Historical Background
With a history that dates back over 3,000 years, the Armenians have struggled constantly in order to maintain their traditions, their land and their identity. Today, over half of the world's Armenian population lives outside of the Republic of Armenia, and one of the largest and most influential groups is in the United States. Many Armenian books and artifacts brought to this country by immigrants and survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide were being discarded and forever lost with each passing death or relocation. ALMA was founded to stop and prevent further loss of these Armenian publications and artifacts.

It all began in a church parish house in Belmont, Massachusetts in 1971, when a group of Armenian educators, professionals and business leaders began collecting Armenian books and artifacts. The collection grew steadily, and in 1985 ALMA opened its doors to the public for the first time. ALMA rented the ground floor of The First Armenian Church of Belmont, Massachusetts, where it operated for several years, independently from the church.

After outgrowing the rented space, ALMA purchased and renovated its present building in 1988. A former bank designed by renowned architect Ben Thompson, it is a modern, four-story brick and glass building in the heart of Watertown, Massachusetts, the center one of America's largest Armenian communities.