Established as a section within the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) of the American Library Association (ALA), the African American Studies Librarians Section (AFAS) is the outgrowth of a discussion group consisting of dynamic librarians with interest in and concern for African American studies and librarianship. Its circle of founding leaders include Clarence Chisholm, Stanton Biddle, Doris H. Clack, and William Welburn, among others.