It began with my decision to follow “The road not taken” (Robert Frost). Fifteen years after completing my postgraduate degree in Library and Information Science (LIS), I started my doctoral studies. I had embarked simultaneously on the paths of research and teaching. I was aware that establishing a reputation as an academic would be challenging and that the road ahead would not be easy.  As I was researching LIS blogs for my doctoral work in early 2014, I came across a blog post inviting paper submissions for the ASIS&T SIG-III IPC award.  Receiving this award with a complimentary two-year ASIS&T membership gave me an opportunity to join an international association. In the same year, I had enrolled in the Mortenson Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (experiences shared through ALA IIRT International Leads and IFLA SET Newsletter). I got a two-year complimentary ALA membership through this program. These early breaks motivated me and increased my confidence in exploring and pursuing similar openings.

In 2015, I volunteered for two rounds of the International Librarians Network’s (ILN) peer mentorship program (read the CILIP Focus Newsletter and learn more about ILN). To reciprocate, I volunteered as the ILN blog’s content officer from 2016 to 2017. After having submitted 13 blog posts in a year,  I was happy to learn that two of them were chosen and printed in the Australian Library and Information Association’s publication, ALIA Weekly. I added to my volunteer work by tutoring Afghani girls as a volunteer for Pax Populi from 2015 to 2017. This experience helped to expand the scope of my volunteer activities beyond LIS.

As an outcome of active volunteering for different tasks and roles, numerous opportunities for professional growth started coming my way. I had begun working on internationally funded projects, advanced into a tenure-track permanent teaching position, and started publishing in international publications. In 2018, I received an invitation to serve as a secretary for the newly established ASIS&T South Asia Chapter. Gradually, this involvement led to me taking on greater responsibility when I was elected as the chair elect of the chapter. When I assumed the chair (2020-21) during the pandemic, I was unsure of my abilities to inspire members and make a difference, especially during such a difficult time. In my capacity as the SA Chapter’s chair and with the support of team members, I took the lead in initiating many new events for the chapter. We organized the first virtual meet and greet event for the chapter, a competition for the chapter’s logo, launched the SA newsletter “Salaam, Namaste, Ayubowan“, and culminated the year by winning the chapter special project fund. Eight members from five different countries participated in this project (Know more about the project.)  The outcomes of this project were greatly enhanced by the collaboration with sixteen associations from across the globe. I found myself spending a lot of my extra time on planning, communication, and holding meetings to ensure the implementation of old and new activities. Most of these would be at the end of a busy workday, and sometimes at odd times. I realized that active participation in an international association requires consideration for members’ different time zones. What I really enjoyed was the interaction with other members, both formally and informally exchanging personal and professional information. Many of these professional relationships gradually transformed into friendships. In 2022, I continued engaging with ASIS&T and chaired SIG-III, the SIG responsible for providing me and many others like me from developing countries to join ASIS&T through its many initiatives.

The benefits of active engagement were manifold, both at the personal and professional levels. Active engagement with an association requires a commitment of time and energy. It also requires going the extra mile. Working with people from around the world through different associations and initiatives has taught me to be more inclusive, humble, and respectful. It has been an enriching experience learning to be a team worker, and a leader. At a professional level, a plethora of new opportunities presented themselves, both tangible and intangible. There were more chances to engage in cooperative research, publish collaboratively, and seek guidance. As a professional, especially from a developing country, the advantages of actively engaging with an international professional association are immeasurable. The extent to which one you can make use of these advantages depends on your unique situation. People have been able to discover and pursue research and work opportunities in different countries with the help of the connections made through these international associations. I would see these as intangible benefits of joining an international professional association.

Although for me, the choice to join an association was by chance, the decision to start engaging actively was taken consciously. I chose to do that by volunteering. In the process, I became part of a global community by sharing, listening, exploring, learning, understanding, and growing both professionally and personally.  Volunteering is a reciprocal approach that provides proportionate benefits for advancing professional growth.

Bhakti Gala, PhD
Assistant Professor | ASIS&T Director at Large
School of Library and Information Science
Central University of Gujarat
Gujarat, India