Volunteer
Becoming a unit officer or member of a TLA Standing Committee
Enhance your leadership skills by volunteering with TLA. There are many opportunities to get involved in a variety of roles.
Volunteer Today!
Unit Officer Form Standing Committee Form
If you are interested in volunteering for more than one standing committee or unit, you must complete a separate form for each.
TLA staff reviews all submissions and forwards them to current unit officers, the TLA executive director, and TLA president
In the fall, individuals will be contacted by unit officers and the TLA president as they begin to put together slates for election, and open committee terms. TLA online elections are held in February. Unit elections are held before TLA Annual Conference.
If you are elected to a unit officer position or appointed to a standing committee, your term will begin at the end of the TLA Annual Conference in April. Then you will be added to the TLA Engage Unit Officer Community, Unit or Committee Google Drive.
A unit officer is a TLA member who volunteered to run for office and is elected by their unit’s membership to serve on the executive leadership team for a division, district or round table (unit).
A standing committee member is a TLA member who volunteered to serve on a committee, and is appointed by the TLA president to serve on one of the standing committees.
What are the expectations to serve as a unit officer or committee member?
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- Maintain active TLA membership.
- Attend virtual business meetings.
- Maintain minutes and business documents for unit or committee in their Google Shared Drive.
- With the help of TLA Staff, manage unit’s annual budget, conference programming, in-person meetings, monthly webinars, TLA Engage community, etc.
- Attend summer officer training (in-person) at TLA Officer Governance Training Workshop in Austin, TX.
- Attend TLA Annual Conference
- Chair (Chair-Elect, Chair, Past Chair) – 3-year term, point of contact for unit, approves budget
- Secretary/Treasurer – 1 year term, takes minutes for meetings, helps with budget
- Web Administrator – 1 year term, manages units web pages
- Councilor – 3-year terms, representative of unit at Council meetings
- Alternate Councilor – 3-year terms, representative of unit at Council meetings if Councilor is unavailable.
- Other positions may vary per unit.
- TLA has 20 standing committees.
- Each committee has a chair, and some have vice-chairs.
- Committee member terms are staggered and are usually at least two years.
Who to contact for more information:
- Christy Reynolds, TLA Information and Member Services Manager
- Shirley Robinson, TLA Executive Director
Why Volunteer
“I chose to serve because I’m passionate about school libraries and the value of school librarians.”
– Brooke K., Librarian
“I was interested in learning more about how TLA operated at an organizational level.”
– Laura T., Community Engagement Librarian
“To learn more about public libraries across the state, and how they are doing/working individually and how we can unite to make life a little better for all of us.”
– Rebecca A., MLS, Director
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