Structure of the Instruction Section

The Instruction Section is composed of an Executive Committee, an Advisory Council, and various standing committees and task forces.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee has authority over the affairs of the Section and is responsible to the ACRL Board. Its members are the eight 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.

Advisory Council

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 are the IS Newsletter Editor, IS Web Administrator(s) and the 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.

Committees and Task Forces

All standing committee and task force chairs and members are appointed for the coming year by the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Section. 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. 

Committee Secretaries

In 1984 the Instruction Section began the practice of appointing one-year secretaries (previously called interns) for each standing committee in order to provide an opportunity for new members to become acquainted with the work of the Section.   The committee 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. Contact the current Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect to volunteer to be a committee secretary for the next year.