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I. Selecting Target Organizations

• The target organization reflects a direction or priority as articulated in the.
• The relationship has the potential to advance the interests of academic libraries.
• The specific goals and outcomes of the liaison relationship offer potential significant accomplishments for the ACRL vision.

Liaison relationships with external organizations may be initiated by ACRL units or the . The ELC will monitor developments in higher education and remain alert and responsive to proposing additional liaison organizations. In such cases, the ELC will work with the Board of Directors to identify appropriate liaisons. ACRL units do not require Board or ELC approval to establish liaison relationships, but the ACRL members serving as liaisons should be reported to the ELC chair for the purposes of being added to the . Participation in the Liaisons Assembly will facilitate the sharing of liaison experiences and best practices, development of liaison skills and abilities, and the exploration of possible partnerships.

II. Selecting Liaisons

ACRL units whose members are active in a non-library organization are encouraged to designate one person as an official ACRL liaison to that organization. Such designation will ensure that others in ACRL will have the benefit of the outreach experience, position the unit to take advantage of training and outreach initiatives at the ACRL level, and make the unit’s designated liaison eligible for ACRL Liaison funding. The sponsoring units should employ a selection process that invites qualified applicants through established ACRL media and ensures all qualified candidates have an equal opportunity to apply. The ACRL External Liaisons Committee must approve the recruitment plan, and will assist in facilitating the recruitment if needed.

The sponsoring unit will determine what qualifications should be required or preferred, what information should be submitted by the applicants, who will make up the application review committee, who will make the final appointment decision, and what will be the length of the appointment term.

ACRL liaisons must be current members of ACRL and 91´«Ã½ (Source: A.5.5.1 Membership (Old Number 4.5.1). ACRL Liaisons Assembly liaisons may serve up to six consecutive years (Source: Fall Board Virtual Meeting, 2022).

Additional criteria, which ACRL units may choose to employ might include:

• Content knowledge in area of focus of the target organization.
• Current member of target organization and number of years of membership.
• Level of activity with the target organization, using such quantifiable measurements as committee appointments, attendance at conferences, papers presented, articles published, and leadership positions held (i.e., has the individual actively participated in and influenced the work of the target association).
• Ability to identify the needs of the target organization and articulate how librarians, libraries, and/or ACRL can assist, keeping in mind and linking to ACRL’s vision and strategic objectives.
• Holding an advanced degree of specialization in the target organization’s area of focus.
• Diversity should be a factor in considering liaison appointments.
• Experience serving ACRL.
• If a liaison is being considered for reappointment, how effective has s/he been?
• Personal effectiveness. The individual should possess demonstrated leadership and communication abilities, be articulate and persuasive, and deal with people tactfully.