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The American Society for Information Science and Technology (also referred to as ASIST or ASIS&T) is an organization of information professionals. Established in 1937, the organization sponsors an annual conference and publishes proceedings from this conference, as well as the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology series; provides administration and electronic communications support for interest-based organizational groups referred to as SIGs; provides administration for geographically defined chapter groups; publishes the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (also known as JASIST); publishes a society bulletin; provides job availability oriented communications support; and provides organizational support for continuing education programs for information professionals.

History

Founded as the American Documentation Institute (ADI) on March 13, 1937, by Atherton Seidell and others, the organization was first concerned with microfilm and its role as a vehicle for the dissemination of information. The organization went through its first name change in January 1968. The change was made to represent the organization’s interest in “all aspects of the information transfer process” such as, “designing, managing and using information systems and technology. In 2000 the organization updated its name to American Society for Information Science and Technology to embrace the increase in online databases. Today, the organization comprises professionals from various fields including engineering, linguistics, librarianship, education, chemistry, computer science and medicine. The members share a “common interest in improving the ways society stores, retrieves, analyzes, manages, archives and disseminates information. The organization began publishing its journal, The Journal of the American Society for Information Science, in 1950 and has continued through to the present.

Membership

Upon its conception ASIST’s membership was constructed of representatives of scientific and professional societies, foundations, and government agencies. (history) Changes made to the bylaws in 1952 opened the organization to any individual with interest in the dissemination of information. Today, memberships are fee-based and can be individual or institutional. There are no specific professional requirements to join as an individual. Similar to most organizations of its kind, ASIST offers as basic membership benefits a subscription to the Society Bulletin; access to their job assistance services (JobLine); a subscription to JASIST, the Society Journal; discounts to ASIST-sponsored events; and the ability to participate in the ASIST SIG system and participation in the election of Society officials.

See also

• National Commission on Library and Information Science
• Society of Information Technology Management - UK
• Standard of Good Practice

Society publications

In addition to JASIST, JASIST Perspective and JASIST Special Topics, the organization’s website provides an online bulletin that provides readers with issues from December 1994 to the present in free, full text format. The bulletin is released bi-monthly and contains articles on new progresses and issues within the field. Several journals published by the society are the platforms for academics to convene the most current issues and the technology in the field.

References

1. ^ http://www.asis.org/history.html. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
2. http://www.asis.org/jasist.html. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
3. "Publications". American Society for Information Science and Technology. Retrieved 13 April 2008.

External links

• Homepage for the Society

• American professional bodies
• 1937 establishments
• Library-related professional associations
• Information science