This information will help you understand the 4 levels of membership in the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) and their requirements, how to prepare your membership application, and how to submit it.
Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) membership has 4 levels: Provisional, Member, Senior, and Distinguished. Membership level is determined by the applicant’s:
- Academic preparation
- Professional experience
- Individual professional accomplishments (or AHIP points)
Please review your career history and your AHIP points to see which membership level you should apply for. After you determine your appropriate membership level, complete any needed coursework, and compile all needed documentation, you are welcome to submit your application.
If you have questions, please contact us for clarification.
| Provisional | Member | Senior | Distinguished | |
| Post-MLS career | < 5 years | 5+ years | 5+ years | 10+ years |
| AHIP points: all types, past 5 years | 0 pts initially, then 8+ CE and 5+ individual accomplishments annually | 50+ points | 80+ points | 120+ points |
| AHIP points: prof. association activities, past 5 years | (Optional) | 5+ points | 10+ points (with 5+ from MLA activities) |
Determine your membership level
Step 1: Confirm your academic preparation
AHIP membership requires academic preparation through one of these 4 types:
- An ALA-accredited Master’s degree; or
- A master’s level degree in library and information studies accredited or recognized by the appropriate national body of another country (America Library Association site); or
- A 6th year certificate or a doctoral degree from a school that offers an ALA-accredited master’s degree (ALA site); or
- A master’s or doctoral degree in any field with 8 contact hours of coursework in all 6 MLA Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success
If you have a degree of type 1, 2, or 3, proceed to Step 2 below.
If you have a degree of type 4, please:
- Review the MLA Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success
- Take the free Competencies Self-Assessment
- Examine your academic and CE transcripts and note each course’s Competencies
You must submit documentation of 8 hours of learning that addresses each MLA Competency with your application. (One course may cover up to 2 competencies.) Accepted documentation is:
| Sponsored Learning | Required Documentation |
| Continuing Education course preapproved for MLA credit | MLA CE certificate or MEDLIB-ED transcript |
| Continuing Education course not preapproved for MLA credit | Certificate or completion notice plus course syllabus |
| Academic course work | Transcript plus course syllabus |
Step 2: Review your professional experience
For Provisional level
If you have less than 5 years of full-time experience as an information professional, you must apply at the Provisional level. Applications showing 5 or more years of professional experience will be rejected. No professional accomplishments (AHIP points) are required initially. However:
- Provisional membership is for 1 year and is renewed annually, up to 4 times or until you have 5 years’ experience, whichever comes first.
- There is no fee for annual Provisional renewal.
- Provisional members can receive mentor support to help with annual professional development requirements.
- Provisional members are full members of the academy. They receive a certificate confirming AHIP membership and may use “AHIP” with their name during their membership term.
For Member or Senior level
If you have worked full-time in the information profession for 5 years or more, you should apply for Member or Senior membership, depending on your professional accomplishments (AHIP points).
For Distinguished level
If you have worked full-time in the information field for 10 years or more, you can apply for Distinguished membership, depending on your professional accomplishments (AHIP points).
Measuring full-time and part-time employment
Full-time employment is considered 24 hours or more per week. Part-time employment counts calculated as FTE. For example:
- 6 years of working 12 hours/week = 3 yrs FTE
- 10 years working at 20 hours week = 8.3 FTE
- 5 years of working 12 hours/week plus 3 years full time = 5.5 FTE
Also: if you recently lost your job or your hours were reduced, you are still eligible to join AHIP at the appropriate level if you meet the other requirements.
Step 3: Calculate AHIP points for your professional accomplishments
The Professional Accomplishments Points Index describes AHIP points given for activities related to professional accomplishments. Points are divided broadly into continuing education and individual accomplishments.
You must earn AHIP points from activities specifically related to health sciences/health information librarianship rather than librarianship, generally.
For Member, Senior, and Distinguished level applications, AHIP points must be earned within 5 years before the application submission date.
For Provisional level
No AHIP points are required for an initial application. For each annual renewal thereafter, you will need at least 5 points for continuing education and 8 points for professional accomplishments.
For Member level
You will need at least 50 AHIP points, earned within 5 years prior to application date.
For Senior level
You will need 80 AHIP points, earned within 5 years prior to application date. Of these points, 5 must be earned from committee or other leadership service in professional associations related to healthcare librarianship.
For Distinguished level
You will need120 AHIP points, earned within 5 years prior to application date. Of these points, 10 must be earned from committee or other leadership service in associations related to healthcare librarianship. And of these 10 points, 5 must be earned from committee or leadership service in MLA or an MLA chapter, or for certain other activities noted in the AHIP points index.
Some examples
If you have:
- 3 years of experience and 55 AHIP points, you would qualify for Provisional level
- 7 years of experience and 65 AHIP points, you would qualify for Member level.
- 7 years of experience and 90 AHIP points, including 10 from association participation, you would qualify for Senior level
- 11 years of experience and 125 AHIP points, including 20 points of association participation but none from MLA participation, you would qualify for Senior level.
- 11 years of experience and 125 points of individual accomplishment, including 20 points of professional organization activity and 5 of these points from MLA activity, you would qualify for Distinguished level.
Application Instructions
Now that you have assessed your eligibility, you are ready to submit your application.
Step 1: Collect the materials for your application
For Provisional level
You will need these materials, in PDF, for a new Provisional member application portfolio:
- CV or resume
- Institutional job description
- Master’s degree diploma or transcript
- MLA Self-Review
- MLA Competencies Self-Assessment
For Member, Senior, or Distinguished level
You will need these materials, in PDF, for a Member, Senior, Distinguished member application portfolio:
- CV or resume
- Institutional job description
- Master’s degree diploma or transcript
- Points Tally
- Points documentation per the Points Index, compiled into a single PDF
If your master’s degree is not from an ALA-accredited program, please also include:
- Completed MLA Competencies Self-Assessment
- Course certificates and syllabi that document at least 8 hours of coursework that address each MLA competency. You may use one course for up to 2 competencies.
Step 2: Pay the application fee
The AHIP application fees, which includes a 5-year membership term, are:
- Provisional level – $150 for MLA members and $350 for non-MLA members
- Member, Senior, or Distinguished level – $275 for MLA members; $480 for non-MLA members
Logged into your MLANET profile, generate an invoice at the level for which you’re applying:
- Provisional level
- Member level
- Senior level
- Distinguished level
Afterward, submit payment according to the options given on the invoice.
Step 3: Complete your application
After your payment is processed, you will receive an email with instructions and a link to the application.
Please complete the application, providing all required details.
Please consolidate and upload your supporting documentation as 3 PDF files, identified with your name:
- PDF 1 – Background documents: CV, transcript or diploma, and job description
- PDF 2 – Point Tally
- PDF 3 – AHIP points documentation, per the Points Index
Tips for successful application
Organize points documentation to follow the sequence of points as listed in the Points Tally.
Ensure all points claimed on the tally have corresponding documentation, and vice versa.
Document more points than necessary as cushion in case reviewers discount any of the points you’ve claimed. A 10 – 25% cushion should suffice.
However, don’t claim and document an inordinate quantity of points to avoid burdening the reviewers.
What Happens Next
Headquarters staff will screen your application to make sure all required documents are submitted and in the correct format. They will also verify that quantity and type of AHIP points match the application level.
After the initial screening, members of the Credentialing Committee will review your application. You should be notified of their decision within 10-12 weeks after submission.
Headquarters staff will contact you if there are issues that need resolution before approval and will help you comply with membership requirements.
After your application is approved
Your MLANET profile will be updated with your AHIP dates and the AHIP badge. You will also be placed on the AHIP member roster.
You will receive a notification letter and certificate by email, in PDF. You will later receive hardcopy versions of your notification letter, certificate, and employer letter(s) by postal mail. If you named an employer contact in your application, they will receive an employer notification letter by email.
You may apply for a higher level of membership anytime during your 5-year membership term. To do so, submit a new portfolio according to this same process, including the application fee. If your new application is approved, your membership term will restart for another 5 years.