Volunteer
Advance the profession by serving on one of ACRL's many committees, task forces, and editorial boards. Learn more here.
Attend a Committee Meeting
ACRL committee meetings are open to all ACRL members. Each division-level committee includes under the Resources section a link to its ALA Connect Community, where face-to-face and virtual meeting notices should be posted 10 days in advance of each meeting. If a committee is meeting at the upcoming virtual 2021 ALA Annual Conference, the meeting information will be included on the online scheduler.
Join a Section
ACRL has fifteen sections to help members individualize their ACRL experience through specialized programming, preconferences, discussion lists, recognition, and focused activities. Sections can be added free of charge for current ACRL members. To add a section to your ACRL membership, please download the detailed instructions.
Find Your Niche
ACRL's numerous discussion groups (DGs) and interest groups (IGs) serve as in-person and virtual forums for members to explore emerging issues. Many DGs and IGs meet virtually throughout the year or on-site at ALA Annual Conferences, and you can further connect with members and colleagues through ALA Connect.
Nominate a Member of the Week
ACRL’s Member of the Week feature on ACRL Insider highlights the breadth and depth of our membership. Interesting in sharing your story as a Member of the Week? Want to nominate an outstanding colleague? Fill out our nomination form and we'll be in touch!
ACRL Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Groups
In the 2020-2021 division-level report, committees were asked to self-report EDI activities and accomplishments that took place during the past program year (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021). Those responses have been compiled and are included here.
Choice Editorial Board
Choice’s “Toward Inclusive Excellence™” (TIE) program regularly reports to ACRL and ALA publicity channels regarding its blogposts, webinars, and podcasts.
C&RL Editorial Board
C&RL has made a concerted effort to publish studies that are representative of all cultures and perspectives: this emphasis is evident in both the published research papers and in the broadening of the books included for review and the reviewers. This commitment is also being modeled in the processes with the adoption of a name change policy.
Government Relations Committee
The ACRL Government Relations Committee proposes legislative advocacy which address economic issues in higher education and academic libraries which affect accessibility to, and affordability of, post-secondary education for students from underserved communities.
Publications Coordinating Committee
Alignments with ACRL Research & Scholarly Environment Committee; continuing work on Open Peer Review (theme of PCC’s ALA 2020 Conference program)
RBM Editorial Board
The RBM editorial board encourages volunteers for service as reviews editor and on the board itself, particularly members from institutions outside the mainstream, particularly those serving culturally distinct Hispanic, black, and tribal populations.
Resources for College Libraries (RCL) Editorial Board
The Resources for College Libraries (RCL) editorial board has undertaken a three-year project to assess, analyze, and grow the diversity of the peer reviewer pool, measured by voluntary demographic information. A benchmark survey was conducted in fall 2020, followed with additional surveys, recruiting strategies, and outreach initiatives in years 2021-2023.
Student Learning and Information Literacy Committee
The scope and shape of EDI activities will be determined by next year’s leadership.
Value of Academic Libraries Committee
The Spotlight series on ACRL Insider. Our new chair, Becky Croxton (racroxto@uncc.edu) is a good point of contact. Beate Gersch (beate_gersch@harvard.edu) was our subcommittee lead for this project.
Present
ACRL membership groups are invited to hold ACRL Online Discussion Forums, which are free events offered by ACRL membership units on a wide variety of topics. If your ACRL group would like to host a Discussion Forum and use ACRL's Zoom room, please submit your request through the virtual meetings calendar form.
Write
Share your expertise and experience with your colleagues by writing an article, book, or blog post through ACRL's publication program. Opportunities are also available to translate ACRL's various standards, guidelines, and frameworks into other languages.
Mentor (or Be Mentored)
Having effective mentors is important for your professional and personal growth. Many mentoring and coaching programs are available through ACRL's sections, as well as the Dr. E. J. Josey Spectrum Scholar Mentor Program, to help you get the most from this important relationship. Learn more here.
The ACRL College Libraries Section’s College Library Information on Policy and Practice (CLIPP) Committee invites you to submit a preliminary proposal for its CLIPP publication series. The CLIPP series allows library staff to share information on practices and procedures they have implemented to address common issues or concerns. Each CLIPP follows a set structure of three parts—literature review, survey results, and sample documents—and should both describe library best practices and provide useful, specific examples that libraries can refer to when developing similar policies and procedures of their own. Recent books published in the series include Academic Library Job Descriptions: CLIPP #46 and Open Educational Resources: CLIPP 45.
While we welcome proposals on any topic relevant for small and mid-sized academic libraries, we are specifically looking for proposals on the following topics:
CLIPP proposals are accepted throughout the year. You can find author instructions and more information about the CLIPP program on the ACRL website.
For questions or to submit a proposal, please contact ACRL Content Strategist Erin Nevius at enevius@ala.org.
The ACRL Diversity Alliance unites academic libraries committed to increasing the hiring pipeline of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. By working together and thinking more broadly, ACRL Diversity Alliance institutions will help diversify and thereby enrich the profession. Contact ACRL Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives Allison Payne at apayne@ala.org if you'd like to join or learn more.
The ACRL Residency Interest Group supports resident librarians, former resident librarians, and any interested parties to network, share their expertise, and promote resident librarian groups. To learn more, view their website and mailing list.
ACRL Awards Program
ACRL's awards recognize and honor the professional contributions and achievements of your peers. This special recognition by the Association of College and Research Libraries enhances the sense of personal growth and accomplishment of our members, provides our membership with role models, and strengthens the image of our membership in the eyes of employers, leadership, and the academic community as a whole. Made possible by generous corporate support, the annual presentation of our prestigious awards and grants to these deserving individuals and institutions enables ACRL to honor the very best in academic librarianship.
ACRL's Awards program will be on hold for the 2021-2022 and 2021-2022 award seasons, during which time nominations will not be accepted or juried and no recipients will be chosen for any ACRL awards.
