Merger Alert! Good News for Members of SLA and ASIS&T

As the Special Libraries Association (SLA) and the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) enter merger negotiations, information professionals are eager to understand what this means for their communities. To shed light on ASIS&T’s mission, vision, and plans for the future, I spoke with Executive Director Lydia Middleton about the organization’s global outlook, member benefits, and what’s ahead. 

You can read the press release for more details about the merger negotiations. Below is my interview with Lydia Middleton, the Executive Director of ASIS&T.   

Please introduce yourself to Lucidea’s readers. 

Hi, I’m Lydia Middleton. I have been the Executive Director of ASIS&T for 8 years. I am a career association professional and worked in health care associations before joining ASIS&T. 

Please share some details about ASIS&T and your plans for the future.  

Founded in 1937, the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) seeks to bridge the gap between information science research and information science practice. In a world where information is of central importance to personal, social, political, and economic progress, ASIS&T is the preeminent international association for academics and information professionals with interests in information science research and its advancement of practice. ASIS&T members represent the fields of information science computer science, data science, informatics, information architecture, communications, and librarianship. 

Though not yet finalized, the vision and mission as outlined in our draft strategic plan are: 

• Vision: To shape the future of information, globally and locally, as a force for positive change 
• Mission: To foster excellence and innovation in the information sciences. 

What professional development opportunities does ASIS&T host? 

ASIS&T hosts several webinars each month on topics of interest to our members. The topics come from interest groups, chapters, or authors in the information science space.

Additionally, we offer regional conferences, workshops, and symposia, an Annual Meeting, and the IDEA Institute, which is a four-day certificate course that builds and enhances the knowledge and skills of current and future library and information professionals in AI through developing theoretical (conceptual) and practical experiences. 

What communities and groups does ASIS&T include? 

Both our current Special Interest Groups and our Chapters can be found on our website. We expect these to expand significantly with the SLA merger. 

For those new to ASIS&T, what are three things you would want them to know? 

While our current members are largely focused on research in information science, many are practicing information professionals and those more academically focused believe that the opportunity to network and engage with practicing information science professionals will greatly enhance the applicability and impact of their research.  

• While much of our current programming is focused on our current membership interests, we intend to expand our programs and services to meet the needs of the expanded membership. 

• We are a very global community and are eager to find ways to meet our members where they are, addressing regional and local member needs as well as the interests of a global information science community 

What can you share about a potential merger with the Special Libraries Association? 

ASIS&T is very eager to welcome SLA members into our organization, and we are confident that access to the array of benefits available to ASIS&T members will be highly beneficial to our new members. We are optimistic that relationships will grow organically at the local, regional, and subject-matter level, and opportunities for collaboration and engagement will grow from that. 

Is there anything else you would like to share at this time? 

ASIS&T has published its draft strategic plan, which is currently open for member feedback. We are optimistic that this plan for the next 3 years will position us to meet the needs of our merged membership and amplify the voice of the association in the information sciences for the future.