(via Gwen Gregory, IACRL Past President)
Are you interested in serving on an ACRL committee? The ACRL committee volunteer form for section and division-level appointments is now open!
Please visit http://www.ala.org/acrl/membership/volunteer/volunteer for a link to the form.
The deadline to volunteer is February 15, 2017, for appointments that begin July 1, 2017.
Make a difference: Connect, contribute, collaborate
Volunteer for division, section, or representative appointment!
Are you looking for ways to expand your professional network and contribute to ACRL? Committee volunteers help shape ACRL by advancing its strategic plan and influencing the direction of academic and research librarianship. Serving on a committee or editorial board is a great way to become involved and make an impact on the profession. If you’d like to become more engaged, I encourage you to volunteer to serve on a 2017-18 division or section committee.
This invitation for volunteers for ACRL’s committees and sections is issued with enthusiasm and acknowledgement of the diversity of the skills and experiences of our members. The work that ACRL is engaged in is vital to the audiences we support and the librarians and libraries that make up our organization. You are invited to share your expertise and experiences with ACRL. Join us and be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves. Volunteer to work with ACRL and share in making a difference by supporting lifelong learners and informed members of our society.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Middleton
ACRL Vice-President/President-Elect
The appointment process
Appointments are made at the division and section level, and through the editorial board process (see editorial board section below). Section vice-chairs are responsible for committee appointments for the year they will serve as chair. The ACRL vice-president is responsible for committee appointments at the division level for the year he or she serves as president. The ACRL Appointments Committee assists the vice-president in an advisory capacity. Division-level committees are created to conduct the work of the Board, and each committee crafts an annual work plan in consultation with their Board and Staff liaisons to accomplish the charged activities and responsibilities.
Current committee members whose terms conclude at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference should submit a new volunteer form if they wish to be considered for re-appointment. The online volunteer form closes February 15 and most committee appointment offers will be sent in April and May 2017.
Onsite attendance at the ALA Midwinter Meeting and the ALA Annual Conference is not a requirement of committee service. However, members of all ACRL committees, task forces, and similar bodies are expected to fully participate in the work of the group whether it be working virtually or face-to-face.
How to apply
Visit http://www.ala.org/acrl/membership/volunteer/volunteer. You will be asked to login using your ALA member ID and the password you created. The form should be completed by February 15, 2017. Be sure that you are a current ALA/ACRL member before attempting to login.
If you have any questions about using the volunteer form, please contact ACRL Program Officer Allison Payne for division committees at apayne@ala.org or (312) 280-2519 or ACRL Program Officer Megan Griffin for section committees at mgriffin@ala.org or (312) 280-2514.
ACRL division-level committee appointments
ACRL committees (and their charges) can be found on the ACRL website (http://www.acrl.org, select “Directory of Leadership” from the menu bar).
Appointments to ACRL standing committees are made in the spring for terms beginning immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. The Appointments Committee sends appointment recommendations to the ACRL president-elect. The president-elect makes the final appointments for the committees.
Questions about division-level appointments may be directed to the chair of the Appointments Committee, Erin L. Ellis Assistant Dean, Research and Learning Division, University of Kansas, eellis@ku.edu.
ACRL section appointments
ACRL sections help members customize their ACRL experience through newsletters, electronic discussion lists, specialized programming, preconferences, recognition, and focused activities.
Section vice-chairs appoint members to section committees. Most appointments are made in the spring for terms beginning immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. For more information about section appointments, please contact section vice-chairs. Contact information is available by logging in at http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections.
Editorial boards
ACRL has eight editorial/advisory boards for its publications: Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey Editorial Board; Choice Editorial Board; College & Research LibrariesEditorial Board; College & Research Libraries News Editorial Board; New Publications Advisory Board; Publications in Librarianship Editorial Board; RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage Editorial Board; and Resources for College LibrariesEditorial Board.
Appointments to editorial boards are made after the Midwinter Meeting for terms that begin immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. The editors recommend the names of individuals to fill vacancies. The Publications Coordinating Committee approves the recommendation and the ACRL vice-president/president-elect makes the appointment.
If you would like to be considered for appointment to an editorial board, contact the editor of the editorial board early in the fall or indicate your interest on the ACRL online volunteer form.
Representatives Assembly
The ACRL Representative Assembly consists of the current ACRL representatives to other ALA units. Appointments are made at the discretion of the ACRL President-Elect. Questions about representative appointments may be directed to ACRL President-Elect Cheryl Middleton at Cheryl.Middleton@oregonstate.edu.