Access Services Interest Group

Good afternoon Access Services information professionals!

After a three-year process involving open forums, in person roundtables at ALA Annual, and a nationally distributed survey, ACRL's Access Services Interest Group developed a series of revisions to the existing Framework for Access Services Librarianship which was presented to ACRL's Standards Committee this past Spring. ASIG is happy to announce that ACRL's Board of Directors has approved those revisions and the revised framework has been published on ACRL's site, which you can read here - https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2026-06/acrl_access_services_framework_revision2026.pdf 

Thank you to all the current ASIG members - Christine Forbes (Co-Convenor), Loftan Hooker (Co-Convenor), Erin E. Prentiss (Incoming Convener), Tiffany Raymond (Incoming Convener), Jeff Hipsher (Past Convener), Andrew Yager (Past Convener), and Lorelei Sterling (Past Convener) for their dedication to this project.

ASIG would also like to thank past convenors Lesley Brown, Tori Lieggi, and H. J. Pedelty who have supported us throughout this process. ASIG also extends our sincere gratitude to the many contributors who developed the original Framework for Access Services Librarianship as their collective insight, expertise, and dedication laid the essential foundation upon which this updated document is built. Their work established a shared vision and language that has guided the continued growth and recognition of Access Services within the profession. 

And thank you to all the access services professionals who attended our forums, met with us in person, or filled out our survey. We hope this revised framework will offer information professionals, institutional leadership, and scholars concerned with the study of library science new tools for understanding and designing successful front line library services; improving organizational effectiveness; drafting position descriptions for professionals; and for advocating on behalf of the intellectual craft of Access Services Librarianship and all its talented practitioners.

In the coming semesters, ASIG will be planning a series of virtual forums and other programming specifically focused on engaging with the new framework and practical methods for translating its concepts into daily praxis. We hope to see you there!