A research paper on ALA hstory does not necessarily have to be a dry general history paper. It can focus on one aspect of the ALA, such as Banned Books Week. Or, it can take an LIS issue like censorship or information literacy and apply that issue to the ALA to see what the most influential player in libraries across America has thought, said and done about it.
A student could research a skill she would like to learn. For example, the student could research online reference practices or rare book and document preservation standards and write an instructional paper teaching the topic back to the reader.
For certain specializations like public or youth librarianship, a community-related research paper on people who don't use the library could be appropriate. The topic could be an age group, an underprivileged group, a chosen demographic of people or a career specialization that statistically does not use the library as much. The paper could describe the chosen group and the 'non-user' population within it, and describe how to reach out to this particular group.
A research paper does not necessarily have to take the form of a typed essay. A research paper could take the form of a library guide. It could be an instructional video featuring actors or strategically placed computer graphics and moving words. It could be a speech or a presentation. Or it could be a website. Putting together research in a nontraditional way can create something that can become a show piece in the student's portfolio that will separate him from the pack as a job seeker.