iStudent Blog: Community and Engagement

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iStudent Blog: Community and Engagement

iStudent Blog

Symposium Recap of ‘Earth Day 2023′
Sustainability and Libraries

Earth Day Symposium

Published: July 27, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

As part of the national celebration of Earth Day 2023, the San José State University iSchool hosted an online symposium on April 22, 2023, titled “Earth Day 2023: Sustainability and Libraries.” After a brief introduction about Earth Day and the Seeking Immortality Project with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in present-day southeastern Montana, Dr. Anthony Chow handed over the microphone to ALA past-president and current iSchool Wellness Ambassador, Loida Garcia-Febo. The symposium also hosted a panel discussion featuring experts in the field of information science, librarianship, and sustainability:  Nick Buron, Kristin Jacobi, Leah Plocharczyk, Dawn Frood, and Dr. Amir Abtahi. 

iStudent Blog

California Conference on Library Instruction

Published: July 21, 2023 by Blanca Garcia-Barron

The California Conference on Library Instruction is an annual one-day conference in the California Bay Area. The conference began in 1973 as a forum for academic librarians to exchange ideas and present their work. This year’s conference, hosted by the University of San Francisco, focused on labor and power dynamics in academic libraries. The theme, Power and Empowerment: Labor, Agency, and Dynamic Relationships in Academic Libraries, explored cross-departmental collaborations and projects. With the generous funding from the SJSU iSchool’s student travel grants, I was able to attend and present at this year’s conference. Though this conference is geared towards academic librarians, the call for proposals and theme were flexible enough to encompass all academic library workers.

iStudent Blog

Attending the ALA Annual Conference was ‘Absolutely Priceless’
MLIS BIPOC Students Encouraged to Apply for Spectrum Scholarships and Travel Grants

Kathrina Johnson

Published: July 10, 2023 by Kathrina Johnson

My name is Kathrina Johnson, and I am a current MLIS student in SJSU’s iSchool. In August of 2022, I received the happy news that I had been chosen as a recipient of the ALA Spectrum Scholarship. The Spectrum Scholarship program recruits and provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students pursuing a graduate degree in Library Science to assist them in obtaining the degree and leadership positions within the profession and the ALA.

iStudent Blog

Symposium Recap of “Deaf Culture & History”
Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Libraries and Educators

Symposium Recap of “Deaf Culture & History”

Published: July 10, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

As part of the national celebration of National Deaf History Month, the San José State University iSchool hosted a free online symposium on April 13, 2023, titled “Deaf Culture and History: Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Libraries and Educators.” The symposium began with a brief introduction by Dr. Anthony Chow, followed by a special thanks to Dr. Mary Bolin and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee who were the organizers of the event. The key. note speaker, Dr. Rhonda Jennings-Arey, was introduced alongside the ASL interpreters from Partners in Communication: Sheila Breger-Hall and Sharon Newman-Solo. 

iStudent Blog

Symposium Recap of “Ukrainian Libraries During the Wartime: A Year in Review”

Dr. Ulia Gosart

Published: June 29, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

The San José State University iSchool presented a symposium on April 5, 2023 about how Ukranian libraries and librarians have persisted for more than a year of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The free online event opened up with introductions by iSchool Director Dr. Anthony Chow, Ukrainian-English translator Oleksii Deikun, and Assistant Professor Dr. Ulia Gosart, who hosted a moment of silence for all the individual lives that have been taken by the war.

iStudent Blog

Professional Conferences Present Excellent Opportunities to ‘Cut Your Teeth’

Published: June 20, 2023 by Emily Espanol

Emily Espanol in exhibit hallThis June, I attended the California Library Association’s Annual Conference in Sacramento, California, with the assistance of the SJSU travel grant for current students. As a member of the conference’s social media subcommittee and a co-presenter to iSchool Director Anthony Chow, my attendance was extremely important. In exchange for two hours of volunteering at the iSchool’s exhibit booth, I was granted the funds to completely offset the cost of the conference and have an excellent time networking and learning alongside other librarians!

iStudent Blog

California Library Association Conference Opens Door to Possibilities

Published: June 14, 2023 by Shannon Broden

CLA Conference SignAs someone who came into studying library science to pivot from another career field, I did not have a lot of opportunity to be exposed to librarianship outside of my coursework. Events unfolded in my life that made me look at what options might be available to me, and I found out about SJSU’s travel grants for current students. With the approval deadline fast approaching, I applied for and quickly gained approval to attend the California Library Conference in Sacramento, California from June 1st through 3rd, 2023. At about the same time, I found out that the iSchool would be having a reception where students have the opportunity to present posters of work and research they have done during the academic year; once I knew I was approved to go to Sacramento, I also signed up for a poster presentation opportunity.

iStudent Blog

Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Librarianship in Tough Times
iSchool Presents Online Symposium July 5

Pride Month Symposium

Published: June 12, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

Please join the SJSU iSchool and our keynote speaker, Deputy County Librarian Deb Sica, as we celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) librarians and librarianship. This month’s symposium will feature a diverse array of panelists, who bring their expertise in various aspects of the LIS field. 

iStudent Blog

Juneteenth Celebrates Freedom!
iSchool Presents Online Symposium June 20

Juneteenth Symposium 2023

Published: May 29, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

Please join the SJSU iSchool as we celebrate Juneteenth in collaboration with Professional Storyteller Binnie Tate Wilkin and Poet Laureate of Clark County, Nevada (2017 – 2019) Vogue M. Robinson. The event will not only feature stories and poems by our keynote speakers but will also include student panelists as part of the conversation. 

iStudent Blog

Fulfilling My Mission to Attend Conferences
Travel Grant Provides 'Incredible Opportunities' for Students to Build Skills and Network

ELUNA is an annual conference for libraries

Published: May 23, 2023 by Nanci Dela Cruz Aguayo

Since I started library school, I’ve made it my mission to attend conferences where I can network and learn information that will make me more appealing when I graduate. In my current job in an academic library, travel funds are limited only for librarians; thus, I was thrilled to find out about SJSU’s travel grants for current students. Within a couple of days, they approved my request, and I was able to start the process of traveling to Ex Libris Users of North America (ELUNA) Conference in Los Angeles.

iStudent Blog

Women Leading the Way: Celebrating Women’s History Month
Women’s History Month Symposium

Women Leading the Way: Celebrating Women’s History Month

Published: May 18, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

As part of the national celebration of Women’s History Month, the San José State University iSchool hosted a free online symposium on March 22nd, 2023, titled “Women in Information: A Celebration of Women’s History Month.” The symposium opened up with a brief historical overview of Women’s History Month by Dr. Anthony Chow, who introduced the two keynote speakers: Dr. Sandra Hirsh and Dr. Sanda Erdelez. The symposium also featured a panel discussion with speakers Dr. Rong Tang, Deb Seys, Sara Jones and SJSU iSchool Alumni Tiffany Duck. 

iStudent Blog

Black History Month: Making a Successful Entry into the Profession
Black History Month Symposium

Wanda Brown

Published: May 1, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

In honor of Black History Month, the San José State University iSchool hosted a free online symposium on February 23rd, 2023, titled “A Celebration of Black History Month: Equity in Libraries, 2023 and Beyond.” The symposium featured moderator Wanda Brown and keynote speaker Elaina Norlin. The symposium also hosted a panel discussion with Michael Crumpton, Kelvin Watson, Dominique Dozier, Binnie Wilkin, and Dr. Stephanie Brasley.  

iStudent Blog

Attending ACRL 2023 – Part 1

ACRL Conference Hall

Published: April 16, 2023 by Kesheena Doctor

At the beginning of the year, I made a plan to attend as many conferences as I could while still an iSchool student. At the beginning of the spring semester, I applied for SJSU’s travel scholarship for current students to attend the ALA’s ACRL 2023 Conference. In a matter of days, I was notified my scholarship was approved and I could begin planning my trip to Pittsburgh, PA, where this year’s bi-annual conference was held.

iStudent Blog

Ukrainian Libraries During the Wartime: A Year in Review
iSchool Presents EDI Online Symposium April 5

Ukranian Go Fund Me

Published: March 23, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

The SJSU iSchool will be hosting a free online symposium on Ukrainian libraries, which will include topics such as the development of the first National Digital Library of Ukraine, the survey of the state of public libraries in Ukraine, the work of Cherkasy Regional Libraries network in supporting victory and helping libraries to protect cultural heritage.

iStudent Blog

Q & A with the iSchool’s First Generation Student Group

Samantha Harteau

Published: February 20, 2023 by Kesheena Doctor

As a first-generation student, I found grad school to be tricky to navigate, even at the iSchool. However, I found the SJSU iSchool’s First Generation Student Group and received support in my first year. Formed in 2017, the First Gen Student Group aims to help MLIS students network and build bonds to help them succeed. I chatted with the group’s Chair, Laura Garand, and the group’s Blog Editor, Samantha Harteau, about the group, its mission and goals.