by Richard Hulser, Southern California Chapter, Museums, Arts & Humanities Division
I started out a blog submission talking about how success in explaining and showing value of information services in an organization can be achieved one conversation at a time. While formulating this submission, I had an experience that I thought should supercede that one, namely an understanding of the value of our professional affiliations and memberships by graduate students and new professionals. If they don’t feel an association is worth their time and money for enhancing their career, how can we expect them to see our association as a resource to help them on the job and in their future growth?
I recently had a lengthy, lively discussion about the value of membership in SLA and other professional information organizations with a graduate student. His comments included:
- “I am told to join a professional library association because I won’t get a job unless I do – I think that is extortion.” He asked “would you hire me if I wasn’t a member of SLA or another organization?” First I said “no” which he of course said “See!!” Then I clarified by saying I would have a concern as to WHY he didn’t join any association as that would signal to me he may be a good worker but maybe not a longer term contributor to the profession, so I would need to understand more about that. Well, we had quite a lively and noisy interaction over that one!!
- “Don’t the associations understand that I have a choice in investment between education and other things such as eventually buying a home?” That ”because I chose education, I will be paying back a huge debt for a long period of time and maybe never be able to buy a home? How can membership in an association help with that?”
- “Why are there so many student groups for a relatively small cohort — can’t there be one student group that can be affiliated with multiple associations? It seems the same 20 people out of 100 belong to the various student groups and the rest of the students see no value in joining any of them.”
- “Our student group does regular service in prison libraries and other socially conscious activities that were started BY students, not the library school faculty or professional associations. What are associations doing like this? Why should we join an association to conform to what they are already doing when we, the students, are doing more for society than those associations?” I indicated an example of how SLA had a full day of service in New Orleans and he said “big deal, one day — we do ongoing service!” Oooh, boy, we had more lively discussion on this one too!!
- “Isn’t it time for ALA, SLA, ASIS&T and all to think about merging and working together for the good of the profession instead of being splintered like they have been for so long? Is there any reason why these groups should still be separate?”
- There were some more, but I lost track!!
Anyway, after agreeing to start the conversation over and hear out each side, we ultimately centered around this point that we both agreed was valid:
* It is clear the professional associations, the professionals in those associations, and professors in library schools (and their equivalent) are not conveying the value gained from membership and active participation.
In speaking with a professor at a major library school, she agreed that more and more library schools have instructors who are not in the library profession and/or who don’t belong to a professional organization, so they have no context or experience to convey about the value of associations to their students. As a result, students don’t know much if anything about associations and do not join or actively participate in them.
So here is the challenge. What are the key values of a professional association that will ring true to the current graduate student and new information professional? This is not about who or what is right or wrong, but rather being able to articulate the value and help our new colleagues be “Future Ready.”
Richard Hulser is chief librarian at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and chair-elect of SLA Museum, Arts & Humanities Division.
I’ve always believed the Special Libraries Association to be ahead of the curve in the library profession. It is also very evident that SLA goes out of its way to engage and professionally cultivate its members. I’m somewhat concerned that the CI certification for Click University is on hiatus – and I hope that is not permanent. Moreover, I would like to see SLA give even GREATER emphasis to those value-added skills that will be required in the 21st century (especially those involving analysis).
I’m certainly thankful the SLA has not simply become a more sophisticated version of the ALA. I left that organization for good when I saw how increasingly politicized and expensive it was becoming. Like the graduate student above, I realized that the value for the dues I paid was just not there. And actually was angry and resentful that my dues were being used in a manner I vehemently disagreed with. Worse, I found that the organization to be…I guess the word would have to be MORIBUND. In other words, I began to view it as an organization that was either unwilling or unable to FULLY embrace the world beyond 1985. Sitting still professionally is not a viable option in today’s world – and being allowed to sit on various ALA library committees is not the golden pathway to job security.
I don’t have a lot to say about ASIS&T except that the few times I’ve looked at their website I’ve come away unimpressed.
To those out few graduate students contemplating whether they should join ALA (or similar group) my advice is this: you would help your career far more by spending those funds on a CI or computer programming book (visual basic, ruby on rails, etc). If you’re going to join a professional organization, join at the state-level with the promise to yourself that you will be actively involved. But look carefully at what the organization offers and what you’re paying for.
John Potter
I like your closing question. Perhaps we can get the most insightful answers from current graduate students and new information professionals who have found value in a professional association. What say ye?
I believe the value of professional associations are to a. provide a bridge between the theory learned in school and the reality of day-to-day work in our field (aka continuing education) b. secondly to establish and maintain a community of peers and to c. develop and promote standards and “best practices” of the profession. I see these 3 elements as connected and mutually supportive. Although some associations seem to focus more on one aspect than others.
I feel like focusing on the first point (providing a bridge/CE) is where we can provide the most value to new graduates and hence attract the most members. I know this is true for me and what I want most from SLA. I believe it has been discussed repeatedly that we are not all in the traditional roles we once were. Even for those of us, like myself, who are considered librarians much of what we deal with was not around even 3 years ago (when I graduated) or has manifested itelf in a form different from what we studied. Here are a few examples:
-I took a class on copyright. It was great and helpful in covering the basics. However, it didn’t deal with DRM and how fair-use applies (or doesn’t) to a for-profit corporation that does do scholarly research. SLA has helped me understand that.
-I took a number of classes on cataloging. But what to do with the vendor catalogs our architects use that don’t really fit into LC? There was a great discussion about this in the Architecture, Building Construction caucus.
-After graduation I felt prepared to deal with vendors and the whole RFP process, but was totally unprepared for dealing with internal management that established a non-budget (as I like to call it) for the library.
I’m sure everyone has their own examples. The point being that professional assocations provide specific skills and knowledge that aren’t found elsewhere and are critical for success. Insead of marketing that says “we’ll help you get ahead” (how vague is that) if we show new professionals concrete examples that will actually help them they will be more likely to join.
One of the reasons current graduate students may not be joining SLA is because they do not know they will be a “special librarian” until they find that elusive first job.
Thanks for posting this provocative discussion Richard! In the Website box I’ve put a link to my slides from a presentation to San Jose State U. LIS students re the ROI of Professional Associations. I think I’ve begun to answer your question: “What are the key values of a professional association that will ring true to the current graduate student and new information professional?”
http://www.slideshare.net/saratifr/sjsu-at-csful-tompson-presentation
Instead of spending so much energy trying to convince everyone how great professional associations are, we need only to demonstrate the value. When I talk to students or non-SLA librarians, I talk about the benefits I get from SLA and the opportunities SLA gives me that I would not have had if I were not active in SLA. They figure out how great it is without me having to persuade them. Meanwhile, not everyone in our field belongs in a professional association. We are grownups and sometimes we have to seek out information and opportunities without waiting for the association to hold our hands and guide us. For some people, there is a perception that SLA is in charge of our careers, not us. Finally, The cost of membership in SLA is not a valid argument. Most of us pay an annual rate of $114 or $185. When we look at what we pay per year for cable, phone, gas and food, this amount is a minimal investment in our careers.
With all of the economic pressures that individuals and families are facing, some prospective members may be making tough choices about where to spend their money. Every association needs to prove its value and be one of those “must haves” for everyone librarian/information professional.