| American Society for Information Science and Technology | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ASIS&T, ASIST |
| Motto | The information society for the information age |
| Formation | March 13, 1937 |
| Type | NGO, Professional association |
| Location | Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Membership | 4,000[1] |
| Executive director | Richard Hill |
| Main organ | Board of directors |
| Website | asist.org |
The American Society for Information Science and Technology, sometimes abbreviated ASIS&T or ASIST, is a non-profit membership organization for information professionals. Established in 1937 as American Documentation Institute, the organization sponsors an annual conference as well as several serial publications, including the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST) and the society Bulletin. The society provides administration and communications support for its various divisions, known as special-interest groups or SIGs; provides administration for geographically defined chapters; connects job seekers with potential employers; and provides organizational support for continuing education programs for information professionals.[1]
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Founded on 13 March 1937 as the American Documentation Institute (ADI) by Watson Davis, Atherton Seidell, and others, the organization was first concerned with microfilm and its role as a vehicle for the dissemination of information.[2] ADI established the Auxiliary Publication Program, which during its 30-year history released nearly 10,000 documents covering a wide range of subjects. The program enabled authors in the fields of physical, natural, social, historical and information sciences to publish and distribute research papers that were either too long, typographically complex or expensive to be published in journals using existing technology[3]. In 1954, the Photoduplication Service at the Library of Congress took over the operation and became the source point for distributing ADI materials and in 2009 this material found its home in the Library's Technical Reports and Standards Unit[4].
In January 1968, ADI became the American Society for Information Science. 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."[2] In 2000 the organization updated its name, adding Technology to embrace the prevalence and increasing centrality of online databases and other technical aspects of the information profession. 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".[1]
In a world where "information is of central importance to personal, social, political, and economic progress", the Society seeks to advance the information sciences and information technology by providing focus, opportunity, and support to information professionals and information organizations.[5] ASIS&T seeks to advance knowledge "about information, its creation, properties, and use" as well as increase "public awareness of the information sciences and technologies and their benefits to society."[5]
Originally membership was based on representatives nominated by scientific societies, professional associations, foundations, and government agencies.[2] Changes made to the bylaws in 1952 opened the organization to any individual with interest in the dissemination of information. Today, fee-based memberships can be either individual or institutional, with no formal requirements to join as an individual. Similar to most organizations of its kind, ASIS&T offers benefits to its members in the form of subscriptions to Society publications, access to job assistance services (JobLine); and discounts to ASIS&T-sponsored events.
In addition to the scholarly JASIST, the organization publishes the bi-monthly Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology focused on the latest developments and emerging issues in the field. The organization also published a review journal for nearly half a century, but publication of the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) ceased in 2011.[6]