The International Reading Association (IRA) is an international professional organization that was created in 1956 to improve reading instruction, facilitate dialogue about research on reading, and encourage the habit of reading.The organization, whose headquarters are in Newark, Delaware, United States, has approximately 70,000 members, and more than 1,250 councils and affiliates, worldwide. Membership fees range from 24 to 39 dollars, plus fees for journal subscriptions.