"The year has been memorable for us in the acquisition of a Charter of Incorporation. This has made a great alteration in the position of our profession, which has thus been officially recognised by the state. Our future work in the direction of ameliorating the status of raising the qualifications of librarians cannot but be greatly aided by this royal mark of favour, while our influence in spreading library facilities will be more powerful."

The Royal Charter remains a potent symbol of the standing of The Library Association as the leading professional body for librarians and information managers in the UK. It enables the Association to award Chartered status to those of its members who fulfil the rigorous requirements set out by Council. Together with the Code of Professional Conduct, this provides assurance to employers and clients that Chartered members of the Association are qualified to provide high quality professional service.

The original Charters with the royal seals are displayed in the Charter Suite at the Association's Headquarters in Ridgmount Street in London and the full text of the Charter is printed in the annual Yearbook.

Preamble to the Original Royal Charter, 1898

Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas by a Petition presented unto Us by the Most Honourable Frederick Temple Marquis of Duffenn and Ava the Right Honourable Robert George Baron Windsor. The Right Honourable Sir John Lubbock, Baronet Henry Richard Tedder, Esquire and John Young
Walker MacAlister, Esquire.

It is amongst other things represented:

That in one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven an Association was established in London called 'The Library Association'. That the objects of the Association were, among other things, to promote the establishment of new libraries; to endeavour to secure better legislation for public libraries; to unite all persons engaged or interested in library work for the purpose of promoting the best administration of libraries and to encourage bibliographical research; and that it would conduce to the welfare of the Association and to the furtherance of its objects, if the said Association were incorporated by Our Royal Charter.

Now know ye that We have taken unto Our Royal consideration the said Petition, and being desirous of promoting the said Association. We have of Our special grace certain knowledge and mere motion given and granted and We do hereby for Us. Our heirs and successors, give and grant that The Most Honourable Frederick Temple Marquis of Duffenn and Ava, Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, The Right Honourable Robert George Baron Windsor, The Right Honourable Sir John Lubbock, Baronet, Fellow of the Royal Society, Henry Richard
Tedder, Esquire, John Young Walker MacAlister, Esquire, and all other persons who, pursuant to this Our Charter, are, or may become Fellows or Members of the Corporation established by this Our Charter in pursuance of the provisions thereof, shall be a body corporate by the
name of The Library Association, and shall by that name have a perpetual succession and a common seal with a capacity to sue and be sued by their corporate name, and for the purposes of the said Corporation to take, purchase, and hold any personal property, and also notwithstanding the Statutes of Mortmain any real property, provided that the yearly value of such real property shall not at any one time exceed in the whole one thousand pounds, the yearly value of every portion of such real property being for that purpose taken to be the yearly value thereof at the time when it is acquired by the Corporation, with power to sell, grant, demise, mortgage, exchange, and otherwise deal with such real or personal property, or any part thereof, on such terms and in such manner as they may think fit.

The Supplemental Royal Charter, 1986

Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas Her Majesty Queen Victoria in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety eight by Royal Charter dated the seventeenth day of February in the sixty-first year of Her Reign (Hereinafter called 'the Original Charter') constituted a body corporate by the name of 'The Library Association' (hereinafter called 'the Association') with perpetual succession and a Common Seal:

And whereas by an humble Petition the Association has prayed that we would be graciously pleased to grant to it a Supplemental Charter:

And whereas we have taken the said Petition in to Our Royal Consideration and are minded to accede thereto:

Now therefore know ye that we by virtue of Our Prerogative Royal have of Our especial grace; certain knowledge and mere motion granted and ordained and do by these papers presented for Us, Our Heirs and Successors grant and ordain that notwithstanding anything contained in the Original Charter.

The Original Charter shall be amended as follows:

(i)    In the fourth paragraph of the first Article,

(a)    after the words "The Library Association" there shall be inserted: "(hereinafter referred to as 'the Association')"

(b)    the words from and including "and also notwithstanding" to and including "by the Corporation" shall be deleted and all subsequent references to "the Corporation" throughout the Charter shall be amended to "the Association".