Chapter Relations Office

Important Message: As part of the Association-wide website redesign, the CRO website will not be adding new content from August 1 to September 1. For CRO updates and news during this period please check the CRO Wiki.

The Chapter Relations Office (CRO): 

• Promotes a sense of identification between the national Association and the 57 ALA Chapters;
• Facilitates communication between the Chapters and all ALA units;
• Coordinates leadership development for Chapter officers (e.g., Orientation for Chapter Leaders Workshop), Chapter Councilors, chief paid staff members, and other Chapter leaders;
• Strengthens membership promotion activities for ALA and the Chapters;
• Coordinates the 50 ALA Student Chapters, the ALA Student-to-Staff program, and the Libraries Build Communities project, in which ALA members volunteer to assist schools, libraries, and the community in cities where they meet for Annual Conference; and
• Helps raise awareness of and sensitivity to Chapter needs throughout the ALA.

Chapter Relations Committee

The interests of Chapters are represented within ALA by the Chapter Relations Committee (CRC) and the Chapter Relations Office.

Selected Resources

• The ALA Chapters Wiki is designed to be a resource to help promote communication and assistance among ALA and the ALA Chapters.
• The ALA Student Chapters group on Facebook is designed to facilitate communication and assistance among the student chapters and ALA.
• The ILoveLibraries Take Action page, where library advocates can take action on federal and state issues, helps raise awareness about library advocacy.
• ALA's Conference Planning Calendar includes chapter conferences. To have your ALA Chapter, ALA Affiliates, and Division Conferences, Institutes, or Workshops included in this calendar, please contact the Chapter Relations Office at cro@ala.org with the dates and location.
• To subscribe to the Chapter Relations business e-list, ALACRO-L, please contact a staff member listed below. To subscribe to other ALA e-lists, or visit the e-list archives, visit the ALA Mailing Lists Service (SYMPA).

ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conferences

The Chapter Relations Office and Chapter Relations Committee sponsor events at ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conferences. See also the ALA Student-to-Staff program, and the Libraries Build Communities project.

Change of Address, Comments, and Questions

Please use the ALA Chapter Relations Online Change of Address Form to submit addresses and address updates. If you prefer to mail or fax a paper copy, you may download the PDF version of the change of address form.

If you have comments and questions regarding these pages, please contact Don Wood, Chapter Relations Office.

Chapter Relations Office Staff:

Michael Dowling, Director
Chapter Relations Office
mdowling@ala.org, 1-800-545-2433, ext. 3200

Don Wood, Program Officer
Chapter Relations Office
dwood@ala.org, 1-800-545-2433, ext. 2429

ALA Weblog Service (blogs)

ALA Online Communities

A current list of ALA-Accredited Programs (alphabetical listing) is available from the ALA Office for Accreditation.

Web-based Access to ITTS Resources (staff use only)