What is ALA Connect?
It's a centralized space where official ALA groups can work together online. In addition, it's a place where any member can create new communities (unofficial ALA groups) so the site combines association work with communities of interest in one place.
Every active ALA working group has a space in Connect automatically, because we've pre-populated it with data from our membership database (iMIS). We synchronize roster information, so we'll always know which committees you're on and which other official ALA groups you're part of.
Both ALA groups and communities use the same types of tools. By default, each one has discussions, a file repository (that stores discussion attachments and uploaded files with Library Entries), event items, with more features to come in future phases.
There's no one "right" way to use Connect, and each group can use whichever of the tools it finds valuable.