Make a Difference—Connect, Contribute, Collaborate

Volunteer for Division and Section Committees and Editorial Boards

What would ACRL do without, You? Really! We are excited to extend this opportunity for you to expand your professional network, help shape ACRL by advancing its strategic plan, commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and influence the direction of academic and research librarianship. Serving on a committee or an editorial board is a fantastic way to become involved and make an impact on the profession.

Are you ready to be considered for an opportunity to advance learning and transform scholarship through a committee appointment? I invite you to volunteer (https://www.ala.org/acrl/membership/volunteer/volunteer) to serve on a 2025–26 division or section committee. Face-to-face attendance at conferences is not required and committee work can be completed virtually throughout the year. I have found my own participation as a volunteer with ACRL to be personally and professionally rewarding and look forward to hearing from you!

ACRL seeks to offer appointments to volunteers who are interested in leadership and service opportunities as we continue to build diverse and inclusive communities in the Association. To support that effort and advance ACRL’s Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, (https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/strategicplan/stratplan), we continue to include optional demographic questions on the volunteer form as we have since 2017. “The Association will acknowledge and address historical racial inequities; challenge oppressive systems within academic libraries; value different ways of knowing; and identify and work to eliminate barriers to equitable services, spaces, resources, and scholarship.”

Thank you for volunteering to contribute your time and expertise to ACRL! Our association relies on the time and energy of our member volunteers, and we value the talent they invest in accomplishing the work of the Association.

Thank you,

Brad Warren

ACRL Vice-President/President-Elect

The Rewards of Volunteering

Volunteering offers many benefits and opportunities. You can

• connect with others in the profession who are passionate and committed to academic librarianship,
• learn from those who share similar professional concerns and interests,
• network with information professionals in higher education,
• become part of a community of academic and research librarians,
• gain insights into the profession,
• enhance your leadership abilities through consensus building and project management,
• discover new ways to work,
• expand your awareness and understanding of the value of academic libraries in higher education,
• influence and advance the work of the association and the profession, and
• promote excellence within the profession.

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 they serve 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 their charged activities and responsibilities.

Current committee members whose terms conclude at the 2025 ALA Annual Conference should submit a new volunteer form if they wish to be considered for re-appointment. The online volunteer form closes February 28, 2025, and most committee appointment offers will be sent by May 2025.

Members of all ACRL committees, task forces, and similar bodies are expected to fully participate in the work of the group. Please note that face-to-face attendance at conferences is not required and committee work can be completed virtually throughout the year.

Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

ACRL has made a Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, available at https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/strategicplan/stratplan. Appointments should seek to offer leadership and service opportunities to members with this commitment in mind. Underrepresented colleagues should be offered opportunities wherever possible to help ACRL acknowledge and address historical racial inequities; challenge oppressive systems within academic libraries; value different ways of knowing; and identify and work to eliminate barriers to equitable services, spaces, resources, and scholarship.

Factors Influencing Appointments

These guidelines, developed by a Board Working Group, are intended to help ACRL members understand which priorities are considered in appointing members to volunteer positions at the division level. These guidelines are not intended to serve as a strict rubric. Generally, the vice-president, Appointments Committee, and section vice-chairs should approach appointments with a holistic perspective, seeking overall balance in service to the association’s goals and priorities.

• Evidence of prospective committee member’s interest and expertise.
• Seek geographic diversity on committees and sections. This can include international representation, and/or it can include representation from different regions of the United States.
• Seek diversity in types of institutions represented on committees and sections. Candidates from public, private, and non-educational (research) institutions, consortia, and other institutions should be included, as well as candidates from community colleges, four-year college and universities, and research and doctoral universities. Historically, community college representation is particularly needed to ensure equitable representation for colleagues employed in community colleges.
• Consider diversity in roles and duties represented on committees and sections. Candidates from all areas of academic and research librarianship should be considered for appointment, although in some cases it may be important to appoint candidates with particular expertise to carry out particular duties.
• Seek to balance seniority, experience, and tenure in committees and sections.
• Recommendation from the current committee chair. (Source: Board, Midwinter 2009)

Although the appointment process may reflect the priorities of the vice-president/president-elect and section vice-chairs, several factors are always considered:

• Evidence of interest and expertise. Have prospective volunteers visited and/or posted to the committee’s ALA Connect community, introduced themselves to the chair, or attended the meetings (virtual or face-to-face)? Do they have knowledge and/or previous experience that relates to the work of the committee? Have they indicated their interest on the volunteer form?
• Demographics and composition of committee. A balance is sought with respect to type of library (community college, college, or university), geographic representation, ethnic diversity, and gender. Those who have not had the opportunity to serve on an ACRL committee are encouraged to volunteer as it is important to add new perspectives.
• Recommendations from the current committee chair. Current committee chairs are asked to suggest prospective members.
• Willingness to participate in the work of the committee. Volunteers should be prepared to engage in the committee work year-round.

The final appointments are the prerogative of the ACRL president-elect and the section vice-chairs.

How to Apply

1. Identify the committee(s) that interest you.

ACRL committees with their charges, and ALA Connect Communities are listed on the ACRL Directory of Leadership at https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership. Check out the committee’s space in ALA Connect, where documents, meetings, discourses, and the work of the committees are posted. Attend virtual committee meetings throughout the year or attend face-to-face meetings at the ALA Annual Conference to decide if their activities interest you. Talk/email with committee members. Express your interest to the committee chair. Ask about current projects and explain how you might contribute to the work of the committee.

2. Submit a volunteer form (Chrome or Firefox are the recommended browsers for accessing the form).

The volunteer forms must be submitted by February 28, 2025. You will be asked to log in using your ALA member ID and the password you created. Please be sure that you are a current ALA/ACRL member before attempting to log in.

To volunteer for a division-level or section committee, complete the online volunteer form at https://www.ala.org/CFApps/volunteer/form.cfm.

If you experience issues logging into the form, please contact ALA Member Relations and Services at 1-800-545-2433 to check your membership status. If your ALA/ACRL membership is current and you still have an issue accessing the form, clear your cache and refresh your browser.

3. Volunteer again and check out other opportunities.

Know that we value you as a member. If you are not appointed, we hope that you will consider reapplying during the next appointment cycle. In addition, continue to explore ACRL’s many opportunities to network and connect at https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/getinvolved. Review the many discussion and interest groups. Each group selects a new leader in the spring outside of the volunteer process described above. If you would like to start a new discussion or interest group, contact ACRL Professional Development Support Megan Griffin at mgriffin@ala.org.

ACRL Division-Level Committee Appointments

ACRL committees and their charges can be found on the ACRL Directory of Leadership at https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership.

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 ACRL division-level appointments may be directed to the chair of the Appointments Committee, Jenna Pitera, Instruction Librarian, Union College, piteraj@union.edu.

If you have any questions about using the volunteer form, please contact ACRL Program Officer Elois Sharpe for division-level committees at esharpe@ala.org or (312) 280-5277, or ACRL Professional Development Support Megan Griffin for section committees at mgriffin@ala.org.

ACRL Section Appointments

ACRL sections help members customize their ACRL experience through newsletters, electronic discussion lists, specialized programming, preconferences, and various initiatives. Please visit https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections to learn more about these great groups. Section vice-chairs appoint members to section committees. Most appointments are made in the spring for terms beginning immediately after the ALA Annual Conference.

If you wish to be considered for a section committee appointment, complete the ACRL volunteer form at https://www.ala.org/CFApps/volunteer/form.cfm by February 28, 2025. (Chrome or Firefox are the recommended browsers for accessing the form.) For more information about section appointments, please contact section vice-chairs:

Anthropology and Sociology Section (ANSS): Domenico P. Bonanni, Arizona State University Library, mimmo@asu.edu.

Arts Section (Arts): Ann Holderfield, Clemson University, kaholde@clemson.edu.

College Libraries Section (CLS): Michael Waldman, Baruch College Newman Library, michael.waldman@baruch.cuny.edu.

Community and Junior College Libraries Section (CJCLS): Nelson Santana, Bronx Community College (CUNY), nelson.santana02@bcc.cuny.edu.

Digital Scholarship Section (DSS): Taylor Davis-Van Atta, University of Houston Libraries, tgdavisv@central.uh.edu.

Distance and Online Learning Section (DOLS): Brittni Ballard, Towson University, brnballard@gmail.com.

Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (EBSS): Robin L. Ewing, St. Cloud State University, rlewing@stcloudstate.edu.

European Studies Section (ESS): Walter Schlect, Washington University in St. Louis, wschlect@wustl.edu.

Instruction Section (IS): Benjamin M. Oberdick, Michigan State University, ob1@msu.edu.

Literatures in English Section (LES): Alexis L. Pavenick, California State University, Long Beach, alexis.pavenick@csulb.edu.

Politics, Policy and International Relations Section (PPIRS): Nadine R. Hoffman, University of Calgary, nadine.hoffman@ucalgary.ca.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS): Anna Chen, UNC-Chapel Hill, hac320@gmail.com.

Science and Technology Section (STS): Rebecca Hill Renirie, Central Michigan University Libraries, hill2ra@cmich.edu.

University Libraries Section (ULS): Rosan Mitola, UNLV Libraries, rosan.mitola@unlv.edu.

Women and Gender Studies Section: Natalie Dickinson Kulick, Northampton Community College, nkulick@northampton.edu.

Editorial Boards

ACRL has eleven editorial/advisory boards for its publications; ACRL/Core Interdivisional Academic Library Facilities Survey Editorial Board; Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey Editorial Board; Choice Editorial Board; College & Research Libraries Editorial Board; College & Research Libraries News Editorial Board; New Publications Advisory Board; Project Outcome for Academic Libraries Editorial Board; Publications in Librarianship Editorial Board; RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage Editorial Board; Resources for College Libraries Editorial Board and Threshold Achievement Test for Information Literacy (TATIL) Editorial Board.

Appointments to editorial boards are made in late March 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 recommendations and the ACRL vice-president/president-elect makes the appointments.

If you would like to be considered for appointment to an editorial board (https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/editorialboards/ebs), contact the editor of the editorial board early in the fall and indicate your interest on the ACRL online volunteer form.

Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey Editorial Board chair: Jeannette E. Pierce, University of Missouri Libraries; phone: (573) 882-6450; email: piercejea@missouri.edu.

ACRL/Core Interdivisional Academic Library Facilities Survey Editorial Board ACRL co-chair: Delores Carlito, University of Alabama at Birmingham; phone: (205) 934-6364; email: dcarlito@uab.edu.

CHOICE Editorial Board editor and publisher: Rachel Hendrick, Choice; phone: (860) 347-6933 x29; email: rhendrick@ala.org.

College & Research Libraries Editorial Board editor: Dr. Michelle Demeter, New York University; phone: (212) 998-2480; email: med15@nyu.edu.

College & Research Libraries News Editorial Board editor: David Free, ACRL; phone: (312) 280-2517; email: dfree@ala.org.

New Publications Advisory Board chair: Heidi Steiner Burkhardt, University of Michigan Library; phone: (734) 615-6130; email: heidisb@umich.edu.

Project Outcome for Academic Libraries Editorial Board chair: Kate Langan, PhD, Western Michigan University; phone: (269) 387-5823; email: kathleen.langan@wmich.edu.

Publications in Librarianship chair: Samantha H. Peter, University of Wyoming; phone: (307) 766-5566; email: scook13@uwyo.edu.

RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage editor: Diane H. Dias De Fazio, John Carroll University; email: diane.diasdefazio@gmail.com.

Resources for College Libraries chair: Stephen Patton, Indiana State University; phone: (812) 237-3180; email: stephen.patton@indstate.edu.

Threshold Achievement Test for Information Literacy (TATIL) Editorial Board chair: Joseph W. Aubele, California State University, Long Beach; email: jaubele@csulb.edu.