When I think about the strength of a professional association like ACRL, I come back to a simple truth: it keeps me from working in an echo chamber of my own thoughts. In the daily work of academic librarianship—especially in smaller or more siloed settings—it is easy to feel isolated. ACRL has been the antidote to that isolation for me.
Through ACRL, I’ve learned from colleagues who approach our shared challenges from vastly different perspectives. I’ve built community beyond the walls of my own institution, gaining insights that I would never have encountered otherwise. This ability to connect across roles, institutions, and experiences has been one of the most meaningful parts of my professional journey.
Practicing Belonging Through Community
What stands out most in my experience is how ACRL demonstrates belonging not just in principle, but in practice. Belonging comes alive when librarians from community colleges and R1 universities, from solo librarian positions and large research teams, come together as peers. The richness of those conversations—and the collaborative spirit they foster—shapes how I approach my own work and how I envision the future of our profession.
For me, belonging isn’t only about representation; it’s about creating structures where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to contribute. ACRL has provided those structures, and I believe it can and must continue to strengthen them.
Why This Matters Now
The challenges facing academic libraries today make the work of ACRL more vital than ever:
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Finance: shrinking budgets and rising costs demand collective strategies so that small and underfunded institutions are not left behind.
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Advocacy: our voices carry farther when they are united. ACRL gives us a platform to make the case for the value of libraries at a national level.
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Toxic cultures: too many colleagues face unhealthy workplaces. Sharing solutions and building solidarity through ACRL can help us shift from isolation to resilience.
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Innovation: technologies like AI bring both opportunities and anxieties. ACRL can help us experiment responsibly, ensuring that innovation expands access rather than deepens divides.
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Equity for students: when librarians belong, students benefit. ACRL’s work helps democratize access to knowledge so that students at every institution—not just the most well-resourced—can succeed.
Looking Forward: My Vision for ACRL
As I look to the future of ACRL, I see its strength in its ability to grow and adapt while staying true to its mission of advancing academic librarianship. That means:
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Breaking down silos. Ensuring members never feel isolated, regardless of institution size, resources, or role.
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Fostering action. Turning community energy into initiatives that address real-world challenges, rather than allowing bureaucracy to stifle innovation.
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Living our values. Making belonging a consistent practice across mentoring, leadership development, and professional programming.
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Expanding leadership pathways. Creating inclusive opportunities for members to step into leadership roles and bring forward fresh perspectives.
At its best, ACRL is more than a professional association—it is a community of practice. It’s where we move beyond echo chambers, connect across differences, and strengthen our collective ability to lead academic libraries into the future.
That is the ACRL I’ve experienced, and it is the ACRL I want to help build.
Call to Action
If you’ve ever felt siloed, unseen, or unheard in this profession, ACRL is your network. It is the place where your voice matters, your ideas take root, and your work connects to a larger story. Together, we can ensure that ACRL continues to be a home for every librarian, at every type of institution, serving every kind of student.
Let’s build that future—together.
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