iStudent Blog: Community and Engagement
Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
iSchool Presents EDI Symposium May 10
Published: May 3, 2022 by Guadalupe Martinez
In 1990, the United States designated the month of May as Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to commemorate their rich history and cultural legacy. Asian identity includes people with heritage from East Asian, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The umbrella term Pacific Islander includes peoples of Oceania and Native Hawaiians. AAPI identity is globally and culturally diverse. LIS professionals continue to play a significant role in addressing a range of information needs and advocacy work.
d/Deaf Culture and Community in LIS: A Q&A with Dr. Mary Bolin
Published: April 20, 2022 by Guadalupe Martinez
In recognition of Deaf History Month, Dr. Mary Bolin shares her insights as a dedicated advocate for d/Deaf patrons and library professionals. Throughout the interview, you will note the shifting capitalization of ‘D’ in Deaf or lowercase ‘d’ in deaf. The choice to toggle between letter case, and the way in which one identifies along the spectrum of hearing loss, is deeply personal and varies from individual to individual. To embrace this spectrum of identity, the following text will express the community and culture as d/Deaf where applicable.
Deaf Culture, Education and Advocacy
National Deaf History Month
Published: April 14, 2022 by Guadalupe Martinez
Deaf Culture and Community
Recognized from March 13 through April 15, National Deaf History Month was initiated in 1997. The following timeline of landmark events have shaped Deaf culture, education and advocacy in throughout history and the growing connections to library and information science.
Women in Information
Women leaders discuss experiences and expectations
Published: March 31, 2022 by Eori Tokunaga
SJSU iSchool Director Anthony Chow and Dr. Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca hosted an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) symposium for Women’s History Month on March 22, 2022. Shirley Lew, the dean for the School of Arts and Science at Vancouver Community College and editor of “Feminist Among Us: Resistance and Advocacy in Library Leadership,” began the symposium with a presentation on Women in Information.
Celebrating Women’s History Month
Published: March 28, 2022 by Guadalupe Martinez
Women’s History Month creates space to uplift the extraordinary legacies and lived realities of women around the world. We acknowledge their historic struggles and honor the endless contributions to librarianship, information professions, and beyond. This year, the iSchool held a free EDI symposium, “Women in Information,” to commemorate this month with forward-thinking, visionary dialogue. In case you missed it, check the on-demand webcasts for the recording.
Community Impact: Call for Conference Posters
Published: March 17, 2022 by Hilary Meehan
The SJSU iSchool invites graduate students to submit posters for presentation at the upcoming California Library Association (CLA) and American Library Association (ALA) conferences. Posters should represent the student’s research projects, innovations and/or internship experiences as related to a specific information community.
Scholarly Research: Publishing and Presenting
Published March 2, 2022 by Hilary Meehan
Hello, SJSU iStudent virtual community! I’m Hilary (she/her/hers), your new iStudent blogger. I look forward to addressing your school-related information needs effectively and comprehensively. Additionally, I encourage you to communicate to me your ideas, comments, questions, and concerns regarding the blog. You may use the comment box at the bottom of each blog post or contact me directly at hilary.meehan@sjsu.edu. I look forward to hearing from you and commit myself to respond to your messages.
Celebrating Black History Month
Published: February 22, 2022 by Guadalupe Martinez
At San José State University, our ongoing and upcoming calendar events and resources aim to uplift and honor the legacies of our diverse communities. Join us in celebrating Black History Month, highlighting the historic contributions and movements within the Black Diaspora.
Attending Professional Conferences as a Student
Published: October 25, 2021 by Leslie Parry
I recently attended my first professional association conference as a San José State University School of Information student. I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive. Would I be out of my depth? Would there be other attendees like me – students, newly arrived to the profession – and would our curiosity be welcome in lieu of experience? Thankfully, the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference (held virtually in August) helped relieve some of my impostor syndrome. I attended fascinating programs, met multidisciplinary professionals around the world and participated in fun icebreakers from the comfort of my living room.
Building Your Professional Network as an iSchool Student
Published: July 27, 2021 by Leslie Parry
Kim Dority, the iSchool Student and Alumni Career Advisor, recently gave an insightful presentation about an essential (if occasionally dreaded) topic: “How to Build Your Professional Network (Without Feeling Weird About It).” To some people, the idea of networking can be exciting and invigorating; to others, awkward and stressful. No matter if you’re an extrovert or an introvert, a graduate student or a seasoned librarian, network-building is core to the profession. But don’t let your anxiety get the better of you. As Dority describes, it’s not about schmoozing or having transactional, superficial relationships; it is about growth, connection, and helping your colleagues and friends. “Building a valuable, sustainable network is a long-term play that involves creating genuine relationships of mutual benefit,” she says.
Get a Jump-Start With Summer Opportunities
Published: May 26, 2021 by Leslie Parry
The end of the semester is here! For months we’ve been rearranging our lives and work around the pandemic, keeping up with our studies, and waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. Now it’s time to take a break and celebrate! For those who are looking to keep up momentum during the summer, there are plenty of ways to stay engaged. From summer classes to networking opportunities to simply getting organized, here are ideas for enhancing your iSchool experience over summer break.
“Ask Me Anything” with Dr. Linda Main
Published: March 15, 2021 by Leslie Parry
Dr. Linda Main, interim director of the San José State University School of Information, met with iSchool students earlier this month for an insightful “Ask Me Anything” session. These regular, informal meetups give students a chance to chat with the director and ask about anything from career paths to iSchool resources to the LIS world at large. Below are just a few of the questions Dr. Main fielded. To view the full Q&A, click here.
What is Mindfulness, Anyway?
Published: April 24, 2020 by Havilah Steinman
Diversity is an important value of faculty and administration at San José State University iSchool. One of the projects the iSchool’s diversity committee works towards is creating engaging content that fosters that value. Recently, a diversity webinar series took a long look at mindfulness, and it’s role in the corporate world. See below for highlights of the recorded webinar What is Mindfulness, Anyway? by speaker Jamie Lin. Hopefully, this timely topic offers insight during a time of such stress and uncertainty in our country. For more engaging content, check out SJSU iSchool Podcast Feed via Apple Podcasts, SJSU iSchool YouTube Channel and iSchool On-Demand Webcasts Portal.
iSchool Life During the Pandemic
Published: April 7, 2020 by Havilah Steinman
While the iSchool at San José State University is a fully online school, COVID-19 has a drastic effect on the LIS community. Our classes are not affected, but everyone is dealing with the effects this global pandemic has on their respective communities and personal lives. Below is a roundup of resources that may be helpful in this difficult time.
MARA Student Vida Barone Shares Her Insight
Published: March 24, 2020 by Havilah Steinman
Wondering what current students of the Masters of Archives and Records Administration at San José State University’s iSchool are up to? Vida Barone has worked in local government for 25 years, and shared that she still learns something new every week. Barone founded her own company 13 years ago, City Clerk Management Services, Inc. She started at the MARA program in summer 2018, and made the decision to enroll so she could show her credibility in information governance.
Day in the Life of iSchool Student – Kim Edwards
Published: October 15, 2019 by Havilah Steinman
[image:13258, image left]What does the original Captain Kirk, crocheting and San José State University’s iSchool Masters of Archives and Records Administration have in common? The illustrious Kim Edwards, of course! The latest to be featured in our Day in the Life Series, Edwards works full time as a Records and Scientific and Technical Information Manager at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and this piece represents her inaugural involvement with student life!
Today’s Thriving Libraries – MiraCosta Community College
Published: August 28, 2019 by Havilah Steinman
Alumni of San José State University iSchool’s many programs are everywhere. In fact, you could run into a fellow grad without even realizing it! MiraCosta Community College has been a fixture of the City of Oceanside since 1934, and the 48,000 square feet Library and Information Hub was built in 2003. I had the opportunity to tour the library with alum Steven Deineh, instruction and student engagement librarian, and he offered a great snapshot of the resources available to the lucky students at the college.
Day in the Life of iSchool Student – Rosa Conrad
Published: July 3, 2019 by Havilah Steinman
Hot off the presses, it’s the latest edition of our Day in the Life of an iSchool Student series! Today we’ll be introduced to Rosa Conrad, library services specialist at California State University San Marcos. With an expected graduation in spring 2021, Conrad juggles school, a full-time job, and being a mom with fantastic skill.
Day in the Life of SRJ Managing Editor – Rachel Greggs
Published: May 9, 2019 by Havilah Steinman
Welcome to the next installment of our Day in the Life of an iSchool student series! This week’s post provides an inside look into the scholastic and professional achievements of the Student Research Journal (SRJ) Managing Editor Rachel Greggs.
Transgender Inclusion in Libraries Webinar Highlights
Published: April 16, 2019 by Havilah Steinman
This week we welcome a guest post by Dr. Michele Villagran on the iStudent blog. She’s a member of the iSchool’s Diversity Committee and helped organize a webcast on transgender patrons and library services. The webcast was wildly popular and reached maximum enrollment. Dr. Villagran shares highlights of the webcast with us.