Student-to-staff program
What is it?
Each year 40 library students are chosen to assist ALA staff during ALA Annual Conference. In exchange for working four hours a day (or a total of 20 hours), these students receive free conference registration, housing, and a per diem for meal expenses. During free time, they may attend programs and participate in other conference activities.
Who qualifies, and how?
To qualify for the ALA student-to-staff program, each student must be a current ALA member and a student chapter member, and cannot have previously participated in the program. Moreover, the student must remain an ALA member through the ALA Annual Conference that he or she is nominated to participate in.
Please note: (1) All students nominated/selected must be ALA members and current students and current ALA members through the ALA Annual Conference they are participating in.
Qualifying students are chosen by their schools (e.g., by a random drawing, essay contest, etc.). The chosen student’s name must be submitted to the Chapter Relations Office by the group’s faculty advisor. Only one student will be accepted per chapter.Deadlines
Information about the program is sent to the schools each year in early December, and the deadline for submitting a name is February 1. Because there is only room for 40 students and there are currently over 40 active student chapters, participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Answers to other frequently asked questions
Who at each school is notified about the next Student to Staff program, or, how can each school find out when to start the process for selecting a student for the program?
Faculty advisors, directors, and/or student presidents are notified by e-mail.
As was mentioned above, information about the ALA Student to Staff program is sent to the schools each year in early December, and the deadline for submitting a name is in February. Because only 40 students may participate but there are currently 49 active student chapters, participants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Contact information, which is used to contact eligible schools, is obtained from the student chapters home page.
Because information about the student-to-staff program is sent to the schools each year in early December, student chapter leaders must provide CRO with accurate contact information for both faculty advisors and directors. CRO also need faculty advisors and directors to provide accurate contact information about student chapter presidents.
To correct this contact information, please use this online change of address information form or return the completed paper form (PDF).
The student to staff program is ongoing. The next opportunity to choose a participating student to represent your school is each December-February.
A good way to keep informed about the student to staff program, as well as other information related to student chapters, is to be subscribed to the student chapter e-list. If you're not subscribed to the STUCHAPT e-list, created and maintained by the Chapter Relations Office, and you are eligible to be subscribed, please send me a note asking me to subscribe you. Send the note to dwood@ala.org.
The American Library Association Student to Staff Participants group on Facebook--open only for current participants of the program--promotes communication among the student-to-staff participants. See also ALA Student to Staff fan page, open to anyone. See also the ALA Student Chapters group on Facebook, which facilitates communication and assistance among the student chapters and ALA. See also ALA Student Chapter fan page.
How many hours is each student expected to work?
Students are expected to work 16 hours for four days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday).
What does each student receive in return?
In return, each student receives free registration, $50 per day per diem (4 days x $50 = $200) and housing (each student has a roommate when possible) for 5 nights (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday). The $200 and housing information is sent before conference.
How are students assigned to work and a roommate?
Students will receive a short questionnaire to help us match them with appropriate ALA staff. Based on their assignment, students may be expected to perform a range of duties from clerical, to sales, to use of computers.
Roommates are matched by gender, primarily. If there are 21 females and 19 males, one female and one male will not be sharing their rooms.
Who pays for transportation, including airfare, cabs, shuttles, etc?
Transportation costs are the student’s responsibility.
When is this opportunity available?
This program is available only at the Annual Conference.
Are there other volunteer opportunities?
At this time there is not a student-to-staff program opportunity at Midwinter Meetings.
At Annual Conference, perhaps, but usually none that pay for housing, food, and transportation. These volunteer opportunities are strictly for the experience. Write Don Wood for information.
Help CRO help you
Because information about the student-to-staff program is sent to the schools each year in early December, we need student chapter leaders to provide CRO with accurate contact information for both faculty advisors and directors. We also need faculty advisors and directors to provide accurate contact information for student chapter presidents. Please review current contact information ( Directory of Student Chapters) and provide corrected contact information with a change of address information form provided immediately below.
Change of address
Please contact Don Wood, Chapter Relations Office, to submit addresses and address updates. If you have comments and questions regarding these pages, please contact Don, as well.
University of Hawaii
American Library Association, University of Hawaii Student Chapter, Student to Staff Participants
Related social networking
See also Chapters social networking.
The American Library Association Student to Staff Participants group on Facebook--open only for current participants of the program--promotes communication among the student-to-staff participants. See also ALA Student to Staff fan page, open to anyone. See also the ALA Student Chapters group on Facebook, which facilitates communication and assistance among the student chapters and ALA. See also ALA Student Chapter fan page.
Wiki
The ALA Chapters Wiki promote communication and assistance among ALA and the ALA Chapters.
The ALA student members wiki promotes communication among ALA student members.
Blog
The ALA Student Member Blog is the go-to place for student members of all stripes!
ALA Student Chapters: Frequently Asked Questions
ALA Student Chapters
