Feminist Task Force

Charge

Provides feminist perspectives and initiates action on issues related to libraries, librarianship, information services, and ALA.

Roster

Resources

Composition

FTF Coordinator & website manager: Katelyn Browne

Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 co-chairs: Laura Simeon & Vicki Pietrus

Moderator of The Feminist discussion group: Theresa A. Tobin & Mary Jinglewski

Subcommitees and Task Forces

Call for Papers: The ALA Feminist Task Force urges librarians to submit research papers and documents pertaining to women in librarianship or gender issues in library services.

Women in Libraries

Women in Libraries is the newsletter of the Feminist Task Force. Full information is still being migrated from our now-defunct Wikispaces page, but the Women in Libraries archives, 1970-2002, are available.

Women of Library History

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Women of Library History highlights women leaders in our field. Calls for submissions, an index of women profiled to date, and other information are available at Women of Library History.

Feminist Research in Librarianship

Origin

ALA's SRRT Feminist Task Force (FTF) was founded in 1970 by women determined to address sexism in libraries and librarianship. FTF was the first ALA group to focus on women's issues. Other ALA women's groups fostered by FTF include the standing ALA Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) and the Committee on Pay Equity, the RASD Discussion Group on Women's Materials and Women Library Users, The ACRL Women's Studies Section, and the LAMA Women Administrators Discussion Group. The Feminist Task Force continues to be one of SRRT's largest and most active groups, concerned with a broad, evolving set of feminist issues.

Rise: A Feminist Book Project

Each year, Rise recommends well-written, well-illustrated books for young readers with significant feminist content. More information, including the committee's Policies & Procedures and Book Criteria, is available at the Rise Project blog. Rise was known as the Amelia Bloomer Project from 2001 to 2019.

Get Involved

To get involved, just come to our meetings. Meetings are held at both the ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences each year and are announced in the program schedules. Listen for a bit to get a grasp on things, then suggest an activity or volunteer for a project you find compelling. We welcome all newcomers!

There are many opportunities to be involved, including serving as an officer (coordinator, treasurer, secretary, etc.), writing about FTF and feminist issues for the SRRT Newsletter, helping plan programs, and sharing ideas about things you would like FTF to do.