Becoming a part of the professional community is an important aspect of professional education. Students at the Information School are fortunate to have a number of quality professional organizations with student chapters and student membership. We encourage our students to become active in at least one of these organizations and join your respective listservs to ensure that you see communication from the student organizations.

Association for Information Management Students (AIMS)

  AIMS serves Early-Career and Mid-Career students in the Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) program. Its goal is to improve the academic, career and social experiences for both current students and alumni. Throughout the year, AIMS hosts a variety of events such as happy hours and skill-building sessions, and it advocates and addresses issues on behalf of the MSIM student body during the MSIM Program Committee, iSchool Student Leadership Council, and Graduate Student Senate meetings.

Association of Library and Information Science Students (ALISS)

ALISS organizes a variety of events, including a quarterly town hall to provide voice to students who want to express concerns with iSchool administrators; social events such as hikes; coffee in the iLounge; and professional events that feature guest speakers working in the field. 

ArLISNAP

ArLiSNAP at the iSchool is an ideal community for students interested in exploring the intersection of art, libraries, information and technology. ArLiSNAP, which stands for Art Library Students and New ARLIS Professionals, works to engage them by hosting events, informational panels, job talks with professionals working in the field and more.

DubHacks

DubHacks is a tech and entrepreneurship nonprofit that hosts the largest hackathon in the Pacific Northwest at the University of Washington. It brings together students of all backgrounds to tackle the issues they are most passionate about. DubHacks Next is the entrepreneurship branch of DubHacks with the mission to empower and educate student builders on campus.

DubsTech

DubsTech UW is for any student who wants to join a supportive community that focuses on providing hands-on opportunities that help students improve their tech skills. This group does this by organizing a variety of free, open-to-all workshops, competitions and talks every year. Each workshop involves students directly interacting with technology and completing a project they can use as a showcase in their portfolio. Dubstech UW hosts guest speakers from various tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook.

Doctoral Student Association (DSA)

The DSA provides a supportive community for Ph.D. students by providing official channels for communications between students and the faculty/administration of the Information School, as well as organizing opportunities for social, cultural and professional activities for students. 

ISACA

ISACA aims to engage students who are interested in learning about information security and risk. This student group accomplishes this by hosting workshops and events that teach students about basic information security procedures and best practices. 

Informatics Undergraduate Association (IUGA)

IUGA is a great place for students to gain campus leadership because it operates as the student government for the Informatics undergraduate program, advocating for the interests of current and prospective Informatics students. IUGA also hosts fun, community-building events as well as programming that focuses on professional development.

iQueeries

iQueeries provides a safe, positive, and nurturing space for LGBTQIA+ and supportive ally students in the Information School. It works to foster a strong, supportive queer community within the iSchool as well as UW at large, and to promote positive change and social justice within the field of information sciences. iQueeries is intersectional: all identities and experiences are welcome and encouraged to share their voices. iQueeries is on Instagram and Discord.

iYouth

iYouth is a community of graduate students and future librarians that celebrates young adult and children’s literature. This group also supports professional development for students and organizes a variety of opportunities that help students engage youth through academics and community outreach.

Society of American Archivists, UW Chapter (SAA-UW)

 SAA-UW is the right place for students interested in the archival profession. This group aims to expand the professional network of students pursuing careers in this field by hosting a variety of events, including panels with guest speakers, tours to local archives, and preservation workshops.

American Library Association, UW Student Chapter (sALA)

sALA organizes a variety of programs and activities throughout the year to encourage networking, highlight trends and issues in the library profession, promote advocacy, and assist students in course and conference planning.

Special Libraries Association, UW Chapter (SLA-UW)

SLA-UW seeks to engage and inform students who are interested in pursuing a career in special libraries. This group organizes activities and events such as library crawls and career nights. 

Students of Color in LIS (SoCLIS)

Students of Color in LIS (SoCLIS) supports students of color pursuing careers in library and information science, building professional and personal connections between underrepresented practitioners of color.

Women in Informatics (Winfo)

Women in Informatics supports ways to empower women to thrive as producers of technology. Winfo is a supportive network of women in technology fields who provide students with mentorship, resources and support toward career development and academic pursuits. This group organizes various activities and events such as hackathons, a Diversity Power Hour, company tours at tech companies such as Indeed.com, networking nights and more. 

Student Leadership Council (SLC)

This board serves as an advisory council to the dean and other iSchool administration. It is composed of one to two representatives from each of the Information School’s degree program student organizations (AIMS, ALISS, DSA, IUGA and Winfo). In addition to providing input to the dean, the council oversees the process of assigning student representatives to iSchool committees as well as a small budget to allocate to clubs planning all iSchool activities. As needed, the council may ask other iSchool students to participate in meetings and discussions in order to get additional input.