MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

AISTI Full and Collaborative Member Benefits

Agility:

AISTI's size and organizational structure enable quick action and decision making on time sensitive issues. For example AISTI has financed short term projects such as advancing member staff to advocate the digital library view to the MPEG-21 standardization committee and to partner with NISO on advocating broader standardization adoption of the OpenURL. These efforts have enabled AISTI members to play a role in moving digital library standards forward beyond the library community in a manner which individual institutions would be unable to accomplish.
AISTI is also able to respond to members needs by providing simplified accounting, funding, and contracting solutions.

Innovation:

The Emerging Research Summit was launched to stimulate and support cutting-edge innovation. Results from those efforts include a funded Mellon grant, the release of open source software to expose grey literature via Apache servers, and the newly initiated support for data transfer of KARST Scanned Electron Micrographs. Topics for future ERS are determined by the AISTI Board of Directors (full members).

Learning:

The Santa Fe Mini Conference has become an eagerly awaited tradition, providing all categories of membership the opportunity to interact with key international players in both the information world and the scientific community.
Our quarterly Board of Director's meetings include the "Digital Ideas Club" theme and the "Innovation Forum" where we explore the future of digital libraries and e-science with outside experts. The Board of Directors meetings also provide a "Think Tank" for new ideas to be fermented and solidified.

Component organizational model:

AISTI continues to integrate special interests components, reflecting the needs and interests of our membership. Examples of special interest components include: the Emerging Research Summit; Buying consortia; the Digital Ideas club round-table; The category of Observer member was created to provide a means for non-members to get a glimpse of AISTI prior to making the decision to commit the resources required for fuller participation.

Here is a list of membership benefits based upon membership level.