the successor to the Asian American Librarians Caucus (AALC), a discussion group within the ALA Office for Library Outreach Services that focused on providing library service to minority communities and on supporting minority librarians. APALA was established in 1980, was incorporated in 1981, and became part of the ALA in 1982.