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Instructions for Submitting Your Biographical Information

Candidates for election to ACRL offices are asked to submit their biographical information and statements of concern via the online ALA ballot submission form. Once your letter of consent has been submitted to ACRL, you will receive the Web address for the ALA ballot submission form. NOTE: Candidates must have submitted their letter of consent to use the online form.

The information that you enter on this online biographical form can be added to, edited, and/or deleted until the deadline of October 24, 2008.

Please note: Your biographical information will appear exactly as you enter it into the online form. No editing for grammar or punctuation will be done by the ACRL or ALA staff. Please be sure to spell check your entries.

Step 1

Go to Create Login Page and enter your email address and a password to create your login. Save this information. (If you use your email address as the login you can have your password emailed to you.)

Return to ALA Election Submission Form main page, bookmark the page, and log in. The first time you log in, you will go through a series of 3 forms:

1. "Select a Unit": The drop down box lists all ALA units that have ballots. If you are running for the ACRL Board of Directors, select ACRL. If you are running for office in an ACRL section, select the section acronym listed below ACRL.
2. Select the office you are running for. If you are unsure, select whichever option seems to fit best and contact Megan Griffin, mgriffin@ala.org, if you have any questions. (This can be changed/corrected later.)
3. "Basic Biographical Information": Generic name and address information.

After filling out the 3rd screen and hitting submit, you will see a page with some brief instructions and a link. Follow the link to access the main page for entering your ballot information.

If you log in again, you will always return to this page (ALA Election Biographical Information). Next to each section on this main page it instructs you to "Create." Each time you enter information to a section and return to this main page, you will notice that you can "Edit" that section. You can easily see which sections you still need to complete.

Step 2

Basic Biographical Information

1. Select the "Basic Biographical Information" heading and enter your current contact information.
2. At the bottom of the page type the position/office that you are running for.
3. Then select the unit or unit’s section for the position/office.

You can bookmark this page to make it easier to return to and skip the login page.

Step 3

Employment

This section is where you will list past employment. (Do not list your current employer because it should already be listed under Basic Biographical Information.) You do not need to list all past employers, only the ones that you think are relevant. Please add the most recent first. Click on "Create Listing" to enter or save the information. If you hit "Reset," it will delete the current employment record that you are entering into the data field boxes.

Example:

Employer: Western State College
Position: Director of Library Services
Start Date End Date
1997        1999

After you enter a record, click on "Create Listing," and you can continue to add listings using the same form.

You can view all the employment records that you enter at the bottom of the page under "Current Listings."

Example:

Delete Edit Director of Library Services, Western State College, 1997-1999

Delete Edit Assistant Director for Collection Management, University of West Virginia, 1995-1997

If you want to change any of these records after you have entered them, click on Edit next to that employment record, or choose Delete to completely remove the record.

Step 4

Degrees and Certifications

This is where you can enter any degrees and/or certifications that you think are relevant. Please add the most recent first. There is only one data field box to list both the degree/certification and subject area that you earned the degree/certification in.

Example:

Institution: Emporia State University
Degree: M.L.I.S.
Date Received: 1994

You can view all the degrees and certifications records that you enter at the bottom of the page under "Current Listings."

If you want to change any of these records after you have entered them, click on Edit next to the degrees and certifications record, or choose Delete to completely remove the record.

Step 5

ALA Activities

Limit: 200 Words

This is the page where you can list the volunteer work that you have done on ALA, division or section committees, subcommittees and discussion groups or as a representative.

Example:

ALA Unit: ACRL Instruction Section
Committee/Group/Event: Membership Committee
Position: Chair
Start Date End Date
1996        1997

You can view all records that you create at the bottom of the page under "Current Listings."

Step 6

Offices Held in State and Regional Library and Other Associations

Limit: 200 words

This is where you can enter the volunteer or professional offices that you have held in state and regional library association and/or related professional organizations. Please list no more than five (5) significant activities.

Example:

Organization: West Virginia Library Association
Committee/Group/Event: Conference Planning Committee
Position: Chair
Start Date End Date
1995         1997

As with the other areas click on "Create Listing" to enter a record and to create a new record. You can view all the volunteer records that you enter at the bottom of the page under "Current Listings." You can edit or delete the records.

Step 7

Publications

You can enter the relevant publications that you edited, co-authored, authored or illustrated. You should also be able to use this for online publications. Please list the most recent publications first.

List no more than three (3) publications.

Example:

Publication: Journal of the West
Title: Carnegie Library Architecture for South Dakota and Montana
Role: Co-editor
Publisher: Sunflower University Press
Published Date: June 2001

Step 8

Honors and Awards

Limit: 100 words

You can list all awards and honors that you think are relevant. Under "Award" list the name of the award or honor, and the name of organization that bestowed it.

Example:

Award: Librarian of the Year, Maryland Library Association
Date Received: June 1998

You can view all records that you create at the bottom of the page under "Current Listings." You can edit or delete the records.

Step 9

Major Accomplishments

This category allows you another section to list outstanding publications, professional contributions, etc. There is a 175-word limit. After you enter the information and click "submit," you are returned to the main page.

Step 10

Statement of Professional Concerns

Use this section to enter your professional statement within the 150-word limit. After you enter the information and click "submit," you are returned to the main page.

Step 11

Links for Further Information

Limit: 100 words

Use this section to refer voters to any of your blogs, Web sites, etc. for additional information.

Step 12

Return to the main page. At the bottom, click on "Review of Print Ballot Information." This should take you to a page titled "Below is the information being submitted for the ALA Ballot." All the information that you have entered and edited should appear on this page.

If you notice any misspelled words or incorrect information, you can return to the individual section to update it.

If all the information is correct, please print out a copy of this page to keep for your files. You can also bookmark this page.

Remember that you can make changes to any of the information you enter on this online biographical form until the deadline of October 24, 2008.