ACRL Chapters Council

All:

The ACRL Board is in the process of considering Chapters Council's request to change the guidelines for elections, so that any member of ALA/ACRL and a state or regional chapter is eligible to run for Chapters Council officer, either Secretary or Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. Currently, only people who are in leadership positions within a state or regional chapter--specifically President (Chair), Vice-President (Vice-Chair), or a delegate who is a member of the chapter's executive board--are eligible to run for Chapters Council officer. Due to this rule, the Chapters Council leadership has found it difficult to recruit candidates to run for either office in recent years. By opening up eligibility to any state or regional chapter member, Chapters Council hopes to increase the number of candidates for each office

ACRL Interim Executive Director Payne has asked, on behalf of the ACRL Board, that Chapters Council provide additional information on whether it wishes to keep the number of representatives per chapter at two, or reduce the number to one.  The Board essentially needs to know what the purpose of having two representatives per chapter might be. For instance, having two representatives, instead of one, might make continuity planning easier or provide a backup representative.

This information will help the ACRL Board make  a final decision at its Fall, 2023, meeting--tentatively scheduled for late September or later--on whether or not to approve Chapters Council's request to change the eligibility rules to run for Chapters Council officer.

If you would be willing to share your view on whether or not to keep the number of representatives per chapter at two, along with your reasoning, please e-mail me at eedwards@ilsos.gov by Friday, September 1, if possible. I have not received any responses so far. I will then compile a list of responses to send to the ACRL Board and share the list with the Chapters Council membership.

Thank you very much.

Eric Edwards

2023-24 ACRL Chapters Council Chair

All:

Hope everyone had  a good Labor Day weekend.

Since I have received just one response so far, I have decided to extend the deadline to Monday, September 11. Again, if your state or regional ACRL Chapter has input you would like me to share with the ACRL Board, please let me know, at eedwards@ilsos.gov.

Thank you very much.

Eric Edwards

2023-24 ACRL Chapters Council Chair