Pros
I enjoyed most of my coworkers at the ALA. They tended to be intelligent and culturally savvy, and of course literate. Lots of beards and master's degrees.
Cons
Management in the Publishing department on the other hand was something very different. I found it to be a hostile workplace due to certain individuals. One person in particular used a "kiss up/kick down" management style which has apparently worked well, as this person is still there in a senior role. I came to believe that my boss was scared of him and always sided with him as a means of self-preservation. As other reviewers have noted there are bitter rivalries between various senior managers, and their underlings can sometimes end up as collateral damage. I know of about a half dozen people who have left the Publishing division to work in other departments within the ALA. This may be evidence that I was not alone in having a bad experience there. Membership at ALA has been falling for years and is now at a 20 year low. Some librarians feel that they get a better deal with their state and local library associations and others just don't like the ALA's positions on social and political issues. For these reasons I do not have an optimistic outlook for the ALA..