Relative National Membership and Self-Reports of Professional Activity Among Academic Science, Engineering and Medical Librarians

Abstract

Past surveys of science, engineering and medical librarians who work in college and university library systems have yielded contradictory results over which of two associations, the Science and Technology Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL-STS) or the Special Libraries Association (SLA), is likely to lead in membership. This study determines that, at the national level, the ACRL-STS clearly has as many as three times the members working in these settings. This begs the question as to why SLA is nonetheless named by survey respondents as an affiliation at least half the time, or by those who otherwise respond indicating an involvement with an SLA meeting or listserv at a rate that would be higher than this national ratio would predict. This author theorizes that three factors might very well play a role in priming this participation and subsequent recall of activities in favor of SLA. The three parts of his theory include the respondent's proximity to academic SLA STM librarians, an awareness of the general success of SLA members in attainment of elective professional office, and success in SLA member recruitment by elite institutions. An analysis of SLA membership rolls indicates that academic SLA STM librarians are indeed very widely dispersed around the country, giving them opportunities to become well-known in many academic library consortia. Additionally, academic SLA STM librarians are highly active within SLA and frequently hold key offices on local and national levels, an achievement that is likely to be noticed by colleagues in academic librarianship. Finally, the greatest concentration of academic SLA STM librarians in all regions is at any of that area's universities that are rated as being one of America's most selective or ranked in the top 50 nationally, enhancing a possible connection of SLA membership with occupational success in a way that also encouraged participation in some exploration or participation in SLA activities or functions.