Free Webinars Cover How to Survive (and Thrive) at Professional Conferences

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SJSU School of Information Lecturer Patty Wong is hosting free webinars in advance of the 2015 ALA Annual Conference to share ideas and strategies for getting the most out of professional association conferences.

Professional meetings and conferences present a great opportunity for networking and professional development, and on May 20, 2015 and again on June 11, 2015, San José State University (SJSU) School of Information Lecturer Patty Wong will share ideas and strategies for getting the most out of professional association conferences.

Wong’s free webinars are geared toward both new students beginning the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program or Master of Archives and Records Administration (MARA) program in fall 2015 and continuing graduate students at the iSchool. The presentations are especially timely with the ALA Annual Conference coming to San Francisco June 25-30, 2015.

Librarian and chief archivist for Yolo County, California, Wong has a long history of experience with conferences and professional associations. She was named California Library Association (CLA) Member of the Year in 2013, and in 2014 she was elected chapter councilor for CLA. As chapter councilor, Wong serves as an ambassador for CLA, representing the organization at the national level.

During the webinars, Wong will explain the best way for SJSU iSchool students to select which sessions and programs to attend at a conference, how to network with other information professionals, how to prepare business cards, and other strategies necessary to get the most out of a conference and actually enjoy the experience.

Newly admitted students to the iSchool’s MLIS program are especially encouraged to attend one of the webinars. The tips and tricks learned from Wong will come in handy as they take advantage of the complimentary one-year student memberships to professional associations, given to each new student during the first year in the MLIS or MARA program.  

The webinars will be held live via Blackboard Collaborate from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. PDT on May 20 and repeated on June 11. Individuals requiring real-time captioning or other accommodations should contact Dr. Sue Alman as soon as possible. The webinar will be recorded and accessible on the iSchool’s Colloquia blog.

Session Link: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/dropin.jnlp?password=…