Research Committee | The American Library Association Archives

The Research Committee was established as a standing committee of the American Library Association on January 11, 1968, by a vote of the Council. The predecessor of the Research Committee, the Advisory Committee for the ALA Office for Research and Development (1965-67), was simultaneously dissolved (1).

The purpose of the committee is to facilitate research and related activities in all units of the Association.

The Research Committee is specificially charged with:

1. Advising the ALA Council and Executive Board on programs, policy and priorities regarding research.

2. Recommending procedures to achieve expeditious consideration of all ALA unit proposals for research and related activities by the ALA Executive Board.

3. Encouraging the establishment of divisional committees for the purpose of stimulating research.

4. Maintaining liaison with all units of the Association regardingÃ?  research and related activities in the units.

5. Identifying questions regarding library service which need to be answered through research and promoting the conduct of research to answer those questions.

6. Serving as an advisory committee for the Office of Research (2).

The Research Committee also undertakes special projects designed to facilitate research. These have included the preparation of a directory of research in ALA units detailing research in progress, design of a procedures manual for handling research proposals submitted to the Executive Board for funding, compilation of a list of major research completed during the year and design of a plan with the Library Research Round Table to determine how the results of research should be disseminated to maximize its usefulness to researchers (3).

Sub-Groups:

1-Chair

1. ALA Council, Minutes, Midwinter Meeting, Bal Harbour, Florida, January 11, 1968, p. 10.

2. ALA Handbook of Organization, 1985-86, p. 22.

3. ALA Council, Minutes, Midwinter Meeting, Washington, D.C., February 4, 1977, p. 114.