The subcommittee may also want to invite individuals to serve as advisors to the subcommittee on various aspects of the project. The ALA Committee on Standards reviews and approves proposed standards for consistency with ALA policies, among other responsibilities. The subcommittee notifies other ALA units of its establishment and its proposed activities, as appropriate. The subcommittee chairperson coordinates most scheduling, clerical, and mailing functions, and delegates responsibilities for specific tasks to individual members. The subcommittee develops a timetable for all activities, revising it as necessary.
Most subcommittees take at least three years to complete their projects.
To accomplish this, subcommittees may also need to schedule conference calls and working sessions between conferences. To make the best use of members' time, the subcommittee schedules at least two lengthy meetings at each conference, prepares electronic files of drafts, and provides members with items to review well before any scheduled meetings. The subcommittee establishes general policies for conducting its meetings, including policies on participation by observers, determining consensus on issues, the role of advisors, etc. The subcommittee compiles lists of individuals, agencies, and organizations to which to send draft documents for field review. This includes other interested ALA units.