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The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is the largest division of the American Library Association (ALA) and serves people working in academic and research libraries. For the wider discipline, see our guides on what is library science and what is information science.
What is ACRL?
ACRL is the higher education division of the American Library Association. Founded in 1940, it describes its community as nearly 8,500 individuals and libraries. It publishes standards and frameworks for academic libraries, runs professional development programs, hosts a conference, and publishes the journal College & Research Libraries (C&RL). The related ASIS&T guide covers a separate association focused on information science research.
Who runs it and what it covers
ACRL operates within ALA and is led through a Board of Directors; its Directory of Leadership on the official site lists current members. Its work falls into four areas:
- Standards and frameworks: the official standards page lists the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and the Standards for Libraries in Higher Education.
- Publishing: College & Research Libraries is described by its own site as a bi-monthly, online-only scholarly research journal and is the official publication of ACRL.
- Professional development: ACRL RoadShows bring workshops to a campus, in person or virtually, led by academic librarians and researchers.
- Conference: the ACRL Conference. The official conferences page currently promotes ACRL 2027 in Portland, Oregon, and online.
How to search or use it
- Go to the ACRL pages on the ALA site (ala.org/acrl) for the association’s overview and leadership directory.
- Open the standards page to find the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and the Standards for Libraries in Higher Education.
- Open the C&RL journal site to browse the journal.
- Open the conferences page for details of the next ACRL Conference.
- Use the Join | Renew link on the ACRL pages for membership options.
Strengths and limits
- Strengths: a recognised home for academic library standards, an association journal, workshops for campuses, and a conference.
- Limits: ACRL is a division of a North American association, so its materials are framed mainly around higher education libraries there. It is a professional body, not a database or discovery tool for finding research papers.
Alternatives
| Organization | Relationship to ACRL |
|---|---|
| ACRL | Higher education division of ALA |
| ASIS&T | A separate association centred on information science; see our ASIS&T guide |
FAQ
What is ACRL?
ACRL stands for the Association of College and Research Libraries. It is the largest division of the American Library Association, founded in 1940.
What is the Association of College and Research Libraries responsible for?
It publishes standards and frameworks such as the Standards for Libraries in Higher Education, publishes College & Research Libraries, offers RoadShow workshops, and hosts the ACRL Conference.
What is the ACRL Conference?
It is ACRL’s conference for academic and research library professionals. The official conferences page currently promotes ACRL 2027 in Portland, Oregon, and online; check that page for dates and registration.
How do I join ACRL?
Use the Join | Renew link on the ACRL pages of the ALA site and follow the options listed there.
Sources
- ACRL. “About ACRL.” American Library Association, https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl (checked November 7, 2026).
- ACRL. “Standards, Guidelines, and Frameworks.” American Library Association, https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards (checked November 7, 2026).
- ACRL. “College & Research Libraries.” https://crl.acrl.org/ (checked November 7, 2026).
- ACRL. “Conferences.” American Library Association, https://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences (checked November 7, 2026).
