It’s been a whirlwind year for the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Student Chapter at the San José State University School of Library and Information Science (SJSU SLIS). The student group has journeyed from establishing the chapter’s charter just a year ago to receiving recognition as the professional association’s 2012 Student Chapter of the Year. 

“I was thrilled to learn that our student chapter won this national award, especially during its first year of existence” said Sarah Emmerson, who was the chair of the newly established student chapter. “We hit the ground running in August 2011 to make a success of the student chapter from its beginning.” 

Emmerson worked with a team of fellow graduate students at SJSU SLIS to reactivate the student chapter during spring 2011, and then launch the newly chartered chapter in August 2011. In its inaugural year, the chapter created an impressive array of resources and virtual networking opportunities for SJSU SLIS students. 

Since the graduate programs at SJSU SLIS are fully online, and SLIS students live across the continent, the ASIS&T Student Chapter held all its events online. They also created a range of tools to support ongoing interaction for its members, including a dedicated instant messaging channel, as well as a news feed and discussion forum that are integrated into the School’s online learning management system.

During the 2011-2012 academic year, the ASIS&T Student Chapter hosted 14 online events; published four newsletters; created a website; established social media presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube; and held 11 business meetings. The student chapter’s membership grew to 68 students by the end of its first year, with more than 160 students following chapter news via its email discussion list and more than 360 “likes” on its Facebook page.   

Webinars hosted by the student chapter cover topics ranging from digital asset management, to emerging technology trends, to careers in information architecture. Recordings are freely available on the student chapter website: http://ischoolgroups.sjsu.edu/asistsc/

“I’m so proud of the 2011-2012 board members who worked hard to make our student chapter a success,” said Emmerson. “We met each new challenge head on and were fearless in our determination to create a dynamic and vibrant first year for the SJSU ASIS&T Student Chapter. I believe the invaluable contributions, support, and dedication of every board member helped us earn this award. They truly deserve this recognition.”

The award will be presented at this year’s ASIS&T annual conference, which takes place on October 26-30, 2012, in Baltimore, Maryland.

For more information about the ASIS&T Student Chapter at SJSU SLIS, please visit: http://ischoolgroups.sjsu.edu/asistsc/

In addition to ASIS&T, SJSU SLIS offers student chapters of the American Library Association and the Society of American Archivists. Current SLIS students can also join the combined student and alumni group, SLISConnect.