What is the mission of the Instruction Section (IS)?
How is IS structured?
What are the benefits of being an active Instruction Section member?
How can I become involved in IS?
What publications are produced by the Instruction Section?
How can I find out more about Information Literacy?
What is the mission of the ACRL Instruction Section (IS)?
The Instruction Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries enhances the ability of academic and research librarians to advance learning, teaching and research with respect to information literacy in higher education. Read more about the Plan for Excellence, the ACRL’s strategic planning document.
The Instruction Section is composed of an Executive Committee, an Advisory Council, and various standing committees and task forces.
The Executive Committee has authority over the affairs of the Section and is responsible to the ACRL Board. Its members are the seven elected officers of the Section: Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Secretary, Past Chair, and four Members-at-Large. The entire IS membership has the opportunity to vote for the officers as part of the general ALA election each spring. Executive Committee terms begin immediately after the Annual Conference.
The Advisory Council is composed of the Executive Committee, plus all the chairs of the standing committees and task forces, and ex-officio members, which include the IS Committee List Administrator, IS Newsletter Editor, IS Web Administrator(s), IS Archivist, the IS Liaison to the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and Director of the Library Orientation & Exchange Clearinghouse (LOEX). Advisory Council meetings provide a forum for communication and coordination, with committees and task forces reporting on activities and making recommendations for Executive Committee consideration.
All standing committee and task force chairs and members are appointed for the coming year by the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Section. Most appointments are made in February/March, and begin after the ALA Annual Conference that year. It is the general policy of the Section to appoint to the committees and task forces a combination of experienced IS members and those who have not previously served on Section committees and task forces. In some cases, members are reappointed for a second term. Terms are staggered to provide overlap and continuity. The IS committee and task force rosters list the term of appointment for each member.
In 1984 the Instruction Section began the practice of appointing one-year Secretaries for each standing committee in order to provide an opportunity for new members to become acquainted with the work of the Section. The Secretaries are responsible for taking minutes at committee meetings and maintaining the committee web page to involve them more fully in the work of the committee.
What are the benefits of being an active Instruction Section member?
You will become active nationally in issues related to instruction and information literacy. The Section provides online programming throughout the year including forums for members to share ideas, documents and standards that guide practicing librarians, and a wide range of opportunities for networking in person and online with colleagues who have similar interests. As of July 2018, all work related to the Instruction Section went online, with no conference attendance required.
How can I become involved in IS?
To participate in the Instruction Section, you must be a member of ACRL. If you are interested in serving on a committee, visit Committee Appointments.
Some additional ways to get involved in the Instruction Section:
- Explore the IS web site to share your ideas for programs with the Conference Program Planning Committee, contribute to the Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online Committee’s database, or submit citations to the Research and Scholarship Committee’s living bibliography related to the Research Agenda for Library Instruction and Information Literacy.
- Participate in IS online conference programs, online discussion forums, and other related online exchanges. Find future programming on ACRL Live Webcasts.
- Volunteer to serve as a member of an IS committee or task force, as the Newsletter Editor, as the Website Administrator, as the Publication editor, or as the Social Media Coordinator. Volunteering to simply serve on an IS committee “where needed” is also a great way to easily get involved in the Section’s work.
- Nominate a colleague or yourself for an IS Award, recognizing outstanding scholarship, instructional programming, and leadership among our members.
- Become a mentor or mentee in the IS Mentoring Program for members interested in information literacy instruction and improving their teaching skills.
What publications are produced by the Instruction Section?
The Instruction Section produces two newsletters per year for its members. The Section has also issued several other publications.
How can I find out more about Information Literacy?
Join the Instruction Section Community on ALA Connect. The purpose of IS Community is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on instruction and information literacy.
