Tip Sheet #1
How to Participate in ACRL
Information for New Members
Getting the Most from your Membership
The most active members get the greatest value from their membership to ACRL. Active membership fosters new contacts, resources and ideas that help not only you but also your institution. As your participation in ACRL grows, so too will the value of your membership and your value to your institution.
Remember that you joined ACRL because it's the biggest and best source to learn what's happening in academic librarianship today. The opportunities are here, so reach out and grab them!
Attend Conference Programs, ACRL Board Meetings, Committee Meetings, Preconferences, or National Conferences
For information on times, places and general program content, check the ACRL homepage, C&RL News, American Libraries, and official conference programs and schedules. For additional information, contact the ACRL office, and section newsletters.
Serve on ACRL's Committees or Participate in ACRL's Sections or Discussion Groups
Familiarize yourself with the work of the unit: check the ACRL homepage, consult the ALA Handbook of Organization to discover the unit's statement of responsibility, read about the work of the unit as reported in C&RL News, and attend the meetings of the unit during ALA conferences. Submit a completed committee volunteer form (published in the October issue of C&RL News, and available at conferences). Communicate your interest to the ACRL Appointments and Nominations Committee, to any of the ACRL officers, to the chair of an ACRL unit whose work interests you, or to the ACRL office.
Submit Manuscripts or News Items for Publication
For C&RL, see instructions for authors for complete instructions, or contact the ACRL office for more information. For C&RL News, send materials to David Free, editor, at the ACRL office.
Run for an ACRL Office
Write to the ACRL Appointments and Nominations Committee or to an ACRL Section nominating committee. Submit a petition to have your name added to the list of candidates.
Get Informed
Most association information, including current programs, units, policy statements, and publications is accessible through the ACRL homepage. For officer information, consult the ALA Handbook of Organization. Other information can be obtained by reading College & Research Libraries News (C&RL News). Additionally, the brochure: "ACRL: Your Education Connection," and other brochures and catalogs, including the Publications Catalog, are available through the ACRL office. To receive information, assistance or advice on professional problems, contact the ACRL office, any of the ACRL officers, or the chair of an ACRL unit whose work relates to the matter.
ACRL Periodicals
Members receive free subscriptions to C&RL and C&RL News.
For a subscription to C&RL, C&RL News, RBM, or CHOICE, write to: CHOICE/ACRL Subscriptions, P.O. Box 141, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0141. Please allow at least two months or processing.
Network, Network, Network
Subscribe to the ACRL Forum, ACRL's discussion list. To subscribe:
- Go to http://lists.ala.org and click on the "Send me a password" link near the bottom of the page.
- Once the password has arrived, return to http://lists.ala.org and log in. Clicking on "view all lists" will show you all publicly viewable lists, or any non public lists to which you have access.
- Clicking on the list name will allow you to manage your subscription. Full documentation on how to use the interface can be found on the Sympa web site, at http://www.sympa.org/wiki/doc/user_documentation, which links to a variety of documents.
Subscribe to as many of ACRL's 17 section discussions that interest you. Visit the ACRL Web site for section discussion lists subscriber information.