Member renewals begin - and it’s the perfect time to join or rejoin ARA
Over the next few weeks our existing members will be receiving their renewal letter. We’d like to thank all of them for their continued support as members of ARA.
This year we are making paying for membership even easier by introducing direct debit options to spread the payment across the year or set up to pay once on the renewal date.
As a member of The Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland), the lead professional membership body for records managers, archive conservators, archivists and information governance professionals and institutions in the UK and Ireland our members are part of our growing professional community. We are the only professional body in the UK and Ireland that represents the three record-keeping disciplines: archives, records management and archive conservation. Membership subscriptions support our continuing work in championing the sector, the work of our members and the value they provide to their employers, users and communities. Whether you work alone or are part of a small team, ARA membership connects our members to a broader and deeper national network of knowledge and good practice.
The vast majority of the ARA’s income comes from membership fees, meaning we are answerable only to our members. We offer great value and manage our money well: membership fees are based on your income, and we have only increased fees once in over 15 years.
As a member:
You can improve your career prospects – through Professional Registration, training and learning resources, acquiring additional skills through volunteering, creating a great network across the sector, providing opportunities to publish articles and other content to enhance your professional reputation. Our communications keep you up to date with all the latest developments and offer opportunities to connect with others who can help you in your career. We also offer a free CV review if you are looking for work or to move jobs. Find out more here.
You support the recordkeeping sector as a whole through advocacy and thought leadership. We work to ensure that Governments - local, central and devolved - know the value of the recordkeeping sector and ensure that it is adequately supported with the resources it needs. We collaborate with other organisations across the sector to maximise the work we do. We also work with individual groups and sections on specific issues and can support individuals and individual services where their work is threatened. Find out more here.
You have access to a gateway to the whole of the recordkeeping sector – ARA members come from a wide range of roles – records managers, archivists, conservators, in a wide range of settings. The ability to network with this wide range of people is invaluable to anyone looking to step into a leadership role. Members can join their local region or nation and also a wide range of specialist groups and sections – sharing information and experience with others working in similar roles. Find out more here.
You can always get some support when things get tough or, if, as a lone worker, you just need a sounding board. Peers from sections, groups, nations and regions offer informal support, ARA staff offer one-to-one support and New Professionals can sign up for Peer Pals, and those undertaking registration will have a mentor as part of that programme. Find out more here.
You stay up to date with what is going on in the sector – our publications keep your knowledge relevant and up to date on the latest thinking and developments in the sector and our bulletins alert you to events, funding opportunities and new initiatives. Find out more here.
You have access to dedicated member funding – bursaries to help members attend our conference and overseas conferences, training funds, cost of living support funds for those struggling with the economic context, research grants. Being a member of ARA also gives you opportunities to get discounts and free training from our training partners and a hefty discount on our annual conference. Find out more here.
You are part of a membership organisation that has time to support you – ARA prides itself on its ability to respond to individual member queries on a one-to-one basis with a named member of the staff team. We don’t have chat-bots, automated messages or long waits for a response. We are here to help you navigate the benefits ARA can offer and to help you in your career with advice and support that is specific to you and your circumstances – whether that’s finding a particular report on the website or fighting to keep your service open – we are here and ready to help. We are open to our members’ ideas and proactive in helping them take that forward when appropriate – for example with our new Environmental Sustainability Group. You can find details of staff members and their emails and phone numbers here.
We hope you will renew your membership today and keep being part of all this. Don’t forget that if your circumstances have changed you may be on a higher or lower rate of membership and that there is a special discounted rate for members who are retired, recently unemployed or on very low pay.
We are also introducing the option for existing members to pause membership if they are taking a career break, on parental leave or off long-term sick. Find out more about this option by contacting Member Services on membership@archives.org.uk. Whilst your membership is paused you won’t access the same benefits as full membership but we will keep in touch with you from time to time so that when you come back to work you are still in the loop. We also offer a cost-of-living support fund for anyone struggling financially – this can help with both membership fees and offers support for training costs. Please contact Member Services to find out more.
You can find all the membership rates here in both GB Pounds and Euros. If you have any questions please contact Lorraine Logan at membership@archives.org.uk or call +44 (0) 1823 327077 select option 1.
Current members can renew online at https://membership.archives.org.uk/membership-renewal payment is due by 1st October 2023.
New members, or those looking to rejoin, should take a look here to find the right category and membership for you. Our membership year runs from 1st October to 30th September.