Discusses growth of associations in United States (groups that are membership-based, cooperative, nonprofit or not-for-profit, dedicated to common purpose, voluntary) and identifies nine different types: trade associations, professional associations, labor unions, sci/tech and learned societies, leisure associations, political action committees,…

This article discusses the importance of association publications to libraries and describes how libraries can identify and obtain these publications for their collections. Advantages of association publications (breadth, timeliness, expertise, cost savings), directories and listings, and how to obtain elusive publications are highlighted. (EJS)

This article reviews activities of selected associations in dealing with three issues of major interest and controversy in the 1980s--foreign policy and defense, the economy, and energy and nuclear power. Important publications in areas of interest to library users and methods of acquisition are noted. (EJS)