Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we are looking at the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL). This organization was established in 1966 and “promotes Jewish literacy through enhancement of libraries and library resources and through leadership for the profession and practitioners of Judaica librarianship. The Association fosters access to information, learning, teaching and research relating to Jews, Judaism, the Jewish experience and Israel.”

Membership to AJL is open to individuals, libraries, library workers, and library supporters. AJL has two divisions which are RAS (Research Libraries, Archives, and Special Collections) and SSC (Schools, Synagogues, and Centers). Learn more about their mission and goals here.

AJL members are able to access many of the organization’s resources online. Members can check out their News and Reviews or listen to podcasts and read handouts from past conferences. They are currently working on a series of webinars.

Their website also has several Knowledgebases, which include Bibliography Bank, a collection of bibliographies compiled by AJL members and Jewish ValuesFinder, a searchable database that identifies quality Jewish children’s books. Check out their digital and print publications or apply for an award.

Want to become a member of AJL? Learn more about membership on their website page.