From the desk of Cheyenne Chontos, Library Technology Coordinator…
South Dakota library staff have many choices if looking for a library association to join:
- SD Library Association https://www.sdlibraryassociation.org/
- Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) https://mpla.us/ - 12 state regional library association of which SD is a member
- Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) https://www.arsl.org/
Not to mention larger associations like
- PLA https://www.ala.org/pla/
- ALA https://www.ala.org/
- ACRL https://www.ala.org/acrl/, etc.
Libraries, as a general rule, will not pay dues for staff who want to join an association. Staff members then have to decide if it is worth it to join. Here is the perspective from a newly minted librarian. Read Part 1 of this post series to read the perspective of an 'seasoned' librarian.
Cheyenne: When I started my MLS program in 2019, I was not working in a library, and I did not feel as connected with the library world as my classmates who worked in libraries seemed to be. My advisor suggested that I join the South Dakota Library Association and the American Library Association, and I have been a member ever since! I loved that the library associations offered an opportunity to network and be a part of the library community that I felt like I was missing. When I started at the State Library, I also joined the Mountain Plains Library Association, and they have also been incredibly welcoming and have offered great networking opportunities. The professional publications from the ALA and the newsletter from SDLA and MPLA also keep me connected and up-to-date on everything going on in the library world.
I am grateful not only for those networking and community opportunities but also for the continuing education opportunities these associations offered. I attended ALA Virtual in 2020 and 2021, and both offered incredible speakers and exciting topics to explore. I was also grateful that the conferences were offered at discounted rates for members – a win-win! As Brenda mentioned, the upfront costs can seem intimidating, but the benefits of joining library associations are immeasurable.