Committees, Volunteer Resources & Opportunities

Find Your Opportunity to Volunteer

The American Library Association carries out its work through a member-driven structure of committees and subcommittees, Divisions, Round Tables, and several other types of groups. Each committee has a specific purpose, defined at the time it is established. Each Division and Round Table also may create committees and other working groups to carry out its work. Explore the variety of available committee and other volunteer opporutnities using the Overview Guide, the left navigation pane or the links below.

Volunteer Opportunities Overview Guide
 

Links to Resources and Opportunities:

Committee Volunteer Form

ALA Council and Committees

Division Committees

Round Table Committees

Joint Committees

ALA and Council Committee Chair Resources

ALA and Council Committee Associate Program

ALA Accreditation Volunteer Information and Opportunities

 

Standing ALA Committees are created by Council. The Bylaws provide for several types of committees: standing, special or  inter-divisional/joint. (See Bylaws, Article VIII.) By Council action, July 1969, the Executive Board and Council may also designate as ad hoc committees those committees appointed to pursue a designated project within a specific period, the life of the committee ending at the conclusion of the project.

Policies 6.6.1 and 6.6.2 further define committees. : Appointments to committees  are made by the  ALA president-elect, with the advisement of the Committee on Appointments & Committee on Committees, which are both chaired by the President-elect.