In fact, it’s the perfect time to join ALA and your state library association, if your state library association is one of 28 partnering with ALA to offer joint student membership. Join now for only $38.

This special dues rate is designed to help you access the benefits, networking, and career resources that come with membership. Student members, whether full- or part-time, are also given the best rates for conference registration, often at discounts as high as 75 percent off. Student members are eligible to serve on committees, run for office, and participate actively in the work of the association. So now is the time to get the most from your ALA membership:

• Find out about the many opportunities provided to ALA student members, including the Emerging Leaders program, by going to the Student Member Support Portal
• Find out whether your school has a student chapter. If so participate, and here are 10 reasons why you should!. And here is another: Where Are Future ALA Leaders? Most Likely in the Fifty-six ALA Student Chapters!
• Your school doesn’t have a student chapter! Here’s how to start a student chapter
• Still have questions about student chapters? Here are some answers
• If you join your student chapter, you could be chosen to participate in the ALA student-to-staff program
• Volunteer to serve on an ALA committee
• Connect with ALA through its official social media channels
• Connect with Chapters and Student Chapters via their social media channels

Visit the links above and you’re sure to discover how to best enjoy your ALA student membership. Obviously, there are far more opportunities than can be listed and described here. For one thing, there are 11 divisions and 21 round tables waiting for your contributions! Explore the ALA website for many, many other ways to participate fully in your association.

Need to know more about what joining your state library association can do for you? Join Your State Library Association Today points out many excellent reasons why you should join your state library association, including receiving discounts for attending your state association’s annual conference and networking with other students, librarians, and library workers.

As importantly, it’s not only a good time to join, with budget cuts and worse directed at libraries in many states, it’s also imperative—now more than ever—to support your state library association’s efforts to advocate for and support libraries, librarians, and library workers within your state.

If you need even more reasons to join, please feel free to contact your state library association. Each can explain its numerous membership benefits in greater detail than possible here!

Note that student membership is a special discounted membership available for students engaged in a program of study or certification in MLS/ MLIS, NCATE, or LTA programs for no more than 5 total years of eligibility. For the absolutely latest information on student membership, contact ALA Membership and Customer Service at 800-545-2433 (press 5)

For more information about joint memberships, contact the ALA Chapter Relations Office.