Volunteer
The ACRL New England Chapter is an all-volunteer organization, powered by passionate librarians and library workers. There are many ways to get involved, and we would be delighted to have you join our team! Nominate yourself or someone else for an available position; see below for current opportunities and shared experiences from current board members.
The Chapter will fund the Vice President's and President's required ALA and ACRL national memberships each year.
Once elected, Chapter officers will begin service on June 13, 2025.
The deadline to submit a nomination is 11:59pm EST on Monday, April 7, 2025.
Current Opportunities
- Vice President/President-Elect (three-year term)
- State Rep for Connecticut (two-year term)
- State Rep for Massachusetts (two-year term)
- State Rep for New Hampshire (two-year term)
Statements from Board Members
Vice President/President-Elect
Susanna Cowan, President
The role of VP/President-Elect is the first of a 4-year sequence: VP, President, Past President, and Past Past President. This is my second elected role on the Board – I served as Secretary to the chapter during lockdown when Board meetings went online – which they still mostly are (a good thing!). Having served in a mostly listening, support role (Secretary), it’s been both exciting and challenging to move into a role that takes a leading role in building the annual conference (VP) and running Board meetings and retreats (Pres). The challenge part isn’t that it’s unpleasant or difficult work building a conference (although it does require being able to juggle a few to-do’s at once) – but that the role has a self-imposed high bar built in. I found myself wanting to do my very best, both as VP and President, to take the chapter forward and make it better for both Board members, members generally – and everyone else who interacts with the chapter. For the VP, that means putting both heart and brain to work facilitating the work of a planning committee and checking many lists twice (more like ten times) to build the annual conference. But the payoff for that work is huge – when hundreds of colleagues assemble in physical and virtual spaces to take part in the conference, it's an incredible feeling. Watching library colleagues waiting to enter a session room and hear what someone has to share about work they’ve done – is magical. You think: it’s all worth it. Knowing that you and the conference committee made it happen – created a forum that brings so many colleagues together to learn about and discuss topics that matter to the academic library community – from AI to supporting student success to innovations in collection development and resource access – is humbling and satisfying. And know that if you decide to put your name in for Vice President – you won’t be alone! I guarantee you the President, Past President, and Past President, who have recent memories of conference work, are there to support you as best they can. Ditto for the Board, who is a great sounding board (ha!) for conference planning ideas that need decisions…or just some pre-decision brainstorming. And many members of the conference committee sign on for additional years – and their experience is invaluable!
Secretary
Kelsey Diemand, Secretary
Serving as ACRL-NEC Secretary has been a professional joy. In the past, I've often viewed committee work and collaborative opportunities within professional organizations as intimidating or stressful. This has not at all been my experience in my two years with the ACRL New England board and chapter. While the Secretary is the designated note and minute-taker, this role is also a key member of decision making for ACRL-NEC. This role is also a great way to practice active learning and participation skills. This role has been a wonderful way to learn more about the goals and roles of librarians across New England institutions. I've also made some invaluable professional connections and have identified colleagues to research and collaborate with outside of Chapter activities. I highly recommend this role to anyone interested in dipping their toes into professional leadership and to anyone seeking to be involved in our regional, professional community. Due to some personal commitments, I cannot run for the board this cycle, but I am happy to chat with anyone who is interested.
Treasurer
Kristina Edwards, Treasurer
As the current treasurer for ACRL NEC, I get the opportunity to exercise my financial skills and work with librarians that truly understand the challenges and issues that are important to me as an academic librarian. ACRL NEC provides a unique opportunity for academic librarians to work with other academic librarians here in New England. As treasurer, my focus has largely been on the financial aspects of the association but as with everything related to money, it has provided me a road to learn more about the history and interworking of ACRL NEC to truly appreciate what it does for academic librarians. During the hardest parts of the pandemic, library associations have had to make hard financial decisions and drastically change the way that they serve their members. As a member of the executive board, I have had opportunities to help refine and collaborate with other librarians to discuss changes in how members prefer programming (in person vs. online), challenges to providing professional development programs, and how best to transform our existing scholarship program to truly meet the needs of members. If you are interested in adding your voice, meeting new people, and giving back to the library profession, there is no easier way than to join the ACRL NEC board!
Maine State Representative
Cory Budden, Maine State Representative
Being a state representative for ACRL NEC has been a wonderful opportunity to connect with other librarians in New England and within my own state. I enjoy sharing the exciting initiatives of our chapter with my Maine colleagues and in turn I learn more about their own projects and successes.
The ACRL NEC offers many professional development opportunities including our annual conference, topical webinars, meetings, and smaller events. Chapter leadership provides the opportunity to get involved in developing this meaningful and impactful chapter-level programming.
I deeply appreciate the opportunity to connect with the librarians of New England through ACRL NEC leadership!