Division committees support and direct activities of ALCTS in support of our mission and organizational goals. The committees are operational, in general, and report directly to the Board of Directors.

Division Groups

Division groups (all listed at the left) support and direct activities that support ALCTS mission and organizational goals.

Committees: Budget & Finance, Education, Fundraising, Membership, Nominating, Organization & Bylaws, Planning, International Relations, Leadership Development, LRTS Editorial Board, MARBI, Programs, Publications (Most of these groups and report directly to the Board of Directors.)
Discussion & Interest Groups
Award Juries
Task Forces

And some ALCTS members, as liaisons and representatives, are part of other professional groups on ALCTS behalf.

Volunteering, Appointments, and Duties

The basics for getting started with ALCTSinclude:

Fill out a volunteer form and submit it.

More importantly, fill out the form completely. You would be surprised to learn how many forms we get with only the person’s name, contact information and one committee preference. There is space for you to tell us about yourself. Use it! You have to remember that the appointing officers may not know you.

Go to the Volunteer Forum

This event is held on the Saturday of each ALA Midwinter Meeting. Great chance to meet and greet the appointing officers and hear information firsthand.

Email or write the appointing officers

Let them know you are interested. Certainly do not overdo it, but it helps for them to know that you are interested. It also helps to discuss with them what openings they might have.

Do not turn down an appointment

If you're offered a spot on a committee you did not list, take it. There are openings on every committee. There are committees for which there are few volunteers. The appointing officer may be asking you to accept one of those positions.

Try very hard not to be disappointed

It's possible that you might not get your preferred committee the first time around. Remember why appointment to certain committees is difficult. Be flexible.

Think seriously about interning.

Accepting an intern position is a great opportunity if you are new to ALCTS, have not had an appointment in many years, want to jump to a new section, or want to move to a Division committee. Great way to get appointed as a regular committee member next cycle.

Attend a committee meeting as a guest and introduce yourself to the chair.

After introducing yourself, mention your meeting in your volunteer form. This works—it happened more than once this year.

For a full rundown on getting involved, see Your ALCTS Experience: How do I get started?(.pdf)