LibGuides: Chapter Topics ~ Fall 2023: Message from the Chair

Message from the Chapters Council Chair

Hope everyone is having a successful fall so far. For those of you whose state or regional organization holds its annual meeting around this time, please try to attend, whether it is virtual or in-person, should you be able to do so. The ACRL national organization is only as strong as its state and regional chapters, and the more member engagement we have at the grassroots level, the more inclusive and robust ACRL as a whole will be.

Speaking of member engagement, I am pleased that we have a near-full slate of Chapters Council leaders this year. Thank you very much, in particular, to Leslin Charles, who won election as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and Sarah McHone-Chase, who was elected to the Secretary position. As you are aware, we have had difficulty finding people to run for officer and volunteer for appointed positions. At its October 24 Fall Board Meeting, the ACRL leadership considered Chapters Council’s request to change the requirements so that any member of a state or regional chapter, and not just the current leadership, is eligible to run in Chapters Council elections. Please watch for updates once the Board has reached a final decision, and, regardless of the outcome, I hope you will consider running in next year’s elections, should you be eligible.

Even if you do not wish to run for office, I hope you will consider becoming more actively involved in Chapters Council via other opportunities. In addition to the two annual meetings, our 2023-24 “Work Plan” (please see ALA Connect) includes webinars at which people can share interesting projects their chapters have undertaken, along with a call for potential ideas and speakers for “ad hoc” webinars on current topics. And, of course, please consider submitting an article for the next Chapter Topics Newsletter, especially if your chapter has not done so recently. We would particularly like to highlight specific accomplishments by individual chapters and their members, via the “Spotlight on” feature.

As always, if you have any questions, ideas, or concerns, please feel free to share them on the ALA Connect space or e-mail me directly, at eedwards@ilsos.gov.

Eric Edwards
Chair, ACRL Chapters Council

Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Illinois State Library
w: 217-558-1928 | e: eedwards@ilsos.gov
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