- Can ALA members opt out of appearing in ALA Connect?
Yes. On the ALA website, members have the ability to set a preference to not appear at all in ALA Connect . Members who do this will not appear in a search of the site but will also not have a login to access protected content on Connect.
- Who can see my contact information in ALA Connect?
Only other members who you have manually marked as a part of your network can see your phone number and email address. No other contact information is displayed.
- What information appears about ALA members to the public?
Only a member's name, the default ALA Connect profile picture, and links to recent public posts appear to anyone who has not logged in (eg, the public). If a member chooses to add a personalized picture, that picture will display to the public. If a member does not post any public content to ALA Connect, no links to recent posts will appear to the public.

If you don't want your name to appear to in a public search, you should update your membership profile on the ALA website and check the preference to not appear in the member directory.
- What information about ALA members appears to other members?
In addition to the full name, default profile picture, and links to public posts, an ALA member can also see another member's organization, job title, ALA affiliations (committees, communities, divisions, round tables, and sections), and any additional information added by the first person. In other words, other members can see everything you see on your profile, except your email preferences.
- Can I change which information displays to the public?
You can't change what appears to the public, because your name, the default profile picture, and a list of your public posts will always appear to anyone who is not logged in. However, if you don't upload a personalized picture, and you don't post any content marked "public," then only your name and default picture will be viewable by the public.
Alternatively, you can choose not to appear in Connect at all by setting the "do not include me in ALA Connect" preference in your membership profile .
- Can I change which information displays to other members?
There are two pieces of information on your profile that you can hide from other members. The first is the link that lets other members send you an email message (don't worry - they don't see your email address). You can hide this link by unchecking the "Personal contact form" box in the "Contact settings" block when you edit your profile .
The second thing you can change is to hide your affiliation with an ALA community, division, round table, or section. To do this, go to the home page of the group with which you want to hide your affiliation and click on the "Email preferences/Leave group" link in the right-hand column. Then check the box to "Hide my membership to this group from others" and click on the "Submit" button Doing this means the group will NOT show up on your profile, and you will not appear on the group's membership list.

The one exception to this option is that you cannot hide your affiliation with an official ALA committee. This is because members cannot serve anonymously on ALA committees, as noted on the form all members receive when they accept ALA committee appointments.
- Can I hide one of my ALA affiliations from appearing on my profile?
You can hide your affiliation with an ALA community, division, round table, or section. To do this, go to the home page of the group with which you want to hide your affiliation and click on the "Email preferences/Leave group" link in the right-hand column. Then check the box to "Hide my membership to this group from others" and click on the "Submit" button. Doing this means the group will NOT show up on your profile, and you will not appear on the group's membership list.
The one exception to this option is that you cannot hide your affiliation with an official ALA committee. This is because members cannot serve anonymously on ALA committees, as noted on the form all members receive when they accept ALA committee appointments.
- Can I hide my participation on an ALA committee?
No, you cannot hide your affiliation with an official ALA committee. This is because members cannot serve anonymously on ALA committees, as noted on the form all members receive when they accept ALA committee appointments.
- Who can send me messages through ALA Connect?
Any ALA member can send you messages through ALA Connect by clicking on the "Send [your name] a message." They won't see your email address, and they can't automate sending you messages.

All ALA Connect participants must adhere to the user guidelines , which include common sense use of the "send email to..." feature. If you feel another member is abusing this particular feature, please contact us.
- Can I turn off the "Send email to me" feature on my profile?
Yes, you can turn off the "Send email to me" feature by unchecking the "Personal contact form" box in the "Contact settings" block when you edit your profile.
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