A Guide to English: Scholarly Associations

"Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association of America provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. MLA members host an annual convention and other meetings, work with related organizations, and sustain one of the finest publishing programs in the humanities. For more than a century, members have worked to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature." - About page

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"In June 1989, members of the major societies devoted to American authors met at the Cal State Symposium on American Literature in San Diego, to discuss ways to provide specialists in American authors with new opportunities for scholarly interaction. The result was the American Literature Association: a coalition of societies devoted to the study of American authors. At its organizing meeting, the members of the American Literature Association agreed to the following statement of purpose: The primary purpose of the American Literature Association is the advancement of humanistic learning by encouraging the study of American authors and their works. The American Literature Association shall actively encourage fellowship and scholarly interaction among persons interested in American authors, their art, their ideas, and their times. Specifically, the American Literature Association shall provide means for the various societies devoted to the study of American authors to cooperate in arranging conferences and other scholarly activities. The American Literature Association recognizes the importance of encouraging a wide variety of approaches, both established and innovational, to the study of American authors, including biographical and historical studies of an author’s life and times, bibliographical examinations and close readings of literary texts, as well as all other critical approaches." - About page

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"Founded in 1820, the RSL is the UK’s charity for the advancement of literature. We act as a voice for the value of literature, engage people in appreciating literature, and encourage and honour writers. Today, alongside our world-class events programme, we support authors both established and emerging with awards and grants, and manage an outreach programme to inspire the next generation of readers and writers." - About page

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"The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) was founded in 1924 to advance the scientific study of language and its applications. LSA plays a critical role in supporting and disseminating linguistic scholarship both to professional linguists and to the general public. " - About page

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"The Dictionary Society of North America was formed in 1975 to bring together people interested in dictionary making, study, collection, and use. Our more than 400 members who live in 40 countries around the world include people working on dictionaries, academics who engage in research and writing about dictionaries, dictionary collectors, librarians, booksellers, translators, linguists, publishers, writers, collectors, journalists, and people with an avocational interest in dictionaries." - About page

"The Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) is the oldest scholarly society in North America dedicated to the study of books and manuscripts as physical objects. It was organized in 1904 and incorporated in 1927 with the principal objectives of promoting bibliographical research and issuing bibliographical publications. These objectives have been and continue to be accomplished through a broad array of activities, including meetings, lectures, and fellowship programs, as well as the publishing of books and the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America (PBSA), North America’s leading bibliographical journal. The Society is open to all those interested in bibliographical problems and projects, and its membership includes bibliographers, librarians, professors, students, booksellers, and collectors worldwide." - About page

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"The Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing was founded to create a global network for book historians working in a broad range of scholarly disciplines. Research addresses the composition, mediation, reception, survival, and transformation of written communication in material forms from marks on stone to new media. Perspectives range from the individual reader to the transnational communication network. With more than a thousand members in over forty countries, SHARP works in concert with affiliated academic organizations around the world to support the study of book history in all its forms." - About page

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"Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists is North America's oldest and largest national professional association dedicated to the needs and interests of archives and archivists. SAA represents more than 6,200 professional archivists employed by governments, universities, businesses, libraries, and historical organizations nationally." - About page

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"The Rare Books and Manuscript Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), strives to represent and promote the interests of librarians who work with rare books, manuscripts, and other types of special collections. The following links will lead to you general information about our mission, history and organization structure. You will also find information on how to contact RBMS and become involved in its activities." - About page

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"Anyone who reads Old and Middle English literary texts will be familiar with the mid-brown volumes of the EETS, with the symbol of Alfred's jewel embossed on the front cover. Most of the works attributed to King Alfred or to Aelfric, along with some of those by bishop Wulfstan and much anonymous prose and verse from the pre-Conquest period, are to be found within the Society's three series; all of the surviving medieval drama, most of the Middle English romances, much religious and secular prose and verse including the English works of John Gower, Thomas Hoccleve and most of Caxton's prints all find their place in the publications. Without EETS editions, study of medieval English texts would hardly be possible." - About page

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"Founded in 1925, the MAA is the largest organization in the United States promoting excellence in the field of medieval studies. The Academy publishes the quarterly journal Speculum; awards prizes, grants, and fellowships; and supports research, publication, and teaching in medieval art, archaeology, history, law, literature, music, philosophy, religion, science, social and economic institutions, and all other aspects of the Middle Ages." - Home page

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"The Renaissance Society of America is the largest international organization devoted to the critical study of the world from 1300–1700 and its importance today. The RSA fosters initiatives that feature innovative, multidisciplinary research and pedagogical approaches together with well-established methodologies. It sponsors digital and print publications to disseminate knowledge, organizes in-person and virtual events to bring together diverse communities of inquiry and practice, and promotes the works of its members in the field of Renaissance Studies." - About page

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"The Sixteenth Century Society and Conference (SCSC) is a scholarly society that is interested in the early modern era (ca. 1450-ca. 1660). Our geographical scope is as worldwide as our membership. The society welcomes scholars from all disciplines who have an interest in early modern studies. The SCSC holds one annual meeting a year with approximately 170 sessions for papers. The annual meeting usually and traditionally takes place the last full weekend of October." - About page

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"The Shakespeare Association of America (SAA) is a non-profit professional organization for the advanced academic study of William Shakespeare’s plays and poems, his cultural and theatrical contexts, and the many roles these have played in world culture. Since its founding in 1972, the SAA has held annual conferences that convene in a different location each year, generally in late March or early April. SAA members meet to exchange ideas and strategies for reading, teaching, researching, and writing about topics of shared interest. Sessions at the meeting include seminars, workshops, panel presentations, round-table discussions, film screenings, theatrical performances, and teaching workshops."

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"The American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, established in 1969, is the foremost learned society in the United States for the study of all aspects of the period from the later seventeenth through the early nineteenth century. Our members are literary scholars and writers, historians, theorists of gender, race, sexuality, disability, nation and empire; philosophers and political theorists; art historians and artists; musicologists and musicians; theater historians and practitioners; biographers and bibliographers; and specialists in other humanistic, artistic, and social scientific fields with a range of broad and more particular interests. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment in which all members participate fully in the exchange of knowledge and ideas." - About page

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"The Keats-Shelley Association of America (K-SAA) emerged from a coalition of scholars, critics, bibliophiles, editors, students, teachers working to enhance and deepen the study and appreciation of Keats, the Shelleys, and their circles. We do so by supporting scholarship and producing a dynamic series of programs focused on these writers and their times to engage existing and new audiences, both from the academy and the public. Incorporated as the Keats-Shelley Association of America in 1949, the K-SAA launched The Keats-Shelley Journal in 1952, to publish scholarship on Keats, Shelley, and their immediate circles. Now widened to include work on many others writing amid the cultural and literary excitement of the first decades of the nineteenth century, this annual has become known for its stimulating critical and interpretive essays, as well as informative news and notes. Membership of the K-SAA includes a subscription." - About page

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"The North American Victorian Studies Association (NAVSA) was established in 2002 to provide a continental forum for the discussion of the Victorian period, to encourage a wide variety of theoretical and disciplinary approaches to the field, and to further the interests of scholars of the period within such larger bodies as the MLA, the AHA, and ACCUTE. Our goal will be to provide a more visible forum for Victorianists in the profession: encouraging press and journal editors to participate in our annual conferences; facilitating the networking of Victorianists across regional and national boundaries; forging contacts with other national Victorian groups, such as the British Association of Victorian Studies; and initiating web-based archival projects that make Victorian texts more easily accessible to members. We enthusiastically invite our fellow Victorianists in all fields to join us." - About page

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"In order to truly animate and sustain this conversation, we will need to adopt multiple modalities of scholarship and collectivity: both the slow and careful inquiry that takes place in monographs and articles, but also the fast, dynamic, and dialogic forms of online publishing, co-authorship, and conference panel streams. To that end we are launching V21, an open platform whose primary aim — by contrast with existing digital platforms in the field — is to advance theses, to risk hypotheses, to catalyze debates. V21 is not an end in itself but a means for sustaining a collective of Victorianists who aspire toward a more argumentative, porous, and ambitious field." - from "Manifesto of the V21 Collective"

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"The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in the United States with a national focus.[3] Its main building, known as Antiquarian Hall, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark in recognition of this legacy.[4] The mission of the AAS is to collect, preserve and make available for study all printed records of what is now known as the United States of America. This includes materials from the first European settlement through the year 1876." - from Wikipedia

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"The purpose of this Society shall be to further the exchange of ideas and information among scholars of various disciplines who study the literature and culture of America to approximately 1830. The Society shall promote the exchange of ideas and information among its members through a newsletter, which serves as the primary forum for members’ concerns, through an electronic bulletin board, and through meetings, joint research projects, and any other means the Society might deem appropriate." - About page

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"C19: The Society of Nineteenth-Century Americanists is the first academic organization dedicated to nineteenth-century American literary and cultural studies. The seventh biennial conference of C19 will take place in Coral Gables, FL in Spring 2022. The society publishes a journal, J19: The Journal of Nineteenth-Century Americanists, published twice annually by the University of Pennsylvania Press. J19 provides a forum for disseminating, debating, and implementing methodologies for the intra- and inter-disciplinary study of the long American nineteenth century (1789–1914). The C19 listserv serves as a forum for announcements and business related to the organization." - About page

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"The Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH) is a major professional society for the digital humanities. We support and disseminate research and cultivate a vibrant professional community through conferences, publications, and outreach activities. ACH is based in the US, but boasts an international membership (as of November 2015, representing 21 countries worldwide). We welcome members of any academic affiliation or professional role who are interested in the digital humanities and who would like to help shape the values and priorities of our organization. Although we are a US-based organization, we welcome those who live in regions of the world that are not represented by existing professional organizations, recognizing that intellectual, cultural, institutional, and other forms of diversity make a vital contribution to scholarship and practice." - About page

"PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous International PEN centers in over 100 countries. Other goals included: to emphasise the role of literature in the development of mutual understanding and world culture; to fight for freedom of expression; and to act as a powerful voice on behalf of writers harassed, imprisoned and sometimes killed for their views." - from Wikipedia

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"PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network. PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others. Our strength is our Membership—a nationwide community of more than 7,500 novelists, journalists, nonfiction writers, editors, poets, essayists, playwrights, publishers, translators, agents, and other writing professionals, as well as devoted readers and supporters who join with them to carry out PEN America’s mission." - About page

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"Founded in 1921, English PEN is one of the world's first non-governmental organisations and amongst the first international bodies advocating for human rights. English PEN was the founding centre of PEN International, a worldwide writers' association with 145 centres in more than 100 countries. The current President of English PEN is Philippe Sands. The Director is Daniel Gorman. English PEN celebrates the diversity of literature and envisions a world with free expression and equity of opportunity for all by supporting writers at risk and campaigning for freedom of expression nationally and internationally. English PEN also hosts events and prizes to champion international literature, showcase the diversity of writing, and celebrate literary courage. By supporting literature in translation into English and developing opportunities for publishers, translators and translated voices, English PEN aims to encourage diversity in the literary landscape." - from Wikipedia

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"Founded in 1934 in New York City, the Academy of American Poets is the nation's leading champion of American poets and poetry, with members in all fifty states. Its mission is to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry. Each year, the organization connects millions of readers to poets' work with its many free programs and publications, which, in addition to Poets.org, include Poem-a-Day, the first place of publication for new poems by 260 poets annually; National Poetry Month (April), which the Academy founded in 1996; American Poets biannual literary journal for members; the American Poets Prizes & Fellowships , which provide more than $1,000,000 to 200 poets each year; Poetry & the Creative Mind, a celebration of poetry's influence on other artists and public leaders; a Reading, Conversations & Lecture Series; and an Education Program that provides free resources, such as lesson plans, the award-winning weekly series Teach This Poem, and the Dear Poet project for K-12 teachers and students. In addition, the organization coordinates the Poetry Coalition, an alliance of more than 25+ poetry organizations across the United States. And, helps coordinate the Literary Arts Emergency Fund." - About page

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"The American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) is an incorporated organization dedicated to the study of theatre and drama in and of the Americas, its varied histories, traditions, literatures, and performances within its cultural contexts. ATDS also encourages the evolving debate exploring national identities and experiences through research, pedagogy, and practice. ATDS recognizes that notions of America and the US encompass migrations of peoples and cultures that overlap and influence one another. To this end, ATDS welcomes scholars, teachers, and practitioners world-wide." - About page

"Through collaboration and community, shared stories and shared experiences, NCTE supports teachers and their students in classrooms, on college campuses, and in online learning environments. For more than 100 years, NCTE has worked with its members to offer journals, publications, and resources; to further the voice and expertise of educators as advocates for their students at the local and federal levels; and to share lesson ideas, research, and teaching strategies through its Annual Convention and other professional learning events." - About page

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"The Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) is committed to supporting the agency, power, and potential of diverse communicators inside and outside of postsecondary classrooms. CCCC advocates for broad and evolving definitions of literacy, communication, rhetoric, and writing (including multimodal discourse, digital communication, and diverse language practices) that emphasize the value of these activities to empower individuals and communities. CCCC promotes intellectual and pedagogical freedom and ethical scholarship and communication." - About page

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"TESOL International Association, formerly Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, is the largest professional organization for teachers of English as a second or foreign language. It was founded in 1966, and is based in Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States. As of 2018, it had 10,113 members worldwide, and it was affiliated with 109 language education organizations, just over half of which were based outside the United States. TESOL's total number of members, including those of affiliate organizations, was around 44,000." - from Wikipedia

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"The Rhetoric Society of America (RSA) is an academic organization for the study of rhetoric. The Society's constitution calls for it to research rhetoric in all relevant fields of study, identify new areas of study, encourage experimentation in teaching rhetoric, facilitate professional cooperation and to sponsor the publication of such materials dealing with rhetoric. The Society is composed of scholars from various disciplines who study rhetoric's history, theory, public practice, and pedagogical methods. The RSA was established in 1968, by directors that included Edward P. J. Corbett, Wayne C. Booth and Richard Hughes, introducing innovative programs and courses in rhetoric." - from Wikipedia

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"The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), founded in 1981, is an international, not-for-profit, educational organization with the mission of advancing Information Technology in Education and E-Learning research, development, learning, and its practical application. AACE serves the profession with international conferences, high quality publications, leading-edge Digital Library, Career Center, and other opportunities for professional growth, Awards, Conferences, Publications, Digital Library, Career Center, and other professional growth opportunities." - About page