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 let’s take a look at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). ARL is an “organization of 125 research libraries at comprehensive, research institutions in Canada and the US that share similar research missions, aspirations, and achievements.” You can check out a cool map of all their member institutions here.

ARL has several different focus areas that come from their Strategic Framework that works to support their mission and the current needs of members. Some of these focus areas include: Accessibility, Open Scholarship, and Telecommunications Policies.

Stay up-to-date with ARL News, check out some Advocacy and Public Policy Updates, browse a few of ARL’s blogs, or look ahead with ARL’s future projects. Or take a look at their Upcoming Events page!

There are tons of benefits that come with becoming a member of ARL. Read about them all here! Want your institution to join? Learn about membership procedures here.