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Beta Phi Mu
ΒΦΜ
FoundedAugust 1948; 76 years ago (1948-08)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
TypeHonor Society
AffiliationACHS
StatusActive
EmphasisLibrary & information science
ScopeNational
MottoBibliothekarios philax mathesis
(“Librarians are the guardians of knowledge”)
Colors  Purple and   White
SymbolDolphin, Anchor
PublicationThe Pipeline
Chapters31 (active)
Members23,000 active
40,000+ lifetime
HeadquartersBeta Phi Mu Honor Society
PO Box 292992
Davie, Florida 33329
United States
Websitewww.betaphimu.org

Beta Phi Mu (also ΒΦΜ or βφμ) is an American honor society for library & information science and information technology. 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 31 active chapters in the U.S. and abroad, continues to sponsor various publications, and funds several scholarships.[1]

The printer's mark of Aldus Manutius, the dolphin and anchor seen here on a 1558 title page, serves as the insignia of Beta Phi Mu.

History

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Beta Phi Mu was founded in August 1948 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign[2][3][4] Its founders were library educators and leading librarians.[5] Beta Phi Mu was created as an honor society for information sciences to recognize the notable achievements within the profession.[5] Rolland Stevens was its first president and Harold Lancour was its first executive secretary.[5]

Beta Phi Mu held its first initiation in Illinois in the spring of 1949 at the University of Illinois.[5] In 1954, it presented its first Distinguished Service to Library Education Award; the award became an official award of the American Library Association in 1956.[6][7]

Țhe local Pi Lambda Sigma, founded in 1903 at Syracuse University, is the oldest library honor society in the United States and became a chapter of Beta Phi Mu in 1959.[8][9] It was admitted to the Association of College Honor Societies in 1969.[6][4] The society becomes an affiliate of the American Library Association in 1998.[10]

As of August 2012, it had initiated 40,000 members.[4] In 2024, it has 23,000 active members.[5]

Symbols

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The society's name comes from the initials in the Greek phrase Bibliothekarios philax mathesis, meaning "the librarian is the guardian of knowledge".[11] Its motto is "Aliis inserviendo consumor" or "consumed in the service of others".[5] A dolphin and anchor, the mark of Venetian printer Aldus Manutius, serves as the society's insignia.[5] The society's colors, as signified on honor cords, are purple and white. Its publication is The Pipeline.[4]

Activities

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The society presents the Beta Phi Mu Award to a library school faculty member or an individual for distinguished service to education for librarianship. The first award was made in 1954 to Rudolph Hjalmar Gjelsness, dean of the University of Michigan's Library Science Department from 1940 to 1964.

Beta Phi Mu has a scholarship program for beginning students, members seeking continuing education and foreign study, and doctorial students.[4] One of its main activities is the publication of its Monograph Series.[4]

Membership

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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.[4]

Chapters

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Following is a list of Beta Phi Mu chapters.[12][13] Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics.

Chapter Charter date Institution Location Status References
Alpha August 1948 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois Active
Gamma Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida Active
Epsilon University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina Active
Theta Pratt Institute New York City, New York Active
Iota Catholic University of America Washington, D.C. Active [5]
Iota University of Maryland, College Park College Park, Maryland Active
Lambda University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Active
Xi University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Honolulu, Hawaii Active
Omicron Rutgers University–New Brunswick New Brunswick, New Jersey Active
Pi University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Active
Sigma Drexel University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Active
Psi University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri Active
Omega San Jose State University San Jose, California Active
Pi Lambda Sigma 1959 Syracuse University Syracuse, New York Active [8][9][a]
Beta Beta Simmons University Boston, Massachusetts Active
Beta Delta University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York Active
Beta Epsilon Emporia State University Emporia, Kansas Active
Beta Iota University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island Active
Beta Kappa University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama Active
Beta Lambda Texas Woman's University Denton, Texas Active
Beta Pi University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Active
Beta Rho University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin Active
Beta Phi University of South Florida Tampa, Florida Active
Beta Psi June 9, 1981 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, Mississippi Active [11]
Beta Omega University of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina Active
Beta Beta Theta University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Active
Beta Beta Mu Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia Active
Beta Beta Nu University of North Texas Denton, Texas Active
Beta Beta Xi St. Catherine University Saint Paul, Minnesota Active
Beta Beta Omicron East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina Active
Beta Beta Pi University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, Missouri Active
Alabama A&M University Normal, Alabama Inactive
Brigham Young University Provo, Utah Inactive
Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clarion, Pennsylvania Inactive
Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, Georgia Inactive
Columbia University New York City, New York Inactive
Dominican University River Forest, Illinois Inactive
Duke University Durham, North Carolina Inactive
Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana Inactive
Kent State University Kent, Ohio Inactive
LIU Post Brookville, New York Inactive
Loughborough University Loughborough, United Kingdom Inactive
Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana Inactive
North Carolina Central University Durham, North Carolina Inactive
Queens College, City University of New York Flushing, Queens, New York Inactive
St. John's University Jamaica, Queens, New York Inactive
State University of New York at Geneseo Geneseo, New York Inactive
State University of New York at Albany Albany, New York Inactive
University of Denver Denver, Colorado Inactive
University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Inactive
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Princess Anne, Maryland Inactive
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan Inactive
University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, North Carolina Inactive
University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Inactive
University of Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico Inactive
University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island Inactive
University of South Florida Sarasota, Florida Inactive
University of Southern California Los Angeles, California Inactive
University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee Inactive
University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Inactive
University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin Inactive
Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan Inactive
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan Inactive
  1. ^ The chapter formed from Pi Lambda Sigma, a local library honor society founded in 1903.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Beta Phi Mu: Scholarships, Fellowships, & Awards". Beta Phi Mu. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  2. ^ "History of Beta Phi Mu". Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. July 2000. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  3. ^ Beta Phi Mu International Honor Society for Library and Information Science
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Beta Phi Mu Honor Society- Library & Information Studies and Information Technology". Association for College Honor Societies. August 31, 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2024-05-20 – via web.archive.org.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Beta Phi Mu". The Catholic University of America. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  6. ^ a b "Beta Phi Mu: Library & Information Studies and Information Technology". Association for College Honor Societies. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  7. ^ "American Library Association: Beta Phi Mu Award". American Library Association. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  8. ^ a b "About Pi Lambda Sigma". Beta Phi Mu, Pi Lambda Sigma Chapter, Syracuse University. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  9. ^ a b Special Libraries, October 1959 (vol 50, no 8), p. 402.
  10. ^ "American Library Association: Affiliates: Beta Phi Mu". American Library Association. 19 April 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  11. ^ a b Green, Carol (2015) "History of the Beta Phi Mu, Beta Psi Chapter at The University of Southern Mississippi," SLIS Connecting: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, Article 3. DOI: 10.18785/slis.0402.03
  12. ^ "BPM Chapters". Beta Phi Mu International Honor Society. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  13. ^ "Beta Phi Mu Chapters". Association of College Honor Societies. Archived from the original on October 11, 2004. Retrieved May 20, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
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