LIS 701 – Fall 2007 Discussion Blog

The Special Library Association (SLA) was founded in 1909 in the state of New York. According to its website, SLA’s members are “information resource experts who collect, analyze, evaluate, package, and disseminate information to facilitate accurate decision-making in corporate, academic, and government settings.”

Today the SLA, an international organization, has 12,000 members who live and work in over 83 countries. The association prides itself as the “only global organization for information professionals.”

Being that the special library and information field is broad and diverse, the SLS provides an opportunity for professionals to collaborate, network, learn and share experiences of their careers. Anyone who considers him or her self an information professional in the field is eligible to join. The SLA serves museum, corporate, academic, and government information professionals. Membership is divided into two groups: chapter and division. Chapter members associate most closely with those in their geographic area, while division members convene with those in their specific field of librarianship. A person can belong to both and increase the number for an additional fee. Student groups are also available and are usually sponsored by a corresponding ALA accredited school.

Professionals pay yearly fees based on their income. Those earning an annual salary less than $35,000 pay $99, while those earning greater than this amount have dues of $160. Students can join for only $35.

SLA provides unique professional development through both online and classroom-based courses. Giving members an opportunity to broaden their horizons and refresh their knowledge, the courses are offered throughout the year on topics such as copyright management, central intelligence, new websites, management, and career planning. Such topics are also discussed at the annual conference.

Members meet in their local chapters for both formal and informal gatherings. Sometimes the evening is a meal together, an informational session, or a formal meeting. International conferences also occur yearly, allowing members to socialize and brush up on the latest issues in the field. This year’s event is scheduled for a weekend in June, allowing members to unite in Seattle for information sessions, but also to share their experiences in the profession. On a global scale, the SLA’s mission is to “promote and strengthen its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives.” It appears that through the many meetings, courses, information directories, conferences and vast membership that the SLA lives up to its mission. Only a year away from celebrating its 100th year, the Special Library Association can pride itself for developing a professional organization that unites niche libraries from around the world.

Special Library Association. (2006). Retrieved November 8, 2007 from http://www.sla.org.

The Oral History Association (OHA) was founded in 1966 with the purpose of connecting “persons interested in oral history as a way of collecting and interpreting human memories to foster knowledge and human dignity”. As those who are interested in this method of inquiry hail from a variety of disciplines, membership in the OHA is open to anyone passionate about the collection and preservation of oral documentation.

Fees (per year):
Individual Institutional
Life– $1000 Electronic Only– $116
Contributing– $80 Regular– $140
Regular– $65
Student– $35

Membership in the OHA provides networking opportunities, pamphlets, a tri-annual newsletter, and a standardized evaluation system (analogous to the ALA code) to its subscribers. Achievements in the field are also recognized and honored by the organization. The OHA meets on an annual basis (each fall), with the location rotating among the four geographical quadrants; 2008’s will be held in Pittsburgh, PA (October 15-19).

The OHA operates as a national chapter of the International Oral History Association (IOHA), and is governed by a President and a handful of committees. There is also a New Media Task Force working to keep practitioners technologically current. A State and Regional Forum provides an association contact to any smaller, regional groups affiliated with the OHA.

Oral History Association. Copyright 2002. Accessed November 9, 2007.
http://alpha.dickinson.edu/oha/

Background information:
ALA’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) was formed in 1982 out of the ashes of two other ALA efforts: the Treatment of Minorities in Library Materials Committee, which was formed as an ad hoc committee by ASSL in 1967, and the Ethnic Materials Information Exchange of Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT), which was formed in 1972.

Purpose:
As stated on ALA’s official website, EMIERT’s goals are “To serve as a source of information on recommended ethnic collections, services, and programs. To organize task forces, institutes, and workshops to carry out the functions of the Round Table as defined in the petition. To develop for Annual conferences forums and symposia programs that deal with the key issues of ethnicity and librarianship. To maintain a liaison with the Office of Library Outreach Services and cooperate with other ALA units, including the caucuses in joint projects for the betterment of outreach services.” Additionally, EMIERT considers the dissemination of the group’s work part of its purpose, and that work takes the form of a newsletter titled _Multicultural Review_.

Membership Information:
All ALA members can join EMIERT. Individual memberships are $20/year, $10/year for students, and $25/year for organizations. The EMIERT publication _Multicultural Review_ is included in membership fees.

Conference Information:
EMIERT meets twice a year. Once at the annual ALA Conference in June and then again at the ALA midwinter meeting every January.

Interesting Information:
The Coretta Scott King Award is given yearly by EMIERT to encourage African-American expression in literature and graphic arts. The yearly winner receives a monetary gift of $1,000, in addition to a plaque.

All information regarding EMIERT taken from the official ALA webpage:
http://www.ala.org/ala/emiert/aboutemiert/aboutemiert.htm

The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals provides “education and networking opportunities for business professionals working in the field of competitive intelligence,” according to the SCIP website. These professionals engage in the “legal and ethical collection and analysis of information regarding the capabilities, vulnerabilities, and intentions of business competitors,” the website says.
Typically, SCIP’s members have backgrounds in market research, strategic analysis, or science and technology. The organization, which now has more than 50 chapters worldwide, was founded in 1986; its members are now spread across more than 50 countries. The organization provides a student membership for $25 a year, while professionals pay $295 per year. The professional membership application asks new members to identify their job title. Among the positions listed are researcher, librarian, chief executive officer, data builder, and small business owner.
SCIP just held its 2007 European Summit in Germany last month, and its events calendar includes meetings held by various chapters throughout the year.
What can you learn at a SCIP seminar? An upcoming seminar has the following title: “Competitive Financial Intelligence: Exposing Secrets from Public Numbers.” At this December seminar, participants will “learn how to extract ‘secrets’ from financial statements – P&Ls, balance sheets and cash flows – while dissecting a competitor’s undoctored operating profit from a CI analyst’s (not an accountant’s) perspective.” Participants will also “explore how to uncover the subtle signals that spell financial disaster including sophisticated use of off -balance sheet financing) and testing their legality,” according to the program’s brochure.
The website explains that companies have seen the benefits of having a CI department. Quoting a Business Week article (Nov. 26, 2001), the site says that a CI team at Texas Instruments advised the company to buy a rival before a competitor could do so, thus securing the company’s future. The website also lists a Code of Ethics for CI professionals. For instance, a CI professional should “accurately disclose all relevant information, including one’s true identity and organization, prior to interviews” and “to comply with all laws, domestic and international.”
The website provides news releases about recently honored members. These professionals are recognized for their service to the field as well as their advancement of it. Recognized professionals worked for companies such as Verizon, Visa, Evidence Based Research Inc., The Helicon Group, Proactive Worldwide, Toyek, a software company in the Czech Republic, and Orange, a telecommunications company in England.
This information came from SCIP’s website,
http://www.scip.org/index.php

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has been a division of the American Library Association since 1951. This organization serves 10,000 school library media specialists in the United States, Canada, and around the world. The mission of the AASL is, “to advocate excellence, facilitate change, and develop leaders in the school library media field,” according to the AASL website. Members of this organization work to “provide leadership in the total education program; participate as active partners in the teaching/learning process; connect learners with ideas and information; and prepare students for life-long learning, informed decision-making, a love of reading, and the use of information technologies.”
The AASL is divided up into three sections: Educators of Library Media Specialist Sections (ELMSS); Independent Schools Section (ISS); and Supervisors Section (SPVS). Each of these sections provides members with further discussion and action for the problems that each section deals with. These sections each have a discussion list where members can discuss topics relevant to their roles in the library. Members of AASL can also join a specific interest group or committee.
Members of the AASL include individuals who work in school libraries, retired library workers, libraries, businesses, and individuals who wish to be a part of the organization. The following is a list of the dues the AASL:
$50 Regular
$20 Student
$25 Retired
$75 Organizational
$75 Corporate

Benefits of membership include a discount at conferences, a subscription to Knowledge Quest and AASL Hotlinks, a 10% discount on all AASL publications, access to awards, grants and scholarships, and access to “Members Only” web content. In addition, in joining the AASL, you also join the ALA, which offers its own benefits of membership, such as a subscription to American Libraries and a wide range of networking opportunities.
The most recent conference was just held October 24-28, in Reno, Nevada. The theme was “The Future Begins @ Your Library.” The national conference is held every two years. The 2009 conference will be November 4-8 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2011 conference will be October 26-30 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Other events include regional institutes, a fall forum, held on non-conference years, and other promotional events that the AASL sponsors, such as Banned Book Week (observed the last week in September), School Library Media Month (April), and National Library Week (also celebrated in April). Some of these sponsored events are through the AASL, while some are through ALA or other organizations.
Information about AASL can be found at their website, http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslindex.cfm.

If you love music, if you are excited when standing in front of music books, scores, audio and/or video materials, and above all, if you are a current or retired music librarian, or a library science student with a strong musical background, you may consider being a member of Music Library Association (MLA). Founded in 1931 (during the American Library Association meetings at New Haven, Conn.) and an affiliate of ALA, Music Library Association is a non-profit professional organization specialized in music librarianship and music related materials. The goal of MLA is to promote the profession of music librarianship and the establishment, growth and use of music libraries. It encourages the collection of music and music literature furthers studies in music bibliography and works for increased efficiency in library service and administration. The current president of MLA is Philip R. Vandermeer.

In order to facilitate the classifying and cataloguing of music publications, MLA developed a specialized code for descriptive cataloguing of printed music and recordings in the early 1940s. After years of revision and perfection, the MLA Code for Cataloging Music and Phonorecords was published for the first time in 1958.

Besides its contributions in the management of music materials, MLA initiated specialized education for music librarians. Also, MLA is an useful source for individuals who are thinking about a career in music librarianship, for it provides information about current job openings in academic, public, performing arts, orchestra, conservatory, media, or radio libraries.

The annual national meeting of MLA is usually held in February. Propose of the meeting is to give its members an opportunity to get together, share and discuss the new ideas and information in the music librarianship field. From February 17 to 24, Newport (RI) will hold the 2008 meeting. And Chicago will be the host of the annual meeting of 2009.

Individuals, institutions or corporations are eligible for MLA membership. A handbook, a full volume (four issues) of NOTES (quarterly journal of the Music Library Association which is published in September, December, March, and June) and an online version of the quarterly MLA Newsletter will be sent to every member. The subscription form can be downloaded on the official website of MLA (http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/pdf/RenewalForm2007-08.pdf).

The annual due varies.
Individual Member
$ 90.00
Institutional Member
$ 125.00
Associate Member
$ 60.00
Paraprofessional
$ 45.00
Student Member
$ 35.00
Retired Member
$ 60.00
Corporate Patron
$ 750.00
Corporate Member
$ 450.00
Sustaining Member
$ 180.00

The membership year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Foreign members are required to pay an additional charge of 10 dollars. For further information, please visit: http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/about/join.shtml.

Information came from:
http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is a division of the American Library Association. It was formed in 1972 when the Adult Services Division and the Reference Services Division of the ALA merged to create a new division called the Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD). They kept this name until 1996 when the RASD board decided a new name was needed. The board felt the phrase “adult services” didn’t reflect their mission of providing reference and information services to all age groups. They also wanted their name to have an acronym that would be easy to pronounce.

Purpose:
The RUSA website states that “the Reference and User Services Association is responsible for stimulating and supporting excellence in the delivery of general library services and materials to adults, and the provision of reference and information services, collection development, and resource sharing for all ages, in every type of library.” Their vision, found in the RUSA Strategic Plan for 2006-2009, states that “RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need.”

Membership:
Membership in RUSA is open to all members of ALA. There are currently over 5,000 members and they can be found in all types of libraries, corporations, schools and publishing companies. Members include librarians who work in the areas of reference, interlibrary loan, and collection development as well as user services professionals, administrators, and publishers. Library Science students and retired library professionals can be found here as well. The fees/dues for RUSA are:

ALA members – $60 (plus cost of ALA membership)
Support staff, retirees, inactive or non-salaried members – $30
ALA student members – $25
Organizations – $80 (plus cost of ALA membership)

Conferences:
RUSA is part of ALA and therefore participates in the ALA annual conference and the ALA midwinter meeting. The 2008 midwinter meeting is scheduled for January 11-16 in Philadelphia, PA and the 2008 ALA annual conference is scheduled for June 26-July 2 in Anaheim, CA. At both conferences, members have the opportunity to participate in seminars, panel presentations, small group discussions and continuing education events. These continuing education events include programs that highlight business reference, collection development, readers’ advisory, genealogy, virtual reference, electronic resources and interlibrary loan just to name a few. There is something available for everyone.

Benefits:
The benefits to belonging to RUSA include the opportunity to network with other professionals; free subscription to Reference and User Services Quarterly; and member discounts on RUSA publications, online course registration, institutes, preconferences, and special events.

This information was found at the RUSA website: http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusa.cfm

The association that I had the pleasure of researching was the Public Library Association, which is a division of the ALA. They are based in Chicago, IL and they have over 11,000 members. They maintain a website, which is http://www.pla.org, with comprehensive information about their organization and benefits. They were founded in 1944 and they exist “to provide a diverse program of communication, publication, advocacy, continuing education, and programming for its members and others interested in the advancement of public library service.” It is possible to join the PLA through the ALA website. Fees for joining are: 50 for a regular member, 10 for a student member, and 40 for a retired member. Membership in the PLA also grants membership to the ICC, LDC, and LSC clusters.

The PLA lists the following core values to go along with their purpose:
“PLA’s core values are:
• Provides visionary leadership ever open to new ideas.
• Dedicated to lifelong learning.
• Focused on and responsive to member needs.
• Committed to a free and open exchange of information and active collaboration.
• Respects diversity of opinion and community needs.
• Committed to excellence and innovation.”
They host the PLA National Conference and the PLA Spring Symposium. They also run preconferences for the PLA at the ALA Annual Conference. The next PLA National Conference is March 25-29, 2008. One of the benefits of membership is that you get discounts on PLA events. In addition, you get discounts on their publications. Additional benefits include access to their exclusive electronic newsletter, networking opportunities, and a subscription to their magazine Public Libraries.

“Public Libraries, published six times a year, is the official journal of PLA and the only ALA journal devoted exclusively to public libraries. Each bimonthly issue offers articles and columns on hot topics, public library trends, and subjects of professional concern. Public Libraries encourages working public librarians to submit manuscripts for potential publication in the journal.” This is considered to be a $25 value, but is included in the cost of membership to the association.

Other publication information is as follows:

PLA offers its members resources for career advancement, problem solving, continuing education, and library information, in articles and monographs written by public librarians and public library staff members specifically for public librarians and public library staff members. Whether it’s through top-seller books like “The Public Librarian’s Guide to Providing Consumer Health Information,” hot topic articles in Public Libraries, or resource guides like the PLDS Statistical Report, PLA publications deliver the information you need to perform at your greatest potential.

All information was taken from http://www.pla.org/

The ACRL, or Association of College and Research Libraries as it is formerly known, was formed at the 1890 American Library Association annual conference. This momentous occasion in the organization’s history brought together 15 librarians across the Eastern seaboard who thought that academic librarianship need official representation (1).

Initially the purpose of ACRL was to provided “a forum of discussion” amongst academic librarians, [b]ut, beginning in the 1920s, pressure began to build in the academic library profession for the creation of a stronger professional organization capable of undertaking a broad range of activities, programs, research, and publications” (2).

Membership in ACRL is not restricted to anyone in particular, but the organization encourages professionals in higher education to join, librarians and non-librarians. There are over 12,000 current members in ACRL to-date (3).

The fees to join ACRL and receive addition publications are as follows (4):
-$35 for students
-$35 for retirees
-$55 for regular members
-$110 for organizations
-$110 for corporate members
-In addition to the publication College & Research Libraries, two sub-sections of C&RL
News are free, extras are $5 each

ACRL provides a variety of formats for different conferences and events. It holds a bi-annual conference, which is coming up in March of 2009, and represents the organization in other ways. At ALA’s Midwenter conference in January at Philadelphia, ACRL will hold professional development workshops. In addition to these main staples of conference participation, ACRL holds other leadership institutions throughout the year (5).

In addition to conferences and leadership development opportunities, ACRL, like most current organizations, provides the previously mentioned publications, a host of electronic resources at acrl.org, round table involvement at ALA conferences, and a unique mentoring program. To highlight one of the organizations more comprehensive electronic resources, a new member or potential member of ACRL should examine the contents of the “ACRL New Member Wiki.” This page provides information pertinent to the new ACRL member such as scholarship opportunities, guides on getting published, suggestions for library school students, and more.
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Citations

1:
http://www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/resourcesforwork/guidetopolicies/chapter15history.cfm
2:
http://www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/resourcesforwork/guidetopolicies/chapter15history.cfm
3:
http://www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/acrlmembership/membership.cfm
4:
http://www.acrl.org/ala/ourassociation/membership/MembershipDues.htm
5:
http://www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/acrlevents/acrleventsconferences.cfm

ACRL:
http://www.acrl.org
ACRL New Member Wiki: http://wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/ACRL_New_Member_Wiki

Name of association: Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table (FAFLRT).
Not sure when it was formed, but the earliest meeting archived on the FAFLRT website is 1999.
According to the bylaws of FAFLRT, the purpose is three fold:
a. To promote library and information service and the library and information profession in the federal and armed forces communities.
b. To promote appropriate utilization of federal and armed forces library and information resources and facilities.
c. To provide an environment for the stimulation of research and development relating to the planning, development, and operation of federal and armed forces libraries.
Membership: Any member of the ALA can become a member of the round table after they pay the ALA dues and the dues of the round table.
Dues: in addition to the dues of the ALA, FAFLRT dues are: $8 for student members, $15 for personal member/Retirees and $30 for corporate members.
Benefits of membership: The FAFLRT newsletter is free with membership and published four times a year. Members can join the FAFLRT Discussion list to exchange ideas in an open forum. Members can attend workshop sessions and “…are entitled to participate fully in the organization and activities of the Round Table.” This includes networking with other Federal employees and gives members a voice in matters concerning the federal library community. However, only personal members who are currently employed as federal or armed forces library or information personnel at the time of the election and during their stay in office shall have the right to hold office. If an officer ceases to be employed by the federal government while in office, most likely the member will have to resign from their position at the discretion of the board.
FAFLRT also has four awards which are given out on an annual basis. They are as follows:
• The FAFLRT achievement award.
This award recognizes those individuals who have shown achievement in promoting information and library service in the federal sector. Nominees do not have to be FAFLRT members but members are the only ones who can nominate people to win the award.
• FAFLRT Adelaide Del Frate Conference Sponsorship Award
This award is given to library student who exhibits an interest in working in a federal library. Students have to be attending an ALA accredited school, attend full or part time and have not already earned their degree and have expressed an interest in some sort of federal librarianship to be eligible. The award is for $1000 to pay for the fees, transportation and expenses related to attendance of the annual ALA conference for the student recipient. Students can nominate themselves but do not have to be FAFLRT members.
• FAFLRT Cicely Phippen Marks Scholarship of $1500
This scholarship is awarded to a library student who exhibits an interest in working in a federal library. Students have to be attending an ALA accredited school, attend full or part time and have not already earned their degree and have expressed an interest in some sort of federal librarianship to be eligible to receive the scholarship award of $1500. Students can nominate themselves but do not have to be FAFLRT members.
• FAFLRT Distinguished Service Award
This award recognizes FAFLRT members for outstanding and sustained contributions to FAFLRT.
All quotes and information obtained from the FAFLRT website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/faflrt/faflrt.cfm

Originally called the Resources and Technical Services Division, the ALA’s Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) was founded in 1957 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It is made up of 5,000 members from 42 countries. ALCTS describes itself as “the premier resource for information specialists in collection development, preservation, and technical services.” It is comprised of several different sections: Acquisitions, Cataloging and Classification, Copying Methods, and Serials. These sections all had originated earlier in the history of the ALA. ALCTS claims to be “the leader in the development of principles, standards, and best practices for creating, collecting, organizing, delivering, and preserving information resources in all forms.”

Membership is open to those who are already members of the ALA. Benefits include eleven issues of American Libraries per year, reduced rates at ALA conferences, discounts on ALA monographs, group insurance plans, and travel discounts. Dues for ALCTS members are $45 for a regular member and $15 for a student member. This does not include the amount for ALA membership. With the ALCTS membership, one can join any of the sections of ALCTS for free, choosing from: Acquisitions, Cataloging and Classification, Collection Management and Development, Preservation and Reformatting, and Serials.

According to the ALCTS website, it appears that the next major ALCTS event is a symposium at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Philadelphia in January 2008. The topic is “Risk and Entrepreneurship in Libraries: Seizing Opportunities for Change.” At the same ALA meeting, ALCTS is offering a workshop on “Metadata and Digital Library Development.” ALCTS also is offering several “Fundamentals of Acquisitons” web courses over various four-week periods throughout 2008. Clearly, ALCTS strongly supports continuing one’s education throughout a library career.

All of the above information and more can be found on the ALCTS website at http://www.ala.org/ala/alcts/alcts.htm.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table, or GLBTRT, was founded in 1970 and is a unit of the American Library Association. GLBTRT is the nations’ first gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender professional organization. GLBTRT present programs at ALA’s annual conference. They discuss such topics as the future of gay books for children, collection development, and mainstreaming gay publishing. GLBTRT publishes a quarterly newsletter and hold social hours at ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conferences.

The GLBTRT is also responsible for Stonewall Book Award which is the first award given to lesbigay books, meaning books that deal with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience. Since the first award was given in 1971, 48 other books have been honored for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience.

To join the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table, you must be a member of ALA. Annual dues vary depending on the type of membership you register for. For a list of prices of becoming an ALA Member, see this link: http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/membership/personaloverview.htm

Once you are a member of ALA, you are able to join the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table. The price of this also varies depending on the type of ALA membership. Annual dues are $15.00 (regular), $5.00 (student), or $20.00 (organizational and corporate).

Some important links you many want to look at before becoming a member of GLBTRT include:
Current GLBTRT Newsletter
GLBTRT-L [Electronic Mailing List]
GLBT Library Personnel Directory
GLBTRT Bylaws
Bibliographies

GLBTRT. 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007 from

International Relations Roundtable:

Hosted by ALA, the International Relations Round Table was created to serve and promote international library relations and interest in the issues related to worldwide librarianship. Most recently, they have turned their attention to international literacy and the importance of making literacy courses available globally.

Membership benefits include a subscription to International Leads, information on international opportunities for US librarians, and a schedule of ALA programs featuring speakers from all over the world. Membership is available to MLIS students, members of ALA, and international librarians. Fees are $5 for students, $15 for ALA members, and free for international librarians.

In addition to their internal operations, the group is also committed to providing information for all librarians and members of ALA. One way they do this is through their blog, http://alairrt.blogspot.com/

In addition to the blog, which details the day to day reactions to issues in international librarianship, IRRT publishes, as part of its regular activities, a quarterly journal called International Leads, which disseminates information about opportunities in international librarianship and the activities of the committee. It is specifically aimed at bringing valuable news in international librarianship to ALA members and members of IRRT. The most recent issue, published in June 2007, contained articles on the importance of establishing sister relationships between libraries in different countries, articles on international travel by librarians for the purpose of expanding international relations between US libraries and the libraries of other countries, and other smaller articles of interest to ALA members concerned with international relations.

The group is made up of 13 committees, each concerned with a different aspect of the overall mission. These committees include the Chair’s Program, Executive Board
, International Exchanges, International Librarians’ Pre-conference, International Librarians’ Orientation/Mentoring, International Paper Session, International Poster Session, International Reception, International Sister Libraries, International Visitors Center, Membership, Nominating, and Publications. Committees meet at the annual ALA conferences.

Though IRRT does not host a conference per se, they do host of “Pre-conference” prior to the annual ALA conferences, at which time international librarians and members of IRRT get the chance to discuss issues central to international librarianship. They also periodically provide travel grants to US librarians who wish to attend international conferences.