#JoinCAA2021 Membership Drive: Week 3!

15 Feb 2021 7:52 AM | Brittan Nannenga


The Chicago Area Archivists 2021 Membership Drive continues into its third week! JOIN, REFER, or RENEW now!

This week we’re hearing from Greer Martin, Metadata Technologies Librarian at Loyola University Chicago, on some of the benefits of CAA membership:

When I first joined CAA in 2016 I had just moved to Chicago from a college town, where I worked at a large research university. Working as a librarian in a city with many archives, libraries, and museums, rather than just one or two, was a new experience. I wanted to learn more about these institutions and their collections, and meet other archives and library professionals in the area. Joining CAA was the most effective way to do this. CAA events and volunteer opportunities opened so many doors to professional development, and to a deeper understanding of the area, its history, and its archives (and archivists!). My favorite CAA activity is the tours of archives in the area. This is great to get away from your desk for a few hours and visit a different part of the city, learn about an archives’ history, and view its collections. It’s enlightening to see how others work - the tools that they use, the researchers who visit them, and the unique challenges associated with their collections.

As a CAA member, I was also able to serve on the Steering Committee and later, the Outreach and Membership Engagement Subcommittee. These were incredibly useful opportunities for professional development, and by working alongside more seasoned committee members I learned what a governing body does and gained valuable leadership experience. I also expanded my professional network by working closely with other committee members for years, which is a valuable opportunity, especially if you work at a smaller institution.

Due to other commitments, my ability to serve on CAA committees and even participate in events has varied over the past five years, but I have never thought twice about renewing my membership each year. Because of the low fee and the number of events, volunteer opportunities, and now, new ways to connect virtually while many of us are working remotely, I’ve been happy to renew each year.

The 2021 Membership Drive runs from February 1 to March 15. Follow us here and on Twitter and Facebook throughout the drive for more on why you should #JoinCAA2021

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