Menu:
Keeping Current through Professional Associations
by Nadine Flores
The reasons for joining a professional association are as varied and diverse as the librarians who join them. Most of us, however, become involved in ALA or in state library associations as the preferred way to remain professionally current. Moreover, association membership allows professionals to explore and expand in areas outside of our practicing vocation. My involvement with specific ALA units and round tables not only helps me to keep current in my position, but to also to expand my knowledge.
New Members Round Table
Most librarians who are involved in professional associations would probably concur that joining and remaining involved is the commonsense approach to moving ahead in the field. Moreover, professional associations are one way that we as librarians gain access to literature addressing topics and issues of interest to information professionals.
In my quest to improve myself within the field, I found that professional associations such as ALA serve as a gateway to much current library literature, provided through divisions and round tables. Since I was a relatively new librarian, I wanted to join an organization that catered to and understood the concerns of a neophyte like myself. Of equal concern to me was keeping current in subject areas that were of interest to me, but not necessarily ones I was working with on a daily basis.
I therefore joined ALA's New Members Round Table. To paraphrase NMRT's mission: "NMRT serves to provide a forum for discussion of issues pertinent to those new to the library field. Discussion ranges from but is not limited to, salaries, professional involvement, training, continuing education, staff development, library school, and almost any topic relevant to newer librarians, new ALA members, paraprofessionals, and students."
NMRT definitely focuses on issues that affect me as a newer librarian. It encourages its members to develop a strong knowledge base via committee participation. During my first year as an NMRT member, I got involved in committee work by participating in the Student & Student Chapter Outreach and the Exhibitor Contact & Relations Committees. In addition to joining those committees, I participated as an NMRT Liaison. I am still active within NMRT, and feel it is an information lifeline outside of the library system where I work.
NMRT members are made aware of activities and news via NMRT's e-mail list, NMRT-L, and through Footnotes (the NMRT newsletter), a publication that serves to supplement information obtained via NMRT- L. Both disseminate information and news to NMRT members and alert members to developments of interest in ALA and in the library world in general. A recent addition to the communications network is the creation of two additional NMRT mailing lists: NMRTSTUD-L, for library school students (developed this year under the auspices of the Student and Student Chapter Outreach Committee), and NMRTWriter, for those NMRT members interested in learning how to publish. This "communications network" serves as a conduit for remaining current in the profession. A large part of NMRT's allure was the fact that activity within NMRT also ensures easy transition and entrance to other ALA units. This is how I got involved outside of NMRT.
ACRL: ARTS & Instruction Sections
I have a strong interest in the arts and in bibliographic instruction. In addition to my involvement with NMRT, I joined the Association of College and Research Libraries, to gain entry to both the ARTS and Instruction Sections. As with NMRT, ARTS and Instruction Sections provide members with e-mail lists and newsletters to provide the latest professional developments and news, along with other College & Research Libraries publications.
Within the ARTS Section, I have taken an active role by participating in committee work, getting involved with the Conference Planning Committee (2001) and serving as the editor for their newsletter. Keeping current through ACRL by way of communications networks e-mail lists, newsletters, and committee involvement), has not only strengthened my knowledge but has also allowed me to obtain a position which permits me to utilize what I have learned through the two Sections.
Other Avenues of Keeping Current
In addition to e-mail lists and newsletters, monthly publications like American Libraries and CR&L News supplement my reading. These provide an array of topics of interest to librarians. Although reading association-sponsored literature is highly valuable to enhancing professional development and remaining current in the field, networking with colleagues and participating in a dialogue with your peers carries at least as much weight in remaining current within the profession. Conferences further open the exchange between librarians, whether in the form of attending and participating in conference workshops or attending poster sessions at ALA Midwinter or Annual.
Associations play an important role in obtaining information crucial to remaining current in the library profession. There are many modes of communication; it is essential for us to utilize every resource available through professional associations to remain current, which makes us better librarians.
Nadine M. Flores
BA, MA, Art History, 1987, 1992, University of California, Riverside
MLS, Library & Information Science (Specialization: Information
Organization), 1995, UCLA
Children's Librarian II, 1996-2001, Los Angeles Public Library
Adult Librarian II, 2001-Present, Los Angeles Public Library