Bethan Ruddock, Content Development Officer, Library & Archival Services,

Mimas

MMU 21/11/12

Professional organisations for fun and profit

mimas.ac.uk

Who am I?Bethan Ruddock, MCLIP

@bethanar

2006-7 Graduate Trainee,

University of Manchester Library

2007-8 MA Library and

Information Studies, MMU

2008-current Library & Archival

Services, Mimas

Member of CILIP Future Skills

Panel & SLA Europe Board

mimas.ac.uk

What are professional

organisations?

Membership bodies

Affiliated to a profession

May have a Charter

May qualify or register

practitioners

May be a charity

mimas.ac.uk

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What can they do for you?A professional organisation will do most or all of the following:

• Run events/conferences/training courses

• And provide awards/bursaries to attend them

• Provide opportunities for networking

• Provide opportunities for structured professional

development

• Provide chances for a mentoring or peer support

program

• Publish journals/magazines/newsletters/blogs

• Have committees, staffed by members

• Provide careers advice & employment support –

throughout your career

• Provide access to resources such as journals, databases,

web-based trainingmimas.ac.uk

What can they do for you?All of these offer you chances to:

• Get involved

• Develop skills

• Get experience

• Make contacts

• Contribute to developments

• Help develop others

• Broaden your perspective

• Build your profile

mimas.ac.ukImage used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/screenpunk/3474867233/

that you can’t get at work}

What can they do for the

profession?Professional organisations will:

• Set standards

• Develop guidelines

• Advocate for the profession

• Lobby decision makers

• Provide ethical guidelines

• Develop the profession

• Provide support and guidance for

practitioners

mimas.ac.uk

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What can you do for a professional

organisation?• Join!

• ‘A strong membership is necessary for

organisations to have a strong voice’

(Fiona Bradley, IFLA)

• Advocate the value of the body

• Get involved – offer time and talents

• Provide feedback

• Support other members

mimas.ac.uk

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Professional organisations

Membership fees

Student membership fees, 2012/13:

CILIP: £38

Special Libraries Association: $40 (about

£26)

ARA: £12

ISKO: €15 (about £12)

BIALL: £8.50

ALA: $33 (about £21)

Aslib: FREE (under MMU’s membership)

IFLA: FREE (with membership of an

affiliated organisation)

mimas.ac.uk

= £117.50

How to find the right organisation

for you?• Join!

• Try them out while they’re cheap

• Find out about them

• Read website & publications (where

available – try the library)

• Talk to members

• Read blog posts

• Look at conference programs

• What are other people in your

sector/desired sector members of?

mimas.ac.uk

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What if you can’t find the right

organisation for you?• Think about creating your own!

• Find like-minded people

• Build your CV

• Make a difference!

mimas.ac.uk

10/04/2023 13

Bethan Ruddockbethan.ruddock@manchester.ac.uk@bethanarwww.lisnewprofs.com

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