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’re learning about the organization Minnesota Academic and Research Libraries, also known as ARLD. It’s a division of the Minnesota Library Association.

“ARLD is a forum for and an advocate of academic and research librarians and library personnel, and all other information professionals that serve academic and research institutions.”

Their purposes include:

1) To contribute to the professional and career development of all academic library personnel by conducting workshops and arranging programs including Dialogues and our annual ARLD Day conference (in April).

2) To enhance the capabilities of Minnesota academic libraries to serve the needs of their users.

3) To promote and advocate for the interests of academic libraries.

4) To promote the study, research, and dissemination of information relevant to academic librarianship.

5) To promote and foster cooperation and communication among the members of ARLD, the academic community, other library organizations, and other associations.

6) To support and protect intellectual freedom in academic libraries.

7) To acknowledge and honor the achievements of academic library personnel through the innovator award.

If you are interested in their objectives, you can join ARLD by joining the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) and selecting ARLD as your division.

The ARLD site contains information like their Leadership Roster, past agendas and minutes, and an Events and Materials Archive. You can also look at their Annual Reports, find out about any upcoming events, and learn about ARLD Dialogues.

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 going to take a look at the Western Association of Map Libraries. “The Western Association of Map Libraries is an independent association of map librarians and other people with an interest in maps and map librarianship. Membership in WAML is open to any individual interested in furthering the purpose of the Association, which is “to encourage high standards in every phase of the organization and administration of map libraries.”

From their Wikipedia page:

“Founded in 1967, WAML was the first independent organization centered on map collections and the librarians who oversee them. Academic libraries have always been strongly represented in the membership, but members also hail from public libraries, private collections, and government and commercial entities, or have been simply aficionados of maps and cartographic information. While paper map collections were traditionally the focus of attention, the advent of geographic information systems (GIS) and other digital platforms for geospatial data have led to a change in emphasis.”

WAML’s website includes a Map Librarians’ Toolbox full of resources including links to cataloging and processing tools as well as equipment and supplies.

Read more about WAML through their publications, one of which is open access!