Call for ALA Standing Committee Volunteers for 2026-2028

ALA Members are invited to volunteer for ALA standing committees for the 2026-2028 term. Serving on an ALA standing committee provides members with opportunities to gain valuable professional development and leadership experience, make an impact on key issues and policies within ALA and librarianship, engage with colleagues from various types of libraries across the nation, and build their resume.

Members can sign up to volunteer via the online ALA volunteer form. Please complete and submit the form electronically (be sure to select "ALA" in the drop-down menu on the main form). To be considered for the 2026-2028 term, forms must be submitted no later than September 30, 2025. Any forms received after this date will be considered for the next term (2027-2029).

ALA President-elect Maria McCauley will make committee appointments, in consultation with the Committee on Committees & Committee on Appointments and approved by the ALA Executive Board, with notifications sent to appointed individuals throughout Spring 2026 for terms beginning July 1, 2026. Most member terms will extend through June 30, 2028.

Members can also express interest via the form in serving as a Committee Chair (typically one-year appointments).

Volunteers are sought for the following ALA standing committees. The charge and composition of committee can be found here:

American Libraries Advisory
Awards
Budget Analysis & Review Committee
Bylaws Committee
Chapter Relations
Code of Conduct
Committee on Diversity
Committee on Education
Committee on Legislation
Committee on Library Advocacy
Committee on Organization
Committee on Professional Ethics
Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship
Conference
Council Training & Engagement Committee
Diversity, Literacy & Outreach Services Advisory (Office for)
Election
Human Resource Development & Recruitment Advisory (Office for)
Information Technology Advisory
Information Technology Policy Advisory (Office for)
Intellectual Freedom Committee
International Relations Committee
Leadership Development Committee
Literacy
Membership
Policy Monitoring Committee
Public & Cultural Programs Advisory
Public Awareness Committee
Publishing Committee
Resolutions Committee
Rural, Native & Tribal Libraries of All Kinds
Scholarship & Study Grants
Sustainability Committee
ALA-Children's Book Council Joint Committee

Via the ALA volunteer form, members may also sign up to serve on four subcommittees or related groups of the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS) Advisory Committee. Please note that appointment dates and process for ODLOS groups may vary, and the ALA President-elect does not appoint these members. You can direct questions about the ODLOS groups to diversity@ala.org.

Throughout the year, opportunities to join newly formed committees, working groups, and task forces may become available. Please watch ALA News, AL Direct, and the Member community in ALA Connect for notifications of these opportunities as they arise (or indicate interest in ongoing consideration on the volunteer form).

We are grateful for the service and engagement of our members and hope you will consider volunteering for the 2026-2028 ALA committees. Please remember to submit by September 30, 2025 to be considered. For technical assistance or more information on the committee appointments process, contact governance@ala.org.