Existing records show that Richard Perrine's primary motivation for establishment of the Reference Round Table was to create a Reference Services Division (RSD) chapter in Texas. This also is evident in the name originally established for the organization in the first bylaws: the Texas Chapter, Reference Services Division of the American Library Association, a Reference Round Table of the Texas Library Association. During the first few years of the Reference Round Table, the Reference Services Division Executive Secretary and the Chair of the Chapters Committee provided advice and program support to the RRT leadership. In 1966, RSD discovered that the "chapter" title was technically illegal under ALA bylaws and changed the designation to "division affiliates". The change was not reflected, however, in RRT bylaws.

RRT minutes and other information were deposited regularly with the RSD Executive Secretary through 1970. RRT first used the RSD traveling exhibit of reference books as an exhibit at the 1966 TLA Annual Conference in Austin. At the 1967 TLA Annual Conference, both Edward G. Strable, RSD Executive Secretary, and Walter Allen, Chair of the RSD Division Affiliates Committee, met with RRT leaders to discuss ways to strengthen the Texas chapter and its programming. Mr. Strabel also spoke on "Reference Librarians as Communicators -- How Effective?" as part of the RRT program meeting. In 1968, the Reference Round Table's early focus on networking and library cooperation in Texas led to discussions with RSD over inclusion as a demonstration project in an RSD application for a J. Morris Jones-World Book Encyclopedia-ALA Goals Award. Richard Perrine often represented RRT at meetings of the RSD Division Affiliates Committee during these early years and subsequently became the first RSD President (1968-69) from the Texas affiliate.

With the merger in 1972 of the Reference Services Division and the Adult Services Division -- both of which had their own affiliated groups -- into the Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD) of the American Library Association, affiliate oversight was transferred to an RASD Relations with State and Regional Library Associations Committee. This change in the division name was not reflected in RRT bylaws. The Reference Round Table's initial identity as a chapter of RSD and RASD apparently became overshadowed by an identity as a unit of the Texas Library Association. The 1977 revision of RRT bylaws no longer referred to RRT as affiliated with RASD, even though RASD continued to list RRT as an affiliate.

In 1978, the RASD Relations with State and Regional Library Associations Committee was dissolved and a new Council of State and Regional Groups was formed to take its place as a link to division affiliates. Affiliates were allocated one delegate to the new group. In response to a 1978 memorandum from Virginia B. Manbeck, Chair of CSRG, the Reference Round Table voted official approval for RRT affiliation with RASD 6 April 1979 during the TLA Annual Conference in San Antonio. At the 1980 ALA Midwinter meeting, the RASD Board of Directors accepted as current affiliates the state and regional organizations -- including RRT -- listed in the 1979-80 ALA Handbook of Organization.

John C. Hepner (Texas Woman’s University), RRT Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, met with Virginia B. Manbeck during the 1979 ALA Annual Conference in Dallas. Details of RRT participation in CSRG were clarified and the need for selection of a delegate from RRT to the group was discussed. Charles L. Gilreath, Texas A&M University, originally was asked to serve as the RRT delegate to CSRG, but, because no response was received from him in time for the RRT Executive Board meeting at the TLA Annual Assembly 3 August 1979, John Hepner was designated as the RRT contact person, with the possibility left open for Charles Gilreath’s appointment as representative, if he subsequently assented to serve.

John Hepner attended CSRG meetings from 1979 until 1981. He was elected CSRG Chair-elect for 1980-1981, but was unable to serve as Chair the following year. Dean Covington, the subsequent RRT Chair, attended CSRG meetings during his term of office and served as CSRG Chair-elect during 1981-1982. Representation on the Council then waned until 1988, when John Hepner again attended a CSRG meeting during the ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco.

At the RRT Executive Board meeting 21 July 1989, John brought up the failure of RRT bylaws to reflect RASD affiliation. He was appointed interim delegate to CSRG and subsequently served as the RRT delegate to CSRG until 1996. During the period of his involvement, John chaired the CSRG during 1992-93 and edited the CSRG newsletter Roundup from 1989 to 1996.

At the RRT business meeting 4 April 1990 during the TLA Annual Conference in Dallas, RRT Bylaws Article 4, Section 6 was approved to acknowledge RRT affiliation with RASD. The Chair of RRT was authorized to serve as the representative to CSRG or to appoint a representative to attend meetings of CSRG and report back to the RRT membership.

At the 1993 TLA Annual Conference in San Antonio, the Reference Round Table Executive Board voted 10 March to reaffiliate with RASD in response to a request from the Council of State and Regional Groups. The RASD Board of Directors approved a new roster of affiliated groups at the 1993 ALA Annual Conference as the culmination of a CSRG project to update the affiliate roster through reaffiliation of all groups. At the RRT Executive Board meeting 21 April 1994 during the TLA Annual Assembly, Patricia Ann Stinson-Switzer, University of North Texas, was selected to serve as the RRT delegate to CSRG, but scheduling conflicts prevented her attendance at CSRG meetings.

A representative of the RASD Organization Committee undertook a review of the Council of State and Regional Groups in 1995. He met with the CSRG leadership during the 1996 ALA Midwinter meeting to discuss the conclusions of the review. The CSRG leadership and the reviewer decided to recommend that CSRG be disbanded due to limited participation by RASD affiliates and a shrinking pool of affiliates caused by the elimination of function units by several state library associations and the dissolution of some regional library associations. At the same 1996 ALA Midwinter meeting, the RASD Board of Directors accepted the recommendation that CSRG be disbanded at the end of the 1996 ALA Annual Conference in New York. With the dissolution of CSRG and the elimination of RASD affiliate designations in 1996, the thirty-one year span of RRT affiliation with the ALA reference unit ended.