Effective 3 December, 2009, the LSA is implementing rolling membership dates. This means that an individual new membership will be effective for a year after payment is processed. Membership renewal will work similarly: membership will be extended for one year provided a renewal is processed before the membership expires. If a renewal is received after the membership has expired, the new expiration date of the membership will be one year after the renewal.

A year's membership will always include four issues of Language, which subscribers may choose to receive in hard copy or online.

The following specific examples and FAQs should help explain the process.

Member A is a current LSA member. She has already renewed her membership for 2010. Her membership expiration date is December 31, 2010. Provided she renews before December 31, 2010, her membership will extended through December 31, 2011. If she forgets to renew her membership by December 31, and instead renews on January 15, 2011, her membership will be good from January 15, 2011 through January 14, 2012.

Member B is a new member. He joins the LSA for the first time on March 13, 2010. His membership is valid through March 12, 2011. Provided he renews before that date, his membership will be extended through March 12, 2012. If he forgets to renew his membership by March 12 and instead renews on March 31, his membership will be good from March 31, 2011 through March 30, 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions

I joined the LSA in May, and did not receive the March issue of Language. How may I obtain it?

You may back order the issue in question. Information about back issues of the journal is available here.

How will I know when it is time to renew my membership?

For 60 days before your membership is due to expire, when you log in to the LSA website you will see a link to "renew your LSA membership now." The LSA will also e-mail you reminders at periodic intervals as the time to renew your membership draws closer.

I am a current LSA member, with a membership expiration date of December 31. How can I make sure my membership will always have an expiration date of December 31?

If you renew your membership each year before December 31, your expiration date will always be December 31. You will receive renewal reminders upon logging in to the LSA website as well as via e-mail.

I am within a few years of becoming a Life Member of the LSA, but forgot to renew my membership in time last year, and there was a two-month gap in my membership. Will I still qualify for a complimentary Life Membership, which requires "continuous" membership?

Yes. An individual membership is allowed a one-time expiration of up to six months before it counts as non-continuous.