Since 1989, OLA's Academic Library Division has played a dual role within the state. It is OLA's academic division and its president is a voting member of OLA's Executive Board. It is also the Oregon chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL-Oregon) and its president is a voting member of the ACRL Chapters Council. In both its roles, the division supports academic libraries by fostering communication, sponsoring educational programs, and advocating in the political, social, and professional arena at the local and national level.

ACRL-Oregon's 180 members reflect the diversity of academic libraries. They work at community colleges, private and public colleges and universities, and special libraries. They catalog, answer reference questions, provide research assistance, acquire materials, teach users information-seeking skills in workshops and credit classes, check-out books and software, deliver and receive electronic and print materials, maintain automated systems and CD-ROM networks. They also conduct and publish research in books and journals, present papers at conferences, and serve on committees and boards of library and academic professional associations.

ACRL-Oregon is governed by a board consisting of a president, vice president/president elect, past president (ex officio), and publications editor (ex officio) and an eight-member advisory board, four of whom are elected by the membership and four appointed to represent community colleges, private colleges, Oregon University System (OUS) colleges and universities, and the State Library. Elections are held in the spring. The board meets at least quarterly, and a membership meeting is held at the fall conference held jointly with the Washington ACRL. The board also hosts an informal gathering during OLA's annual conference.