Student Organizations
There are several professional organizations with student chapters at SLIS :
Joining a professional organization offers a number of benefits :
Career Building
Membership in professional organizations is the evidence and means of professional development and responsibility. Your participation gives something back to the profession. Among the specific benefits that contribute to the development of your career are the following:
- Job Listings: Many organizations have a separate bulletin board for listing career opportunities and job postings.
- Resume Posting: Many organizations allow the posting of members' resumes.
- Networking: The opportunity to network with practicing professionals is priceless! Participation in conferences, seminars, and meetings allows networking opportunities with leaders in your chosen profession.
Learning and Development
- Conferences and Seminars: Almost all organizations offer reduced rates for student members to attend conferences. Conference participation is one of the most rewarding methods of learning and professional development.
- Tutorials and Online Education: Members of AITP are able to participate in their lending library. The AITP Lending Library is a unique training service. An annual fee gives unlimited borrowing privileges from a comprehensive collection of more than 800 video, CD-ROM and computer-based training courses.
- Discussion Boards and Listservs: Almost all the organizations have listservs available for participation. The listservs provide a forum for collaborative problem-solving and freeform discussion about the challenges and opportunities faced by Information Professionals in the workplace.
Scholarships and Awards
Many organizations award scholarships for study at the graduate and postgraduate levels.
Information Resources
- Digital Library Access: Many organizations have extensive digital libraries, access to which is a member benefit. For example, the ACM Digital Library provides online access to over 20 publications, 15 years of archives, and 15 years of dozens of conference proceedings, with unlimited access time.
- Current News: Many organizations have online newsletters that are invaluable in learning and keeping abreast of the issues in the profession.
- Print and Virtual Publications: Print and/or virtual publications are often included as a membership benefit.