Category: Blogger ALSC Membership Committee

In 2020, the American Library Association (ALA) implemented a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion by opening the door to three things: 

It is the most magical time of the year, and no one knows this better than those of us who work with children in libraries. We are the people who throw around words like “Caldecott,” “Newbery,” and “Belpré” with ease and pour over all the lists the day they come out (if we didn’t wake up early to watch the announcements in person!).  The day the Youth Media Awards are announced is basically the children’s librarian Super Bowl – even if you don’t really care about the results, you better look up the winners, so that you know what you are talking about when your coworkers bring the awards up. You can view the 2023 award winners now!

As ALSC members around the country prepare to travel to New Orleans for LibLearnX, or to tune into the Youth Media Awards virtually, we invite them all to attend the Winter ALSC Membership Gathering on Thursday, January 19th at 3:00 PM Eastern.  Register Here

In September, I had the opportunity to attend Utah Library Association’s Annual Fall Workshop. During the keynote speech, given by Rebekah Cummings, a librarian at the University of Utah’s Marriott Library, I found myself with tears streaming down my face. At one point during her talk she asked us to turn to our neighbor and state three things that inspire us. I struggled to come up with a single answer. The only reason why that I could come up with is the idea that I am simply burnt out. 

In the spring of 2021, the Membership Committee undertook a project to intentionally recruit new ALSC members, specifically those who are paraprofessionals or students, and who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). In alignment with ALSC’s strategic objective of increasing the intentional recruitment and retention of a diverse membership while reducing barriers to participation, 10 BIPOC library students and 10 BIPOC paraprofessionals/library support staff members were selected to receive two year ALA and ALSC memberships, along with opportunities for meaningful engagement including: regular virtual meetings with other recipients, activities and discussions, mentorship, the opportunity to shadow committees, and more. 

Landing your first job as a librarian can take longer than expected. Many MLIS graduates find themselves working multiple part-time positions in and outside of libraries as they doggedly apply for professional level positions. Here’s some good news! If you’re working as a paraprofessional or you’re still in library school, you don’t have to wait to start building your professional experience and making a meaningful impact through librarianship. Professional associations like ALSC offer a myriad of opportunities to participate in meaningful library work while building a stronger resume, discovering opportunities, and growing your network.  Here are a few ways to engage in the library community and start your professional career on your own terms.

In anticipation of this year’s soon approaching ALSC Institute, the ALSC Membership Committee will be hosting a virtual gathering as an opportunity to meet and/or reconnect with others. All current and potential ALSC members are invited to attend our Virtual Fall Membership Gathering on Wednesday, September 21st at 11am PT / 12 pm MT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET. The Membership Committee hopes to continue to provide an intentional and fun space for people to connect.