The American Library Association has affiliate relationships—a longtime partnership—with state library associations (Chapters) in all fifty States, the District of Columbia,Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and regional library associations in the Mountain Plains, New England, Pacific Northwest, and Southeastern regions. Chapters promote general library service and librarianship within its geographic area, provide geographic representation to the Council of the American Library Association, and cooperate in the promotion of general and joint enterprises with the American Library Association and other library groups.
| The Chapter Relations Office | Activities Related to the ALA and Chapters Partnership | Chapter Leaders | How to Contact ALA | Social Networking | Chapter Issues and More | Great Ways to Get Involved in ALA | Questions and Comments | ALA Chapter Contacts |
The Chapter Relations Office
The Chapter Relations Office (CRO) promotes a sense of identification between the national Association and the 57 ALA Chapters; facilitates communication between the Chapters and all ALA units; coordinates leadership development for Chapter officers, Chapter Councilors, chief paid staff members, and other Chapter leaders; strengthens membership promotion activities for ALA and the Chapters; coordinates the ALA Student Chapters and the ALA Students to Staff programs; and helps raise awareness of and sensitivity to Chapter needs throughout the ALA.
Let the Chapter Relations Office help you. Its website can guide you to information you need to help you lead your association and work with ALA for the enrichment of both associations!
Michael Dowling, Director
Chapter Relations Office
mdowling@ala.org, 1-800-545-2433, ext. 3200
Activities Related to the ALA and Chapters Partnership
ALA and Chapters Partnership
The ALA and Chapters Partnership explains how the ALA and ALA Chapters partnership works.
Chapter Leaders Forum
Forum held at ALA Midwinter and Annual Conference provides a full agenda on a variety of topics to help prepare Chapter leaders to lead their association.
Contact Congress
Take action on federal issues for libraries (Washington Office Take Action page) and learn more about policy and advocacy issues by state.
Helping United States Libraries After Disasters
If you think the ALA can help libraries affected by natural disasters in any way toward recovery, please contact the CRO.
Joint Student Membership Program
Forty-four Chapters partner with ALA to allow students to join ALA and one Chapter for one membership fee.
Money Smart Week
CRO encourages libraries nationwide to offer financial literacy programming to help patrons better manage personal finances.
State of the Chapter Annual Report
Each year Chapters complete an online survey to provide an overview of their past year's activities.
ALA Constitution and Bylaws: On Chapters
Chapters in the ALA Constitution and Bylaws.
ALA Policies: Chapters
ALA policies related to Chapters.
Chapter Leaders
ALA Chapter Councilors
Provides resources for ALA Chapter Councilors to help them accomplish their duties.
ALA Chapter Relations Committee
Mission, roster, and more.
Chapter Presidents and Presidents-Elect: Select Information
Information to help Chapter Presidents and Presidents-elect.
State and Regional Chapters Directory
Contact information for Chapter leaders, including presidents, presidents-elect, councilors, and executive directors, and more.
Student Chapter Directory
Contact information for Student Chapter leaders, including presidents, faculty advisors, and directors, and more.
Student-to-Staff Program
Students from 40 Student Chapters work with ALA staff during Annual Conference. In exchange for their working four hours a day for a total of 16 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.
How to Contact ALA
About ALA
Includes staff contact information, core values, ALA governance resources.
ALA Member and Customer Services
MACS is committed to providing the highest and most efficient service to ALA members and customers.
ALA Membership Development
Works to make the process of joining or renewing an ALA membership a simple experience.
Social Networking
Chapter Issues and More
See also Chapter Issues to see how Chapters share with each other how they address their common issues, and State of the Chapter Annual Report, which are snapshot reports compiled to help Chapters and ALA assess the health and vitality of state and regional library associations. In addition, they highlight notable activities and achievements that can be modeled, and identify challenges and needs that may be addressed collectively.
See also Chapter Advocacy Exchange (free webinars presented by the ALA Chapter Relations Office and the ALA Office for Library Advocacy).
Chapter Conferences (ALA Connect)
Shared information about and resources to help in planning and accomplishing Chapter Conferences.
Media Concentration
"With growing concentration of media ownership, independent voices decrease and locally produced and locally relevant information, news, and cultural resources diminish. Libraries cannot ensure “the widest possible dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources,” unless they counter the detrimental impact of media consolidation on the diversity of ideas and localism in their communities. When media consolidation restricts the creation and dissemination of multiple perspectives, the public no longer has a healthy, open exchange of information and ideas. In an era when democratic discourse is more essential than ever, the information system is out of balance. Libraries must provide forums—both physical and virtual—that create opportunities for individuals to engage in the open and balanced exchange of viewpoints and ideas."—Fostering Media Diversity in Libraries: Strategies and Actions (PDF).
Protocol for Monitoring and Responding to State and Local Library Crises. The American Library Association (ALA) has adopted a protocol to respond to library crises at the state and local level. The goal of ALA's involvement is to advance the advocacy efforts of the library and/or the appropriate state-level library organization. ALA can only become involved when its efforts are welcomed by and coordinated with the library and/or the state-level library organization.
Great Ways to Get Involved in ALA
Great Ways to Get Involved in ALA
ALA is an incredibly rich and varied organization and offers something for everyone, whether you want to get involved with colleagues who work in the same kind of library, expand your horizons by attending conferences or continuing education events, network with members who share your interests, find a forum to discuss key issues, work on specific projects, or support libraries and librarians.
ALA Chapters Contacts
Michael Dowling, Director
Chapter Relations Office
mdowling@ala.org, 1-800-545-2433, ext. 3200