WHO WE ARE
The Association exists as a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas and to facilitate networking opportunities, co-operation and participation in joint activities.
HOW WE OPERATE
The Association is run by a committee – which is elected from the membership – who are tasked with organising BLA events and facilitating information sharing and communication between members. The committee meets regularly to discuss and progress projects, initiatives, surveys and reports of benefit to the membership. The Association’s constitution is here.
WHEN WE MEET
The Association meets every year for an annual conference which is organised by the BLA committee in conjunction with hosts from a volunteer member institution. In recent years conferences have taken place in Dublin, Stirling, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leicester and London. The 2017 BLA Conference will be held at Southampton Solent University. Aside from the conference, members also meet at other BLA events such as training courses and meetings on topics of special interest.
OUR MEMBERS
Membership of the Association is open to institutions in the UK and Ireland that offer courses in management education at Masters level or above. Library staff engaged in the provision of business information at our member institutions are encouraged to contribute to the group.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
RESOURCES
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The BLA maintains a collection of resources created by and for our members. This includes the Business Librarian’s Toolkit, a list of databases subscribed to by our members, an archive listing of FTSE100 companies and presentations from all of our events.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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Each year BLA holds a three-day conference hosted by a member institution. The conference consists of keynote speakers and presentations by members together with excellent food and drink. Each year a different theme is adopted and explored throughout the event. The 2017 BLA Conference theme is Find your spark! Inspiration for challenging times
TRAINING EVENTS
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The BLA committee organises and subsidises training events for members on topics of agreed mutual interest. In the last few years these have included: the popular Jargon Busting training, led by finance and accounting lecturer Matt Davies of Aston Business School; and training days on market research and financial databases.
COMMUNITY
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LIS-Business is the lively mailing list of the BLA. It provides a forum for discussion between organised events. Members principally use the list to seek advice from colleagues and share their experience.
FAQ
Who is eligible for membership?
Membership of the Association is open to institutions which offer courses in management education at Masters level or above. Library staff with sufficient involvement in business information provision at those institutions are encouraged to contribute to the group. There is no individual membership available.
How much does it cost to join?
The annual membership fee is £50.
How can my institution join the BLA?
More information on joining our Association and a link to the application form can be found on the Membership Details page.
My institution is already a member, how can I get involved?
To be added to LIS-Business, our lively mailing list, and to receive a login for the Members’ Only area of this website please register here.
Where was last year's conference held?
The 2016 conference was held in Imperial College London.
JOIN US
Full membership of the Business Librarians Association is open to any institutions that offer courses in Management education at Masters level or above. Library staff engaged in the provision of business information at our member institutions are encouraged to contribute to the group.
Affiliate membership is open to institutions that offer courses in Management education up to Bachelors level and to National and Public libraries with Business and IP Centres.
The annual membership fee for any institution is £50.