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.

Let’s learn about the Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) this week. The Atlantic Provinces include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. The mission of APLA is to “promote the interests of libraries in the Atlantic provinces while fostering the development of librarians, library technicians and information professionals through cooperative efforts and the promotion of library interests.”

APLA’s mission statement and strategic goals are:

1. Regional Voice Role To structure and position APLA so that the Association can effectively serve its mandate as a regional voice.
2. Communication To improve internal and external communications.
3. Value of Libraries To promote the value and worth of the library and its workers.
4. Interest Groups To improve the effectiveness of the interest groups.
5. Continuing Education To develop an effective continuing education programme.

APLA is holding their annual conference from June 6th – 9th this year in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Their theme for the 2018 conference is Libraries in Action!

Learn more about APLA by exploring their digital archives. Check out the many different awards they offer. Subscribe to their listserv to stay on top of library news in Atlantic Canada.

APLA membership comes with many benefits, including the Education Institute, access to The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, use of the Partnership Library Job Board, and a discounted rate for attendance at the APLA annual conference.

Learn more about how to become a member of APLA on their membership page!