The Society Circle was formed in 2003 to serve as the Society's fundraising organization.

Anyone who donates to ARLIS/NA is automatically part of the Society’s giving circle. Society Circle members directly support the mission of ARLIS/NA through their contributions. A list of donation levels and benefits is on the Donate Now page.

Donations help support all areas of ARLIS/NA, including special travel awards for the annual conference. Society Circle members have supported these awards since the Circle's founding in 2003.

The Circle supports the following special and conference-related activities: 

• $50k for 50 Years Fund

A significant part of commemorating 50 years of ARLIS/NA revolves around thinking about the Society's future. To that end, we want to focus energy on diversifying art librarianship by providing job experience and a professional network for early-career librarians of color through internships under supervision of ARLIS/NA members and networking support from local chapters. This initiative supports several of the Society's strategic directions: Diversity and Inclusion, Organizational Advancement, and Art Information Professionals.

The work begins with a $50k for 50 Years fundraising campaign in support of an endowment. With an enthusiastic response from donors, it will fund at least one internship recipient in the first year. The campaign officially kicks off in spring 2021 at the 2021 Annual Conference.

To contribute to this campaign, please visit the Donate Now page and select the $50k for 50 Years Fund. Contributions you make to this fund are an investment in the future of ARLIS/NA and make you eligible for the Society Circle.

• Conference Speakers Fund

The Conference Speakers Fund supports attendance costs and a small honorarium for non-ARLIS/NA member speakers at the annual conference.

• Conference Speakers of Color Fund

The Conference Speakers of Color Fund, formerly known as the Alternative Voices Fund, was established in 2008 to bring a diversity of voices to the ARLIS/NA annual conference by encouraging participation by speakers of color who are not Society members. The fund supports attendance costs and a small honorarium for selected speakers who self-identify as persons of color. All donations to the fund will count towards your Society Circle membership.

• Internship Fund

The fund goes to support the Wolfgang M. Freitag Internship Award which provides financial support for students preparing for a career in art or architecture librarianship, or visual resources curatorship.

The internship aims to represent the multifaceted nature of the field by providing internship opportunities to students currently enrolled in, or having completed within the last 12 months, a graduate program in library/information science, art history, architectural history, architecture, studio art, or museum studies. The grant supports a 150 hour internship in an art library or visual resources collection.

• Travel Grant Fund

Funding opportunities for members and non-members who wish to attend the ARLIS/NA annual conference.

• International Relations Study Tour Scholarship

The International Relations study tour scholarship was established in 2017 to allow an early-career ARLIS/NA member to participate in the annual study tour abroad organized by the International Relations Committee. This competitive scholarship offers financial assistance for global professional development opportunities. The study tour gives an early-career ARLIS/NA member the transformative benefit of deepening their knowledge of global collections, practices, and engagement with colleagues abroad. All donations to the scholarship fund will count towards your Society Circle membership.  

Impact of Awards

The year I received the Internship Award (2001) was the first time it was awarded. The committee had worked so hard to get the award established and there was so much excitement about it - the experience gave me a strong sense that ARLIS/NA was an organization of people highly committed to the future of ARLIS/NA and art librarianship as a whole. The internship experience gave me excellent concrete experience to put on my resume. I also received mentoring from librarians at the University of Texas, Austin where my internship was hosted, as well as from members of the internship award committee. As someone new to the art library profession, it made a big impact. Through the ARLIS/NA members I encountered, I saw a very positive facet of the organization that I have tried to replicate throughout my career and through my ARLIS/NA activities. The whole experience inspired me to actively participate in the organization. I was subsequently asked to serve on the committee for the internship award, which gave me a foothold into ARLIS/NA. I learned how to network and became more confident in volunteering for ARLIS/NA projects. Later on, I was nominated to serve as an ARLIS/NA Executive Board member and served as its President – so I think we can safely say this award really helped jump-start my dream career!

- Heather Gendron: Internship Award 2001, 2016 ARLIS/NA President

Read more stories from those supported by the funds of Society Circle members.

2021 Society Circle Members

(January 1, 2021 - May 3, 2021)

Founder's Circle

President's Circle

Patron's Circle

Member's Circle

Contributor's Circle

Past Founder's Circle Members