by Gina Persichi

In the fall issue, I addressed some of the benefits Idaho Library Association members get from our Chapter affiliation with the American Library Association (ALA).  The benefits are important, but perhaps even more important is decoding ALA to understand better what it is and what it does.  A person reading the American Libraries magazine or attending an ALA conference is likely to be overwhelmed by the many acronyms that make up the Association.  Here, I will try to answer the daring question: ALA, who are you?

The feel-good answer to this question is that ALA is its membership. It's me and you. That's also an accurate answer. The membership make up the divisions, round tables, committees, task forces, and governing body of the organization. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help someone find their way through such a massive organization. So here's a breakdown of the anatomy of the association:

Council. Council is the governing body of ALA, and consists of around 180 members of ALA. Council members are elected by all ALA members to represent the membership and decide on the policies under which ALA operates. Council includes representatives from each of the Chapters (states and territories), Divisions of ALA, and Round Tables of ALA. About 100 Councilors are elected as “at large” representatives. Also among the Councilors is the Executive Board. 

Executive Board. This team includes the president, president-elect, immediate past president, treasurer, and eight members elected by Council. The Executive Board also includes the Executive Director, a non-voting member, who is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the organization. The Executive Board is charged the administration of the organization and makes recommendations about policy and operations.  

In addition to these overarching governing bodies, ALA is composed of number of smaller units that focus on different areas of librarianship. Those units might focus on a type of library, a segment of library user, or a topic of interest that appeals to a broad audience.  

Divisions. Similar to the Idaho Library Association, once you are a member of the parent organization (ILA or ALA), you can choose membership in a Division related to your job or interests. Unlike ILA, membership in an ALA Division generally requires additional membership dues. Idaho library staff may be familiar with the Public Library Association (PLA), the Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL), or the American Association of School Libraries (AASL). Each of those is a division of ALA. Beyond this, most of the eleven divisions of ALA offer members and even more specialized focus by having Sections, or subgroups, to which a member may choose to belong. For instance, the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA), a division of ALA, is broken up into six sections that focus on different areas of emphasis related to reference. At each level, too, you'll find a variety of committees upon which members serve. With that in mind, it’s easy to see that Divisions can be quite large and appear as an organization on their own. They are, in fact, sub-organizations within the larger ALA organization. 

Round Tables. ALA has seventeen Round Tables. Round Tables are not as formal in structure as divisions, but they, too, have their own governance. They may also have committees or task forces to carry out their education, advocacy, or professional networking objectives. 

Committees. While the divisions, round tables, and council have their own committees to accomplish the work of the unit, ALA has committees and task forces that serve the overall organization. These might include committees focused on ALA operations (Budget Analysis and Review) or committees focused on advocacy on behalf of the libraries (Intellectual Freedom Committee). To make it even more interesting, some of these committees are housed within the overall ALA association, while others are considered to be committees of Council.

ALA Staff. All the work of the ALA membership is supported by a dedicated and talented staff. ALA staff are largely located in Chicago. The staff support the divisions, round tables, committees, council, and executive board. They schedule and arrange for annual conferences, they keep archives of the 100+ years of the association; and they are the office support for the hundreds of committees that operate within the ALA structure. They staff the ALA Offices. 

ALA Offices. ALA Offices are perhaps the most visible arms of the association as the units that reach legislators and the public. The Washington Office advocates on behalf of library issues. The Office of Intellectual Freedom is often on the front line of defending the rights of individuals to choose what they read and the rights of libraries to provide the books.  The Chapter Relations Office extends ALA to put it within reach of all of us in libraries, whether members of ALA or our state association. Those are just 3 of the many offices within the ALA structure. 

Of course, a few paragraphs are insufficient to introduce an organization the size and scope of ALA. For the full story, consult the ALA Handbook of Organization. Or, consult the overview created by former ALA Councilor Michael Golrick on his blog. 

The best way to begin to know the organization is to join; to get involved.  First, start local. Did you know that the Idaho Library Association is a Chapter of ALA? Being a member of ILA provides access to some ALA services. Once you’re ready to get involved further, I recommend a basic ALA membership with the addition of the ALA New Members Round Table (NMRT). It is the perfect place to get a feel for the structure, to build your wider professional network, and to get more leadership perience. From there, it's up to you where to go next. The options are endless.

Gina Persichini is the Networking Consultant at the Idaho Commission for Libraries and a member of the Idaho Library Association’s Executive Board as ILA's representative to ALA Council.