The American Library Association Student Chapter at the San José State University School of Information has been awarded Chapter of the Year. This is the fifth time the ALA Student Chapter has won this prestigious award. One of the main reasons ALASC was chosen was due to their member engagement, as well as the chapter’s ability to create opportunities for leadership, especially during the pandemic.

The purpose of the ALA choosing a Student Chapter of the Year is to “increase student involvement in ALA through student chapters and to recognize future leaders.” The winner of the award receives a $1,000 travel grant to attend the ALA Annual Conference, which will be held in Washington D.C. this year.

The student chapter has several goals when working with the ALA, including “encourage scholarly achievement and professional awareness of national issues in library and information science,” according to the chapter’s website. ALASC promotes student engagement in numerous ways, including meet and greet events and virtual programming. 

The chapter’s faculty advisor, Alison Johnson, states that the “SJSU ALA Student Chapter is a remarkable group of committed and professional student leaders,” adding, “The ALASC Executive Board composed a very thorough and engaging application, which outlined the incredible work they’ve done over the past year.” This was Johnson’s first year advising the chapter after the previous faculty advisor, Debbie Faires, retired. On their first meeting, Johnson was “blown away” by the dedication of the chapter. “What I found was an extremely committed group with creative ideas, professional demeanors, and caring hearts,” said Johnson.

Carlos Bugarin, the chair of the student chapter, is a first-generation master’s degree student. This is his first year of being chair of the SJSU’s ALA Student Chapter, as well. Bugarin credits the members of the chapter for winning the award, noting their “shared vision of support, professional growth and relationship building qualities.”

ALASC Executive Board Members

• Carlos Bugarin – Chair
• Sadie Davenport – Co-chair
• Sabrina Gunn – Webmaster
• Gabrielle Visco – Archivist/Secretary
• Laura Zupan – Membership Coordinator
• Kelli Roisman – Events Coordinator
• Irene Miller – Events Coordinator
• Claire Huysentruyt – Events Assistant
• Amelia Smith – Social Media Manager
• Avril Frasche – Social Media Assistant
• Jenn Dawes – Blogging Lead
• Melony del Real – Blogging Assistant
• Emily Espanol – Blogging Assistant