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 will learn about the New England Library Association (NELA). NELA’s objectives are to “initiate, plan and support regional activities; to encourage the exchange of ideas; and to cooperate with regional and national agencies having related interests.” Their mission is to “provide educational and leadership opportunities for library staff in support of improved library services for the people of New England.” The organization is also a chapter of the ALA. Learn more about NELA’s Strategic Vision here.

Not only does NELA have an annual conference (taking place in October of this year in Warwick, RI) but they have a ton of really useful programs. Some of these include: Technology Training to Empower Your Library Colleagues, Verbal Judo Training Program, and The Future of Library Design: Physical Libraries in the Digital Information Landscape.

NELA has many resources available to their members, including a mentoring program, scholarships and grants,  and the New England Library Leadership Symposium.

Find out more about NELA membership, including ways to get involved and membership discounts on their membership page.