With many facing lay offs and cutbacks SLA members are able to rely on their professional association to provide assistance in tough times
Alexandria, Virginia, November 12, 2008-- Special Libraries Association
(SLA), the premier global association for information professionals and
special librarians, has added a third tier of membership dues for the
full member class of membership. Dues for members with incomes of less
than US$18,000 annually are now reduced to US$35 annually. Association
members who fall into this category, including those who are
unemployed, will have full access to all of SLA's members-only
services, including professional development, the SLA Career Center and
networking opportunities. This initiative is an immediate response to
the global economic crisis and will allow more members from around the
globe to participate in the full range of SLA's benefits. This dues
structure will make membership in SLA affordable for members working in
any economy, as well as those who are students, unemployed, part-time
workers or retired.
"Members need the support of their association more than ever if they
lose their jobs," said SLA CEO Janice R. Lachance. "Our new dues
structure will allow them to keep their professional skills and
networks intact as well as provide them with the members-only SLA tools
and resources the association provides to enhance their professional
skills or find new employment. Being an SLA member even allows info
pros to have access to discounts on health insurance as well as tuition
at library and information schools."
The new dues tier was proposed at a meeting during SLA's Annual
Conference in Seattle with members from Australia, Hong Kong, India,
and Japan. Many information professionals and special librarians in
Asia and elsewhere make less than US $18K annually and were not able to
afford to join SLA. The new dues structure will make membership in SLA
affordable for members in these income levels throughout the world.
"SLA wants to provide its members with the best possible services and
resources, no matter where they live or how much they make," said
Lachance. "That means taking a close look at our dues structure from
time to time in relation to world economies and other factors affecting
our members' ability to participate."
With this addition, SLA will now have three dues tiers for full
members: One for members with incomes equivalent to US$35,000 or more
(dues of US$160); one for members with incomes below US$35,000 but
equivalent or above US$18,000 (dues of US$99); and the third new tier
for members with incomes below US$18,000 (dues of US$35).
The member benefit that allows members who become unemployed a
one-time, one-year opportunity to pay dues of US$49 is now unnecessary
and will be eliminated. Members will now be able to pay the lowest dues
as long as their income is below US$18,000, regardless of their
employment status.
About SLA
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit global
organization for innovative information professionals and their
strategic partners. SLA serves more than 11,000 members in 75 countries
in the information profession, including corporate, academic, and
government information specialists. SLA promotes and strengthens its
members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. For
more information, visit us on the Web at www.sla.org
Contact:
Cara Schatz
1.703.647.4917
Cara@sla.org