Chapter Councilor Answers

Welcome

Congratulations on your election to be your state library association's ALA Chapter Councilor. (If you are interested in becoming an ALA Chapter Councilor, contact your state library association and find out how to be nominated in its election. See also Council Composition and Charge.)

The Chapter Relations Office welcomes you to the ALA and Chapters partnership and would like to introduce you to the ALA resources available to help you fulfill your role as Chapter Councilor.

Information on this page addresses many of your formal duties, as well as directing you to important resources. Please read carefully the welcome letter sent to you by the ALA Council Secretariat. See either ALA Chapters or ALA Chapter Relations Office for links to resources for advocacy and other assistance for libraries, activities related to ALA and Chapters Partnership, and more. See also CRO Answers, Chapter Answers, and Student Chapter Answers, or find them all at Find Your Answers.

Return to ALA Chapter Councilors.

Basic Resources for Chapter Councilors

Chapter Councilor- Roles and Responsibilities and Sample Job Description

Guidelines for Preparation of Resolutions for Council

Chapter Councilors
List of ALA Chapter Councilors with contact information.

ALA Council
Council Charge and Composition

ALA Councilors
List of all ALA Councilors with contact information

Council Documents (sign in required)
Council documents since 2008

Additional Chapter Leaders

ALA Chapter Relations Committee
Mission, roster, and more.

State and Regional Chapters Directory
Contact information for Chapter leaders, including presidents, presidents-elect, councilors, and executive directors, and more.

Additional Resources

Advocacy Resources for Chapters
CRO supports ALA's and Chapter's library advocacy efforts by working with other ALA units and other groups.

Affiliate and Chapter Planning Calendar
Includes ALA Chapter, ALA Affiliates, and Division conferences, institutes, workshops, religious holidays, and more.

ALA and Chapters Partnership
The ALA and Chapters Partnership explains how the ALA and ALA Chapters partnership works.

ALA Connect
A useful resource to share ideas and information across Chapters.

ALA Annual Conference
Select ALA AC schedules for Chapters.

ALA Strategic Directions
ALA Mission; Core Organizational Values; Key Action Areas; and Strategic Directions: Advocacy, Information Policy, Professional and Leadership Development, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Chapter Advocacy Exchange
Free webinars presented by the ALA Chapter Relations Office and the ALA Office for Library Advocacy.

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.

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.

Libraries Respond
The ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services has created Libraries Respond as a space for us to help keep current events in conversation with libraries' ongoing work in and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. This page will be a resource for the library community to share information, find resources, and connect as they serve their communities. Follow #LibrariesRespond

Overview of ALA Select Resources for Chapters
Links to ALA units and topics, such as key action areas.

Social Networking, Membership Blogs, ALA Connect, and ALA Electronic Discussion Lists
Links for following CRO on Facebook and Twitter, subscribing to ALA e-lists, ALA Connect, and ALA member and ALA student member blogs

State of the Chapter Annual Report
Each year Chapters complete an online survey to provide an overview of their past year's activities.

Webinars
Free webinars on advocacy, Chapter leaders orientation, Money Smart Week, and more.

Welcome Letter, New and Re-elected Councilors
Revised each Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference by the ALA Council Secretariat.

Your State Library Association's Annual Conference

Chapter Conferences (ALA Connect)
Shared information about and resources to help in planning and accomplishing Chapter Conferences.

Chapter Issues
Chapters share with each other how they address common issues.

ALA Promotional Materials Order Form (DOC; aka ALA promotional materials at state conferences), which is used to order ALA materials for Chapter conferences.

Chapter Councilors Guide to Membership Promotion
As the ALA representative for your state, you are also in the unique position of being able to help ALA reach potential members in your state.

Chapters and Conferences
Explains the ALA and Chapters business partnership, notification of intent by ALA and its units to hold Annual Conferences, Midwinter Meeting, or other events, and host and contiguous Chapter benefits when ALA holds an Annual Conference or Midwinter Meeting in a state.

Ideas for ALA Programs at Chapter Conferences

ALA and Chapter conferences calendar
A listing of upcoming ALA, Chapter and Affiliate Conferences.

Frequently Asked Questions

These answers are found in the ALA Bylaws. See also ALA Constitution. See also ALA Chapter Councilors.

After I'm Elected, What Do I Do?

Contact the Chapter Relations Office and ALA Council Secretariat, to inform them of your election. Please ensure to share your term start and end date.

Be sure your ALA membership is up to date.