iStudent Blog

Overview

iStudent Blog

Students in all of our programs, as well as applicants, will find the iStudent Blog a gold mine. Written by a current student, this blog provides important information and resources and useful advice, including posts about courses, career pathways, online learning, time management, student groups, conferences, and financial aid.

iStudent Blog RSS

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.

Blog Post

Maximizing Group Work While at the iSchool

Published: April 6, 2023 by Kesheena Doctor

One facet of the iSchool and our future career as librarians is working with others. Though group work can be very enjoyable and rewarding, it is also very easy to fall into traps that can be detrimental to a group’s success. I’d like to share some tips and strategies for effective online group work that I’ve gained from my past experience as a volunteer and as a project leader for various jobs. 

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.

iStudent Blog

Building Relationships and Community at the iSchool

Published: February 13, 2023 by Kesheena Doctor

Hello, fellow iSchool students! I hope the start of the spring semester is going well for all. For both new and returning students, building an online community is often a concern. Having community while in school not only enriches your social experience but can help you perform better academically and foster connections with future professional peers. I’d like to share some tips and advice for doing so while at the iSchool.

iStudent Blog

Indigenous Community Leaders in Libraries Today
Native American Heritage Month Symposium

Donna Cossett

Published: February 5, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the San José State University iSchool hosted a free online symposium on November 29th, 2022, titled “Honoring the Historical and Current Lives of Indigenous People.” The symposium featured keynote speaker Donna Cossette, Registrar for the Churchill County Museum and Archives; keynote speaker Lynette Dial, Library Director for Hoke County Public Library; Kim Sellers, Associate Professor at UNC Pembroke; and Melissa Stoner, Native American Studies Librarian at University of California, Berkeley. 

Blog Post

Seeking Immortality Alongside the Northern Cheyenne Native Community

Stack of film strips

Published: December 6, 2022 by Eori Tokunaga

In 2016, 567 tribal entities were federally recognized and, as of 2020, estimates suggest that there are roughly 6 million people in the United States, or 2% of the nation’s population, who identify as Native American and/or Native Alaskan. Yet, Native American Heritage Month was only officially recognized by the United States in 1990, less than 40 years ago. (Sources: International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs; US Census Bureau

iStudent Blog

Ukrainian Cultural Preservation Fundraiser For The Cherkasy Library

library scanner

Published: November 28, 2022 by Eori Tokunaga

As of July 2022, Dr. Ulia Gosart, Dr. Anthony Chow, and Dr. Sue Alman have been raising funds to continue supporting the efforts of librarians in Ukraine, following the SJSU iSchool symposium, “Ukrainian Libraries during the Ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War.” The GoFundMe fundraiser was created in collaboration with Liudmyla Diadyk to purchase and ship a high-end scanner for the Cherkasy library, which would allow librarians to preserve Ukrainian cultural artifacts that would go towards building the first National Digital Library of Ukraine. The GoFundMe page can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-ukrainian-libraries

iStudent Blog

How Our Latinx and Spanish-Speaking Communities Continue to Positively Impact Libraries Today

Dr. Romelia Salias

Published: November 18, 2022 by Eori Tokunaga

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the San José State University iSchool presented an EDI symposium on October 11th, 2022, titled “Unifying the Information Community,” featuring keynote speaker REFORMA 2022-2023 National President Dr. Romelia Salinas; David Lopez, Marketing and Communications Librarian for Orange County Public Library; Roma Calatayud-Stocks, award-winning author; Madeline Peña Feliz, Associate Director for Los Angeles Public Library, Mario Ascencio, College Librarian and Managing Director at Art Center College of Design, Dr. Michele Villagran, Assistant Professor at SJSU iSchool; and Jose Aguiñaga, Assistant Professor at SJSU iSchool.

iStudent Blog

Successful Strategies for Class Registration

computer sign up

Published: November 16, 2022 by Kesheena Doctor

One of the most fraughtful times of a student’s academic life is registering for the next semester. You might not be sure of what classes to take, what the course load will be like, or if you’ll like the professor.

iStudent Blog

The Power of Libraries and Social Media

Published: November 4, 2022 by Kesheena Doctor

As a budding librarian, library news is consistently present on my social media feeds. While these types of posts rarely make their way into the general population’s feed, library news involving one of the biggest pop stars in the world will spread far and wide!

iStudent Blog

Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Librarians and Indigenous Peoples

Published: October 9, 2022 by Kesheena Doctor

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day this October 11th, I would like to share some information about Indigenous people and librarianship. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a relatively new holiday that celebrates Native American, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian peoples the second Monday of October. I am Diné (Navajo), and one of my primary objectives as a librarian is to work with Native American students, and on a larger scale, Indigenous people.