ACRL StructureThe ACRL Board of Directors carries out the work of the Plan for Excellence through committees, sections, chapters, editorial boards, award juries, interest groups, and discussion groups. |
The ACRL Board of Directors has general oversight and direction of the affairs of the association.
Chapters Council serves as a conduit for information and communication between National ACRL and its state and regional chapters.
ACRL has more than 30 standing committees created by the Board of Directors, each with specific functions, goals, and interests.
The Communities of Practice Assembly consists of the chairs and vice-chairs of each section and conveners and incoming conveners of each interest group. The function of this assembly is to facilitate the exchange of ideas among the various Communities of Practice.
Designed to respond quickly, discussion groups address hot topics. These short-term groups gather together to discuss the issues and provide members with the always-important informal networks for exchanging ideas and problem-solving.
Editorial Boards for ACRL publications serve in an advisory capacity to publication editors and guide the development of new print and nonprint media publications for ACRL.
Designed to address emerging needs quickly, interest groups address areas of interest in academic librarianship. These short-term groups gather together to discuss the issues and provide members with the always-important informal networks for exchanging ideas and problem-solving.
Information about the current ACRL President, as well as information on past ACRL Presidents.
ACRL Representatives are responsible for representing ACRL within ALA and beyond.
ACRL has fifteen sections to help members individualize their ACRL experience through specialized programming, preconferences, discussion lists, recognition, and focused activities.
Task forces are established by the ACRL Board of Directors for special projects or activities. The life of a task force is limited to a maximum of two years.
ACRL has more than 30 standing committees (also known as division-level committees) created by the Board of Directors, each with specific functions, goals, and interests. The following is a complete list of division-level committees with links to their rosters. To view contact information, please visit a committee's roster page and login with your ALA username and password (you may need to refresh your browser after logging in).
Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Award
ACRL 2025 Coordinating Committee
Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award Committee
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Excellence in Academic Libraries Awards Committee
Government Relations Committee
Leadership Recruitment and Nomination Committee
New Roles and Changing Landscapes Committee
Professional Development Committee
Publications Coordinating Committee
Research Planning and Review Committee
Research and Scholarly Environment Committee
Student Learning and Information Literacy Committee
Value of Academic Libraries Committee
ACRL has fifteen sections to help members individualize their ACRL experience through specialized programming, preconferences, discussion lists, recognition, and focused activities. To view contact information, please visit the ACRL Sections Page and login with your ALA username and password (you may need to refresh your browser after logging in).
Anthropology and Sociology Section (ANSS) Roster | Website
Supports the study of those aspects of library service that require knowledge in the areas of human and societal studies such as anthropology, sociology, criminal justice or criminology and other related fields.
Arts Section (Arts) Roster | Website
Provides an umbrella organization for the promotion of library service in the field of visual and performing arts through discussion of current issues, the exchange of information, and the carrying out of suitable projects.
College Libraries Section (CLS) Roster | Website
Advances college librarianship and encourages the development of library services in baccalaureate-degree-granting institutions.
Community and Junior College Libraries Section (CJCLS) Roster | Website
Serves to share common areas of interest to enhance library services and librarianship in libraries and learning resource centers in two-year institutions and to support the educational programs of these institutions.
Digital Scholarship Section (DSS) Roster | Website (Coming soon)
The Digital Scholarship Section (DSS) provides a forum for ACRL members engaged in exploring, adapting, and implementing emerging digital scholarship services. This includes the topics of digital curation in support of the lifecycle management of research; digital humanities to cultivate a community of practice involved in digital humanities research and development; and connecting researchers with numeric and geospatial data that is compiled by others. This section will sponsor discussions or programs that share the ways in which libraries are working toward these topics using scalable, efficient, and sustainable methods. This section will inform and educate librarians on digital scholarship trends and new technologies and collaborate with other organizations within the library profession and academe on issues concerning digital scholarship.
Distance and Online Learning Section (DOLS) Roster | Website
Supports and promotes library services to off campus and distance education students; provides a vehicle for the professional development and exchange of ideas among librarians working with off campus and distance education students.
Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (EBSS) Roster | Website
Serves the common interests of education and behavioral sciences librarians, including communications studies, psychology, and social work librarians. Members explore a host of issues in the areas of information literacy, effective use of technology in the classroom, collection development, scholarly communication, research, and other concerns pertaining to education and behavioral sciences librarianship.
European Studies Section (ESS) Roster | Website
Represents librarians and specialists in European affairs from ancient times to the present, and promotes the improvement of library services supporting study and research.
Instruction Section (IS) Roster | Website
Enhances the ability of academic and research librarians to advance learning, teaching, and research with respect to information literacy in higher education.
Literatures in English Section (LES) Roster | Website
Represents members of ACRL who specialize or are otherwise professionally involved in the selection, acquisition, organization, and use of information resources related to literatures in English.
Politics, Policy and International Relations Section (PPIRS) Roster | Website
Serves as an educational forum and information exchange for librarians with an interest or subject expertise in politics, policy and international relations.
Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) Roster | Website
Exercises leadership in the local, national, and international special collections communities to represent and promote concerns related to rare books, manuscripts, and other special collections.
Science and Technology Section (STS) Roster | Website
The Science and Technology Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries provides a forum through which librarians in scientific and technical subject fields can achieve and maintain awareness of the impact and range of information with which they work; and promotes improved accessibility to and active use of this information.
University Libraries Section (ULS) Roster | Website
Advances university librarianship, university library service, and the development of university libraries in institutions with graduate programs.
Women and Gender Studies Section (WGSS) Roster | Website
The Women & Gender Studies Section (WGSS) of the Association of College & Research Libraries was formed to discuss, promote, and support women's studies collections and services in academic and research libraries.
The following is a complete list of ACRL interest groups with their charges. To view contact information, please visit the ACRL Interest Groups Page and login with your ALA username and password (you may need to refresh your browser after logging in).
Academic Library Services to Graduate Students Interest Group
A forum to discuss issues related to library service for graduate students, including instruction, outreach, reference, collections, and programming.
Academic Library Services to International Students Interest Group
A forum for academic librarians to discuss issues related to all types of library service to international patrons.
Access Services Interest Group
Provides a broad framework for discussing topics and exploring areas of development in the field of Access Services.
African-American Studies Librarians Interest Group
Provides the resources—ideas, programs, discussion forums and networking opportunities—to support the development of African American Studies librarianship and resources in academic and research libraries.
Contemplative Pedagogy Interest Group
Explores the concept of contemplative pedagogy in librarianship through demonstrating modes of integrating contemplative practices into library instruction and research life.
Digital Badges Interest Group
A forum for discussion and the exchange of ideas related to digital badges, particularly as they relate to libraries (of all types) and information literacy.
Evidence Synthesis Methods Interest Group
To promote and develop competencies around evidence synthesis including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, scoping reviews, and other related methods of research synthesis, through activities such as: Facilitating discussion and peer-support; Creating and managing a resource page; Encouraging programming and publications around systematic reviews through ACRL.
Health Sciences Interest Group
An opportunity for academic librarians with health sciences responsibilities to have a place in ACRL to network, share information, ask questions, and work on special projects relevant to the academic health sciences.
History Librarians Interest Group
A forum to discuss issues common to subject librarians in academic or research libraries, who are working with collections and researchers in the discipline of history.
Image Resources Interest Group
A forum for ongoing discussion of the unique issues presented by the development and support of interdisciplinary image resources in academic libraries.
Residency Interest Group
To support resident librarians, former resident librarians, and any interested parties to network, share their expertise, and promote resident librarian groups.
Technical Services Interest Group
Provides a broad framework for information exchange on current developments and activities related to technical services
Universal Accessibility Interest Group
Offers librarians, support staff, students, and other advocates networking and collaboration opportunities, information sharing and programming to promote accessibility in academic libraries, including web accessibility, assistive technology, reference and instruction for users with disabilities and captioning processes.
Virtual Worlds Interest Group
An opportunity for academic librarians with virtual world interests and responsibilities to have a place in ACRL to network, share information, ask questions, and work on special projects and programs relevant to academic libraries.
Designed to respond quickly, discussion groups address hot topics. These flexible groups gather together to discuss the issues and provide members with the always-important informal networks for exchanging ideas and problem-solving. The following is a complete list of ACRL discussion groups and their charges. To view contact information, please visit the ACRL Discussion Groups Page and login with your ALA username and password (you may need to refresh your browser after logging in).
Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies
The group represents librarians and specialists in the field of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern area studies and advises ACRL, in cooperation with other professional groups, in those areas of library service that require knowledge of Asian, African and Middle eastern languages and cultures.
Assessment
A forum for assessment librarians – and those with responsibility for, and interest in, library assessment – to discuss methods, training, results, impact, institutional needs and challenges, and seek solutions to common problems faced by the library assessment community.
Balancing Baby and Book
A discussion forum for academic librarians on the challenges and opportunities present in being or preparing to become a parent while continuing to work and/or maintain a career track.
Copyright
A forum to discuss copyright issues that confront those working in academic and research libraries.
First Year Experience
A platform for discussion and idea exchanges related to the library's role in the new student's first year experience in higher education.
Heads of Public Services
A forum and opportunity for academic librarians to openly discuss and explore common issues, ideas, problems, and opportunities associated with the administration, management and delivery of public services in academic libraries.
Hip Hop Librarian Consortium
A discussion forum for academic librarians to discuss hip hop information literacy and how it aligns with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.
Human Resources and Organizational Development
This group of administrators, who are direct reports to the library director, will meet to discuss topics of interest related to their role within their library and their institution.
Language and Linguistics
To provide a forum for discussion of current trends, practices, and challenges related to working with non-English language services, vernacular resources, and linguistics materials in academic libraries.
Leadership
A forum for conversation, communication and collaboration about leadership and management issues important to academic librarians.
Librarians From Very Small Academic Institutions
To provide a forum for the discussion of issues as they relate to very small libraries, including dealing with small staff, scaling library trends and initiatives to tiny institutions, budget limitations, and other professional topics.
Librarianship in For-Profit Educational Institutions
A forum for librarians in for-profit educational institutions to network, share knowledge, and collaborate on tasks, direction, and issues specific to their roles within the for-profit education industry.
Library Marketing and Outreach Discussion Group
A forum for discussion regarding effective digital and print methods to disseminate information about the value of their respective academic and research libraries in the United States and around the globe, and the services and events they offer.
Research Assessment and Metrics Discussion Group
To provide a forum for discussion of trends and developments in the field of research metrics and scholarly impact, and the many ways academic librarians can support their faculty, administrators and students to understand, measure and extend the contributions of their research to their fields and the world beyond academia.
Scholarly Communication
Supports advocacy efforts designed to transform the scholarly communication landscape.
ACRL has 42 chapters. ACRL Bylaws make it clear that chapters are separate organizations interested in academic and research libraries that request affiliation with ACRL. In other words, ACRL recognizes as a chapter of the association an organization that meets certain criteria. ACRL affiliates with the chapter; it does not, however, establish the chapter as an organization, it does not control it, and it is not responsible for its actions.
Under the revised ACRL Bylaws, a chapter will be a local, state or regional group that has requested affiliation with ACRL and has been recognized as a chapter of ACRL by the ACRL Board. An organization thus becomes a chapter by affiliating with ACRL, rather than by being established by the national association. A chapter’s affiliation may be dissolved at its request by the Board and its affiliation will be dissolved if the chapter becomes inactive or fails to comply with bylaws provisions regarding chapters. (ACRL Board, June 1998)
A chapter allows its members to participate in the ACRL program locally and provides a framework within which librarians can meet for social purposes and to consider professional problems of local importance. Chapters organize programs, recruit ACRL members, and provide a bridge to participation in the national organization.
Chapters Council
Chapters Council (roster) consists of the President and Vice-President of each ACRL chapter (each of whom must be a member of ACRL national), or a delegate who is a member of the executive board of the chapter. Council members must be members of ACRL and knowledgeable about both chapter and ACRL activities.
The Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and Secretary serve as the Chapters Council Executive Committee. The Executive Committee plans the agenda of the Midwinter and Annual Meetings of the Chapters Council and submits Chapters Council recommendations to the ACRL Board of Directors. Officers are elected by the Chapters Council from among the Chapters Council delegates.
Purpose of Chapters Council:
The first chapter was established in Philadelphia in 1951. "The chapter is a handy framework within which librarians can meet for social purposes and consider professional problems of local importance. In some cases, chapters undertake studies or perform cooperative services" (from the 1956 ACRL Organizational Manual).
A list of chapters and when they were established:
|
Chapter |
Date Established |
|
Chapter |
Date Established |
|
Alabama |
June 1986 |
|
Nebraska |
January 1980 |
|
Arizona |
January 1982 |
|
Nevada |
January 1985 |
|
Arkansas |
January 1989 |
|
New England |
November 1972 |
|
California |
December 1979 |
|
New Jersey |
June 1979 |
|
Colorado |
June 1983 |
|
New Mexico |
September 1986 |
|
Delaware Valley (formerly the Phil. Area Chapter) |
June 1969 |
|
New York, Eastern |
July 1975 |
|
Florida |
June 1978 |
|
New York, Greater Metro. Area |
June 1980 |
|
Georgia |
June 1980 |
|
|
|
|
Idaho |
June 2015 |
|
North Carolina |
June 1978 |
|
Illinois |
January 1973 |
|
North Dakota/ Manitoba, Canada |
January 1984 |
|
Indiana |
June 1980 |
|
Ohio |
January 1981 |
|
Iowa |
January 1976 |
|
Oklahoma |
June 1981 |
|
Kansas |
July 1975 |
|
Oregon |
July 1975 |
|
Kentucky |
January 1986 |
|
Pennsylvania, Western/West Virginia (Note: West Virginia merged with Western Pennsylvania in 2001) |
January 1988 |
|
Louisiana |
June 1982 |
|
South Carolina |
January 1997 |
|
Maryland |
February 1977 |
|
South Dakota |
February 1981 |
|
|
|
|
Tennessee |
January 1976 |
|
Michigan, MI-ALA |
April 2015 |
|
Texas |
June 1977 |
|
Minnesota |
July 1975 |
|
Utah |
January 1990 |
|
Mississippi |
February 1981 |
|
Virginia |
June 1977 |
|
Missouri |
June 1952 |
|
Washington State |
June 1980 |
|
Montana |
January 1985 |
|
Wisconsin |
June 1975 |
