Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about ILA Forums

ILA forums and committees are instrumental to the work of the association. Frequently asked questions, resources, and policies are available to ILA leaders and volunteers to facilitate their initiatives.

When does my term start?
What are the standard duties of Forum Managers and the Forum Board?
How can people get involved in a Forum or become a Forum Board Member?
What is the ILA Membership Policy for ILA Forums?
What is the difference between being a forum member and a forum board member?
What is the difference between an ILA committee and forum?
Can anyone attend a forum meeting?
How do forums publicly communicate their activities?
What are my forum’s responsibilities at the ILA Annual Conference?
Can my forum sponsor a continuing education event or invite a high-profile speaker to speak at Conference?
How can my forum submit an article for the ILA Reporter?
How can my forum submit an announcement for the ILA Alert e-newsletter?
How do I set up a Zoom meeting?
How and when are reports submitted to the ILA Executive Board?
Does my forum have a budget?
What if someone is acting inappropriately at a meeting or event?
What if there is a vacancy in the forum board?
How can a forum change its bylaws?
How is a forum dissolved?
Who is my ILA Executive Board liaison, and what can they do for me?
Whom do I contact at ILA?

1. When does my term start?

ILA’s association year is July 1 - June 30. The term for all committee chairs and forum managers starts July 1. The length of terms of office vary. This is designed to provide an avenue for interested members to become easily involved in ILA activities, and staggered terms help ensure continuity.

2. What are the standard duties of Forum Managers?

Remind forum board members to maintain ILA personal membership and current contact information for their profile. Log in to the ILA website to update the information or contact ila@ila.org for information that ILA staff have to update (username, dues category, and linked organization).
Discuss upcoming plans with the board and/or staff liaison in the early stages of development to benefit from useful advice about policy issues that may affect the activity.
Familiarize yourself with ILA fiscal policies and procedures about forum activities, including budgeting and workshop/event planning.
Disclose any conflicts of interest as outlined in the Conflict of Interest Policy.
At the end of the term of office, turn over notes and other significant documents to the new forum leader.
Provide networking opportunities for members interested in a variety of topics.
Submit at least one Annual Conference program proposal each year.
Host at least one face-to-face event annually. This could be a continuing education event (e.g., a program at ILA, IACRL, or Reaching Forward conferences), a discussion group at a conference, or a reception.
Elect or appoint leadership each year.
Establish an annual schedule of meetings or activities; designate when and how new leadership will be determined. Post leadership opportunities and elections transparently and well in advance.
Provide publicly available online communication to library workers about the forum’s activities, such as a blog or newsletter.
Work with the staff liaison to update the leadership roster and internal communication preferences, including the ILA Executive Board liaison.
Coordinate the promotion of activities and events with the Communications and Engagement Manager.
Develop and maintain a set of bylaws.

3. How can people get involved in a Forum or become a Forum Board Member?

An individual can express interest in an ILA Forum either through the interest form, physical sign up sheets at ILA events, or emailing or talking with the forum manager or staff liaison.
The forum manager responds with personal email and cc's the staff liaison; invites them to the next forum meeting (staff can forward details if needed); and shares links to public communications (ie, blog), website (which includes forum bylaws and procedures), social media, and other meeting dates.

If an individual attends meetings and continues to express interest in participating and wants to be part of the forum board, they can check the forum’s bylaws or reach out to the forum manager. Forum meeting agendas should include information at the conclusion of the meeting on how to move forward with being on the board and when a decision is made.

Staff verifies personal ILA membership before new board members are approved or elected.
The forum board can vote or the manager can appoint them to the forum board (depending on forum bylaws).
Forum board members can volunteer for forum committees and leadership positions.
Forum board members can indicate term renewal on an annual basis.

4. What is the ILA Membership Policy?

Forum managers and board members are required to maintain personal membership in the association for the duration of their term of service.

5. What is the difference between being a forum member and a forum board member?

Anyone, regardless of ILA membership status, can participate in forum events and meetings. General forum membership and committees may be noted on internal documents. Forum board members are leaders that have their role indicated on the group’s roster and in their individual member profile and are required to maintain an ILA personal membership for the duration of their term.

6. Can anyone attend an ILA forum meeting?

In general, ILA forum meetings are open to ILA members. Details are outlined in the Open Meetings Policy.

7. How do forums publicly communicate their activities?

Social media platforms
Public communication platforms such as newsletters, blogs, etc.
ILA Calendar
Coordinate the promotion of activities and events with the Communications and Engagement Manager
Meeting and event announcements

8. What are my forum’s responsibilities at the ILA Annual Conference?

The Conference Program Committee seeks program proposals and poster sessions from ILA forums, committees, and a variety of library positions, types, sizes, and geographic areas to provide well-rounded educational content for all attendees.

Committees and forums are asked to submit at least one conference program proposal to address topics that are relevant to their target audience or showcase the work of the group to ILA Conference attendees. In some cases, forums host a ticketed event or an unconference in addition to their programs. While there is no guarantee that the proposed programs will be accepted, programs proposed by ILA groups are weighted favorably.

We encourage ILA groups to brainstorm and crowdsource the educational needs of their audiences when considering their proposals. Proposals do not need to include the leaders as speakers but instead leaders can solicit experts to propose on their behalf. It’s important that any proposal submitted on behalf of an ILA group be marked as such so the Conference Program Committee can give the proposal the proper attention and significance.

Additionally, ILA designates multiple tables at ILA Annual Conferences for committees and forums to talk with attendees, answer questions, and encourage participation. This is an opportunity for leaders to share information about their group, recruit interested members, answer questions and engage with ILA conference attendees. You could have sign up sheets, free swag, raffles, brochures, or resources available. Check with your staff liaison about what is currently available to represent your group; table cloths, pens, postcards, ribbons etc. many committees and forums have a modest expense budget of $200. Some committees and forums have a separate revenue and expense budget. ILA staff liaisons will have more information.

Program proposals are submitted in the spring between January - March.
Unconferences, events, and meetings are submitted before the conference preview is published in June. Please provide titles and descriptions that are informative and welcoming to new attendees even if the group has traditionally hosted this event annually.
Poster session applications are due at the end of July.
Table information and sign up is circulated to committee chairs and forum leaders in September.

ILA's committees and forums are instrumental to the work of the association and providing the voice of our members. The ILA Executive Board believes those who do the work of the association deserve an ownership stake in it; after all, our members *are* ILA.

9. Can my forum sponsor a continuing education event or invite a high-profile speaker to speak at Conference?

Yes! If you are considering sponsoring a special event, workshop, or conference speaker, please contact your staff liaison and the Conference and Continuing Education Manager to discuss your proposal.

10. How can my forum submit an article for the ILA Reporter?

To propose an article, contact ILA Reporter editor Sarah Anderson (sanderson@ila.org) and the current ILA Reporter Advisory Committee chair to see where your article might fit into the upcoming editorial calendar.

11. How can my forum submit an announcement for the ILA Alert e-newsletter?

To submit an announcement for the e-news contact Communications and Engagement Manager Tamara Jenkins (tjenkins@ila.org). Of course, you can always start with your staff liaison.

12. How do I set up a Zoom meeting?

ILA has three Zoom accounts for committees and forums to use when they need to meet remotely. Contact your staff liaison to schedule a zoom meeting.

13. How and when are reports submitted to the ILA Executive Board?

Forum managers are expected to work with their board liaison to complete regular reports to the ILA Executive Board. Reports should be emailed two weeks before each board meeting to your board liaison, staff liaison, and ILA at ila@ila.org. The ILA Executive Board will meet on the following dates in 2025-2026:

9/18/2025
11/20/2025
1/15/2026
(This meeting only: Board reports required ONLY if something needs to be brought to the ILA Executive Board's attention.)
2/26/2026
5/14/2026

Report deadlines are also listed on the ILA Calendar. Reports are submitted using a standard report template that is available to download as a MS Word document or a fillable PDF.

14. Does my forum have a budget?

Yes, many committees and forums have a modest expense budget of $200. Some forums have a separate revenue and expense budget. ILA staff liaisons will have more information.

Workshop Guidelines and Budget Planning Forms (Excel and PDF) are available for use.

15. What if someone is acting inappropriately at a meeting or event?

All participants are expected to observe the rules and behaviors outlined in the Statement of Appropriate Conduct in all meeting venues, including online venues, and meeting social events. Participants asked to stop hostile or harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

16. What if there is a vacancy in the forum leadership?

Upon the resignation of a forum manager, the incoming manager (or manager-elect) will serve for the remainder of that unfilled term and continue as manager for their term. Other vacant positions can be appointed by the manager or according to the forum’s bylaws.

17. How can a forum change its bylaws?

Forum bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the forum board by a majority vote of the board members present, provided that the notice of the proposed amendment to the bylaws is included in the notice of the meeting.

18. How is a forum dissolved?

According to Article XIII, Section 4 of the ILA Bylaws, “The Executive Board [of the Illinois Library Association] shall discontinue a forum when it has determined that the usefulness of the forum has ended.”

19. What is the difference between an ILA committee and forum?

ILA's committees provide major support services for the membership at large and the ILA Executive Board such as planning programming for ILA’s various conferences, spearheading the iREAD themes, and deciding on ILA’s annual legislative agenda. Forums allow library workers to connect with one another on various specialized topics and interests. Informally structured, forum participants work with one another to develop and present conference programs and informational literature, among other activities.

The opportunity to serve on or chair an ILA committee is a benefit of ILA personal membership; committee members and chairs, and forum managers and forum board members, are required to maintain personal membership in the association for the duration of their term of service. ILA member leaders determine award winners, grant recipients, and program topics.

Forum events, meetups, and roundtables are open for participation to interested Illinois library workers but do not require personal membership.

20. Who is my ILA Executive Board liaison, and what can they do for me?

Your board liaison is listed on your online roster and is your “go to” person for all questions about project scope, budgeting matters, ILA policies, reporting, and a general resource. Board liaisons should be available to attend their assigned committee and forum meetings and provide input and encouragement in order for you to achieve your goals. Meeting reminders, agendas, and documents will be sent to the board liaison via internal communication or email. (Procedural questions are probably best answered by the ILA staff.)

21. Whom do I contact at ILA?

ILA staff are happy to help committees and forums to make sure they get the information they need. If you are not sure who to contact at ILA, email ila@ila.org and we will make sure the correct person gets the email.
Specifically, ILA staff assignments are as follows:

Cyndi Robinson (crobinson@ila.org): Advocacy Committee, Finance Committee, and Public Policy Committee
Tina Koleva (tkoleva@ila.org): iREAD Committee, Nominating Committee
Sarah Anderson (sanderson@ila.org): ILA Reporter Advisory Committee, Human Resources & Administration Forum
Kristin Pekoll (kpekoll@ila.org): Conference Program Committees, Fundraising Committee, Intellectual Freedom Committee, Reaching Forward North Committee, Reaching Forward South Committee, Library Trustee Forum, Resources & Technical Services Forum, and Small and Rural Libraries Forum
Tamara Jenkins (tjenkins@ila.org): Awards Committee, Diversity Committees, IACRL Forum, Marketing Forum, and Students and New Professionals Forum
Becca Boland (bboland@ila.org): iREAD Committee, Young Adult Services Forum, and Youth Services Forum