To join or not to join: how librarians make membership decisions about their associations - The Role of Professional Associations

Library Trends, Fall, 1997 by Sue Kamm

INTRODUCTION

Librarians are urged to join and to participate in professional

associations from the time they enter library school. Indeed, by offering free

membership or greatly reduced dues to students, organizations such as the

American Library Association (ALA) and the Special libraries Association (SLA)

hope to build relationships with newcomers to the profession that will continue

throughout their careers. Do librarians join professional associations? Why? If

not, why don't they join?

Little research has been done on librarian behavior in professional

organizations. Literature searches revealed only a few articles on librarians'

or other professionals, relationships with their organizations. A 1992 survey of

academic librarians in California found that 98 percent of the respondents

considered the opportunity to network with colleagues as a very important or

somewhat important reason to join professional associations; 81 percent felt

that professional membership was important for retention, tenure, or promotion;

84 percent used professional memberships to influence librarians'

professional goals and to keep up with developments in the field through

professional journals; and 74 percent used their association membership to speak

or to publish (Anderson et al., 1992).

Although the authors are concerned with what is needed to start a new

organization, Cornell and Farkas (1995) define benefits of professional

associations to include "networking, technological advancements, sharing of

knowledge, financial benefits, and career opportunities" (p. 44). Diamond

and Haurin (1994) point out that membership in the American Economics

Association which, like library associations, is voluntary, is probably more

valuable for job-seekers--either younger economists or those with high

mobility.

Baldwin (1995) discusses the functions, history, membership, and

individual and professional benefits that SLA offers. For the individual,

she notes that leadership training for division and chapter officers, continuing

education courses at all levels, and networking opportunities are benefits

gained from SLA On a professional level, she cites SLA's focus on

professional issues such as image, copyright, professional standards, education,

and the future of the information profession.

The (British) Library Association plays a different role than its American

counterparts. Lowe (1980) notes that the Library Association had been "the

indispensable custodian of professional librarianship status [but] begins

to lose its hold in a free market for professional qualifications and

conditions." Reporting in the British Journal of Academic Librarianship, Fisher

(1994) points out that "the acquisition of Chartered status is a benchmark in

the career of the information professional" (p. 167).

Havener and Worrell (1994) studied the extent to which U. S. academic

librarians rely on continuing professional development activities. Their

study found that 89.9 percent of academic librarians surveyed belong to

professional associations. In addition, the librarians in their study had

attended meetings within the past year (80.9 percent), served on committees (47

percent), or presented papers (6 percent). Their conclusions showed that

librarians at doctorate-granting universities belonged to more professional

associations, particularly to ALA, and were more involved in the organization

than those at nondoctorate institutions.

HOW LIBRARIANS DECIDE WHICH ASSOCIATION

How do librarians decide which associations to join? For some, the choice

is easy; their employers pay dues and conference expenses and, absent any

financial pressure, the librarian's decision is based on which association

is most relevant to his or her job. Most, however, do not have this economic

freedom and must select from an array of professional organizations which

include the American Library Association and its divisions; American Society for

Information Science; Special Libraries Association; American Association of

Law Libraries; Medical Library Association; Music Library Association and

other specialized organizations; as well as state, regional, or local

professional bodies. This variety of organizations does not include unions,

staff associations, or collective bargaining units, which are covered elsewhere

in this issue. Since prospective members pay their own dues, they make choices

based on the cost of dues and the return on their investment whether that return

consists of informative publications, conference programs which are financially

accessible, are relevant to their jobs, and which afford them the opportunity to

network with colleagues or which serve as forums for presentations. Unlike

attorneys who may be required to be members of their state bar association in

order to practice law, librarians are under no legal compulsion to belong to

national, state, or other professional groups.

The author of this article has been active in professional organizations

both nationally and locally but has dropped out of both the Special

Libraries Association and her state association largely for financial reasons.