The library/information profession is richly endowed with organizations devoted to advancing the improvement of library and information services. Membership information/applications for some are given in the pages that follow; for others, URLs and/or phone numbers are provided so that you can download or request forms. The ALA form that you should use can be found on the New Jersey Library Association Web site, and actually gives you a dual membership in both for a great bargain price ( http://njla.org/joinnjla/joint_app.pdf). There are more associations than we can introduce you to here, but you should be able to locate one that fits your area of interest, no matter how specialized (see the Bowker Annual for a list). Just to give you an idea of some that are omitted from this compilation: American Film and Video Association, American Theological Library Association, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, Catholic Library Association -- and on it goes!
There are also a number of associations in closely related areas, e.g., ARMA for records managers, ACM for computing, the Information Industry Association, the Association for Competitive Intelligence, to name a few.
Plan to join The SC&I Alumni Association when you complete your degree. They award financial aid to students, publish an occasional newsletter and sponsor an annual dinner, followed by a speaker. Last year they paid for a reception following the SC&I convocation.
Beta Phi Mu, an international library science honor society, was founded to recognize and encourage scholastic achievement among library school students, and after graduation, service to the library profession. The Omicron Chapter was established at Rutgers in 1970. Students who meet the requirements (a cumulative GPA of 3.83 or better and faculty recommendation) are invited to join the Chapter. There is a one-year time lapse between graduation and initiation into Beta Phi Mu.
Why should you join an association now? Student fees are relatively low. You will receive a journal subscription as part of your membership in most cases. You will have a chance to meet practitioners if you join an association that has a local chapter, and will benefit from their programs. At Rutgers, we have student chapters of ALA (folded into LISSA), SLA, and ASIST. You automatically become a member of the student group when you join the parent association. Each offers opportunities for involvement in program planning and leadership.
Look over the information on the many options available to you, even if you are not sure yet where you belong. The variety of association divisions and interest groups gives you clues to the broad range of career paths and professional issues represented.
Above all, when you join an association, you will establish the habit of professional involvement and self-development. The MLIS degree is only a foundation--you will need to keep learning throughout your career, and professional associations are a vital resource for your continuing education.