Beta Phi Mu (also or βφμ) is the international

honor society In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the National Honor Society of the Boy S ...

for library & information science and

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology syste ...

. Founded by a group of librarians and library educators, the society's express purpose is to recognize and encourage "superior academic achievement" among library and information studies students. Beta Phi Mu now has 39 active chapters in the U.S. and abroad, continues to sponsor various publications and funds several scholarships. The society's name comes from the initials in the Greek phrase ''Bibliothekarios philax mathesis'', meaning "the librarian is the guardian of knowledge".

Motto and insignia

''Aliis inserviendo consumor'' serves as the society's motto; translated from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

, it means "consumed in the service of others". Members of the society— librarians and other information professionals—dedicate themselves to serving the information needs of individuals, organizations, and communities. A

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...

and

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek � ...

, the

mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

of Venetian printer

Aldus Manutius Aldus Pius Manutius (; it, Aldo Pio Manuzio; 6 February 1515) was an Italian printer and humanist who founded the Aldine Press. Manutius devoted the later part of his life to publishing and disseminating rare texts. His interest in and preser ...

, serves as the society's

insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...

, appearing on various pins, buttons, and similar memorabilia. The society's colors, as signified on honor cords, are purple and white.

Membership

Eligibility for membership in Beta Phi Mu is by invitation of the faculty from an ALA-accredited professional degree program. Invitations are extended only to individuals who complete the requirements for a master's degree and achieve at least a 3.75 (out of 4.0) GPA; invitations are further limited to a maximum of 25% of any given graduating class. Each eligible candidate must also be recommended for election by the faculty of the candidate’s school.

Notable dates

* August 1948 – founding of Beta Phi Mu at the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Un ...

* 1949 – first initiation is held at Illinois * 1953 – begins publication of its

chapbook A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch. In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookle ...

series * 1954 – presents its first Distinguished Service to Library Education Award * 1956 – the Distinguished Service to Library Education Award becomes an official award of the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

* 1959 – Pi Lambda Sigma, founded in 1903, merges with and becomes a chapter of Beta Phi Mu''Special Libraries'', October 1959 (vol 50, no 8), p. 402.
/ref> * 1969 – Beta Phi Mu admitted to the

Association of College Honor Societies The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is a predominantly American, voluntary association that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies. ACHS coordinates member organizations, fac ...

* 1986 – begins publication of its

monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monogra ...

series (successor to the chapbook series) * 1998 – the society becomes an affiliate of the

* 2015 - begins publication of its Scholars Series (successor to the monograph series)

Beta Phi Mu Award

The Beta Phi Mu Award is an annual award to a library school faculty member or to an individual for distinguished service to education for librarianship. The first award was made in 1954 to

Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness (October 18, 1894 – August 16, 1968) was a prominent American librarian and literary translator who served as Dean of the University of Michigan's Library Science Department from 1940 to 1964. Additionally, he held posit ...

Dean of the University of Michigan's Library Science Department from 1940 to 1964.

References

External links

*
ACHS Beta Phi Mu entry

Beta Phi Mu chapter list
ACHS {{Authority control Student organizations established in 1948 Association of College Honor Societies Library-related organizations 1948 establishments in Illinois