Beta Phi Mu
ΒΦΜ
Founded	August 1948; 75 years ago (1948-08) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Type	Honor Society
Affiliation	ACHS
Emphasis	Library & information science and information technology
Scope	National
Motto	Bibliothekarios philax mathesis “librarians are the guardians of knowledge”
Colors	Purple and   White
Symbol	Dolphin, Anchor
Publication	The Pipeline
Chapters	39
Headquarters	Beta Phi Mu Honor Society PO Box 292992 Davie, FL 33329 USA
Website	Official website

Beta Phi Mu (also ΒΦΜ or βφμ) is the international 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 39 active chapters in the U.S. and abroad, continues to sponsor various publications and funds several scholarships.^[1]

The society's name comes from the initials in the Greek phrase Bibliothekarios philax mathesis, meaning "the librarian is the guardian of knowledge".

Symbols

Aliis inserviendo consumor serves as the society's motto; translated from Latin, it means "consumed in the service of others". Members of the society—librarians and other information professionals—dedicate themselves to serving the information needs of individuals, organizations, and communities.

A dolphin and anchor, the mark of Venetian printer Aldus Manutius, serves as the society's insignia, appearing on various pins, buttons, and similar memorabilia. The society's colors, as signified on honor cords, are purple and white.

Membership

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.

Chronology

• August 1948 – founding of Beta Phi Mu at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign^[2][3]
• 1949 – first initiation is held at Illinois
• 1953 – begins publication of its chapbook series
• 1954 – presents its first Distinguished Service to Library Education Award
• 1956 – the Distinguished Service to Library Education Award becomes an official award of the American Library Association^[4][5]
• 1959 – Pi Lambda Sigma, founded in 1903, merges with and becomes a chapter of Beta Phi Mu^[6][7]
• 1969 – Beta Phi Mu admitted to the Association of College Honor Societies^[4]
• 1986 – begins publication of its monograph series (successor to the chapbook series)
• 1998 – the society becomes an affiliate of the American Library Association^[8]
• 2015 - begins publication of its Scholars Series (successor to the monograph series)

Beta Phi Mu Award

The Beta Phi Mu Award is an annual award to a library school faculty member or to 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.