Student Professional Association Memberships

Overview

Complimentary Student Memberships In Professional Associations

We believe membership in professional associations will enhance your understanding of the profession and the issues it faces, which is part of the content of INFO 200, MARA 200 and INFM 200. It also encourages connections between the associations and our students.

During the add/drop period, students will be given the option to select one of the associations for their one year free membership. Watch your MySJSU account for messaging with instructions on how and when to complete your request. You will be joined at your address on file in MySJSU. If no selection is made, you will NOT be joined to any association.

Students enrolled in a 200 course during the summer will be included with those enrolled for fall semester.

MLIS

All MLIS students in INFO 200 are given a complimentary (free!) one-year membership in one of the following professional associations:

You will be joined at your address on file in my.sjsu.edu. If you do not make a selection, you will not receive a complimentary membership.

Notes regarding ALA:

  • Once your information has been sent to ALA, there is an extensive processing period. There is a possibility that students may not receive their memberships in time to complete ALA conference advance registration with member status.
  • Check with ALA Membership for help with membership status questions once your membership request has been sent from iSchool.
  • Students enrolled in INFO 200 in summer will be included with those enrolled for fall semester. Lists of names are sent twice a year to ALA: fall and spring.
  • If you select ALA and are already a member of ALA or one of the ALA-affiliated state library associations we have been told that your membership will be extended for a year; please deal directly with the association.
  • If you select ALA and live in a state other than California, you will receive the ALA membership and, if your state has a state association with an arrangement with ALA [there are eighteen at present, see joint membership program list], you will be joined with that state association as well; in other words a student in Washington will be joined with the Washington Library Association, not the California Library Association; if there is no affiliated program the student will join ALA only.

MARA

All MARA students in MARA 200 are given a complimentary (free!) one-year membership in one of the following professional associations:

You will be joined at your address on file in my.sjsu.edu. If you do not make a selection, you will not receive a complimentary membership.​

Informatics

Informatics students enrolled in INFM 200 get a complimentary (free!) one-year student membership in one of the following professional associations:

You will be joined at your address on file in my.sjsu.edu. If you do not make a selection, you will not receive a complimentary membership.​

Post

Special Libraries Association

Students interested in the special librarianship career pathway are encouraged to get involved with the Special Libraries Association (SLA). As a member of SLA, students can meet professionals working in a special library setting, stay abreast of industry news, be eligible for scholarships, and reap many more benefits.