The Partnership was created in 2004 by the Executive Directors of the British Columbia Library Association(BCLA), the Library Association of Alberta (LAA), the Ontario Library Association (OLA) and the Saskatchewan Library Association (SLA) to support the professional development of librarians and information professionals.

In February of 2005, the Nova Scotia Library Association (NSLA) and the Atlantic Provinces Library Association(APLA) also joined. By August of 2005, the Manitoba Library Association (MLA) the Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association (NLLA), Québec Library Association/L’Association des bibliothécaires du Québec (ABQLA) and the Northwest Territories Library Association (NWLA) had also joined. The Nunavut Library Association (NLA) joined in 2007.

The first major initiative of The Partnership is the Education Institute. A a peer reviewed Electronic Research E-journal was launched in the fall of 2006. In the summer of 2007, The Partnership Job Board was launched. In the future, the SLAStore will become a more prominent place for all your professional materials.