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The Internet is the first place you should look to find information about professional associations in the library and information fields. Several hundred national and local library associations (as well as a number of international groups) are currently in existence, and all but a few have a web presence to call their own.

Association web pages can serve as online brochures for an organization, including such information as contact details (address, phone, and e-mail), membership dues, and the overall mission of the group. However, the web permits associations to display much more than just the basics. For members or potential members, association web sites can provide reports from subgroups or committees, conference information and/or proceedings, job announcements, and activity calendars. These web pages are also good sources for member recruitment. To outsiders, such as members of the media, organization web sites can provide contact information on officers or specialists in a particular area, as well as news and event announcements. The type and amount of information included is usually related either to the size of a particular group or the expertise and enthusiasm of its technical staff.

Begin your search for association web pages with one of the following sites:

• Professional Organizations in the Information Sciences, from the library school at San Jose State University, contains an alphabetical list of links to library and information science associations. It is particularly useful for locating information-related organizations outside of librarianship, such as the Association for Applied Interactive Multimedia, but weaker when it comes to state library and library media associations. In addition, the site could use some updating. Many links don't work, and others lead to sites other than those described. Still, it's a good starting point.

• Himmel and Wilson Library Consultants (scroll down the page) provides access to separate pages containing lists of links to National and International Associations; State Library Associations; and State and Regional School Library, Educational Media, and Technology Associations. This latter page is one of the few places where library media specialists can go to locate web pages for relevant groups. The Librarians Online Information Network offers a similar site for school librarians.

• ALA's Divisions, Units, and Governance will help you navigate your way through the United States' largest and most comprehensive library association. The site provides access to web sites maintained by its divisions (including ACRL, LITA, and PLA), round tables, chapters, and affiliates. This site also includes a new guide to state library associations, which includes contact information for officers and the name of the association journal for each group.

• Library Associations in Canada, from the National Library of Canada, serves as a meta-index to Canadian library and information associations. Another excellent site for Canadian information is Associations and Organizations Related to Information Studies, from the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto.

• IFLA's Online Membership Directory lets you search for international associations by keyword. For each organization, this directory provides basic contact information, URL (if available), and the date when the group was founded.

• Libraries on the Web: USA Consortia is a meta-guide to library consortia in the United States. While members of consortia tend to be libraries rather than individuals, these groups can also provide professional development opportunities for librarians, such as continuing education courses, professional conferences, and job lists.

  Looking at library association web pages via one of these meta-sites can help you determine whether becoming involved with a particular group is right for you.

   

  Sarah Nesbeitt is Reference/Systems Librarian at Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. She is the co-author, with Rachel Singer Gordon, of the upcoming book, The Information Professional's Guide to Career Development Online (Information Today, Inc., 2001). Read more about the title and sign up to be notified upon publication.