Where Are Future ALA Leaders? Most Likely in the Fifty-six ALA Student Chapters!

Where Are Future ALA Leaders? Most Likely in the Fifty-six ALA Student Chapters!

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Planning on being active in your association after you graduate? Great! For students, the best place to start being active and also gain leadership skills and more is through one of the 56 active ALA Student Chapters.

Student Chapters enhance students’ ALA membership by providing leadership and programming opportunities on the campuses. ALA student members at the master’s level and beyond are eligible to form official ALA Student Chapter groups at schools offering ALA-accredited programs of library and information services, or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an NCATE/AASL-accredited program.

So, if your campus does not have a Student Chapter, and if you’re interested in starting one on your campus, the best people to contact are Student Chapter leaders, who will tell you all about how to get started and all the good things ALA Chapters do. These leaders can be reached through their contact information found in the directory of ALA Student Chapters. Feel free also to e-mail Don Wood at the ALA Chapter Relations Office.

If you want to find out more about ALA Student Chapters first, visit ALA Student Chapter Answers, which will navigate you to the answers you’re seeking.

The first ALA Student Chapter was created in 1980 at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The most recent ALA Student Chapter was created in 2011 at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Of the 61 Student Chapters created since 1980, only five are now inactive or defunct. Below is the list of all 61 Student Chapters, in alphabetical order, with anniversary date and status:

• Brigham Young University (UT), February 24, 1987, 10th Official Group (inactive or defunct)
• Catholic University of America (DC), July 3, 2003, 52nd Official Group
• Chicago State University (IL), November 18, 2009, 58th Official Group
• Clarion University (PA), April 31, 1992, 37th Official Group
• Clark Atlanta University (GA), May 8, 1985, 8th Official Group (inactive or defunct)
• Dominican University (IL), December 5, 1989, 24th Official Group
• Drexel University (PA), January 23, 1991, 27th Official Group
• East Carolina University (NC), February 28, 2005, 53rd Official Group
• Emporia State University (KS), February 22, 1988, 16th Official Group
• Florida State University, January 26, 1988, 14th Official Group
• Indiana University, December 21, 1992, 38th Official Group
• Kent State University (OH), October 22, 1989, 22nd Official Group
• Long Island University (NY), October 2, 1989, 23rd Official Group
• Louisiana State University, April 3, 1985, 7th Official Group
• North Carolina Central University, April 14, 1988, 18th Official Group
• Northeastern State University (OK), February 22, 2006, 55th Official Group
• Northern Illinois University, November 1, 1991, 32nd Offical Group (inactive or defunct)
• Pratt Institute (NY), September 13, 2002 50th Official Group
• Queens College, City University of New York, May 16, 1990, 25th Official Group
• Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, March 12, 1987, 11th Official Group
• San Jose State University (CA), May 17, 1994, 42nd Official Group
• Simmons College (MA), May 7, 1991, 29th Official Group
• Southern Connecticut State University, May 1, 2002, 49th Official Group
• St. Catherine University (MN), May 10, 2011, 61st Official Group
• St. John’s University (NY), November 1, 2010, 59th Official Group
• State University of New York, Buffalo, February 17, 1993, 39th Official Group
• State University of New York, Albany, April 14, 1988, 4th Official Group
• Syracuse University (NY), October 7, 2002, 51st Official Group
• Texas Woman’s University, September 15, 1988, 20th Official Group
• University of Alabama, June 11, 1991, 31st Official Group
• University of Arizona, April 4, 1988, 17th Official Group
• University of British Columbia (Canada), November 23rd, 2010, 60th Official Group
• University of California—Berkeley, August 8, 1990, 26th Official Group (inactive or defunct)
• University of California—Los Angeles, March 15, 1987, 13th Official Group
• University of Denver (CO), May 26, 2005, 54th Official Group
• University of Hawaii, Manoa, February 4, 1992, 34th Official Group
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, February 6, 1981, 2nd Official Group
• University of Iowa, April 30, 1996, 44th Official Group
• University of Kentucky, February 11, 1993, 40th Official Group
• University of Maryland, March 18, 2007, 56th Official Group
• University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, December 1, 1980, 1st Official Group
• University of Missouri—Columbia, December 6, 1994, 43rd Official Group
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Nov. 20, 1991, 33rd Official Group
• University of North Carolina, Greensboro, September 27, 1988, 21st Official Group
• University of North Texas, February 18, 1997, 46th Official Group
• University of Oklahoma (Norman), April 8, 1992, 36th Official Group
• University of Pittsburgh (PA), January 28, 1988, 15th Official Group
• University of Puerto Rico, December 12, 2000, 47th Official Group
• University of Rhode Island, March 5, 1993, 41st Official Group
• University of South Carolina, August 18, 1987, 12th Official Group
• University of South Florida, February 21, 1984, 6th Official Group
• University of Southern Mississippi, May 5, 1983, 5th Official Group
• University of Tennessee, January 23, 1991, 28th Official Group
• University of Texas—Austin, March 6, 1992, 35th Official Group
• University of Toronto (Canada), November 9, 2001, 48th Official Group
• University of Washington, November 26, 1986, 9th Official Group
• University of Western Ontario (Canada), May 18, 1996, 45th Official Group (inactive or defunct)
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, April 4, 1982, 3rd Official Group
• University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, May 1, 1991, 30th Official Group
• Valdosta State University (GA), October 16, 2007, 57th Official Group
• Wayne State University (MI), April 26, 1988, 19th Official Group

Below are three more articles explaining how wonderful the ALA Student Chapters are:

• ALA Student Chapters Making a Difference in Their Communities
• ALA Student Chapters Organize to Effect Change
• Ten Reasons Why You Should Participate in Your School's Student ALA (SALA) Chapter

Another way to be active is by joining your state library association. If you're not already a member, now, right now, is a good time to join! In fact, 23 partner with ALA to join them and ALA for one low price of $35, from now through August 31, 2013.