For tenure and promotion, you will need to demonstrate a variety of service which could include: library, university, and professional organizations. You don’t need to try to serve on all levels all at once, all the time. It can take time for opportunities to open up, but they will come.

Ask around if you are unsure of the time commitment of a certain committee or office. Some activities will be more labor-intensive than others and their workload may be seasonal. 

Some supervisors will expect that you discuss service opportunities with them prior to pursuing these commitments. It is good practice to consult with your supervisor prior to committing to service to ensure it will fit within your workload. 

There are different types of committees within the Libraries: appointed, volunteer, elected, and ad hoc committees. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to serve on Libraries committees.

The list of current committees is here: https://uark.libguides.com/committees

• Appointed: You may serve on certain committees, such as the Collection Development Assembly, based on your job responsibilities.
• Elected: The elected committees are Library Faculty Council, Unit Peer Review Committee, and Unit Personnel Committee. Elections take place in June. Prior to the ballot, faculty may ask for their name to be removed. Terms are for two years, spanning from July-June.
• Volunteer: Calls will be put our periodically (no set time) when individuals are needed for volunteer committees, such as the Threat Assessment Committee or the Awards Committee
• Ad hoc committees are for a period of time for a specific purpose, such as Library Faculty Document Committee. These committees might be either appointed or volunteer.

University Committees are either appointed by our dean or through an open call from the Committee on Committees when positions become available.

Faculty Senate Committees: https://facultysenate.uark.edu/senatecommittees.php

Campus Council Committees: https://campuscouncil.uark.edu/Committees/index.php

Administrative Committees: https://provost.uark.edu/committees/

When open positions become available, the Libraries representative to the Committee on Committees will put out a call for volunteers. If multiple people volunteer for the same position, the names will be referred to the Admin Group to determine who will fill the slot. All appointments will be approved by the Libraries Admin Group and by the University Committee on Committees. 

This presentation was put together by Molly Boyd for the All Library Faculty meeting in the spring of 2025. 

There is a broad range of opportunities to get involved in professional organizations at the state, regional, and national levels. You may also serve in sections within organizations. Some organizations are listed below to give you ideas. This is not an exhaustive list.

American Library Association (ALA) - many divisions* and sections within you can join

Agriculture Network Information Collaborative (AgNIC)

Arkansas Library Association (ArLA)

Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA)

Art Libraries Society of North America Central Plains Chapter

*Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)

Association of Southern Research Libraries (ASERL)

*Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures (CORE)

Digital Library Federation (DLF)

Ex Libris Users of North America (ELUNA)

Library Orientation Exchange (LOEX)

Medical Library Association (MLA) (not to be confused with Modern Language Association, also MLA)

National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)

North American Serials Information Group (NASIG)

*Reference & User Services Association (RUSA)

Special Libraries Association (SLA)

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA)