School of Information Students and Alumni Lead SLA-Silicon Valley into 2016

News

The School of Information at San José State University is well-represented on the 2016 executive board of the Special Libraries Association Silicon Valley, with two current students and two alumni elected to leadership roles.

Students at the San José State University (SJSU) School of Information are known for their leadership and commitment to furthering the information profession, and it has never been more evident than in the new executive board of the Special Libraries Association Silicon Valley (SLA-SV) chapter, which is almost entirely made up of iSchool students and alumnae. Current SLA-SV President Cory Laurence, who completed her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree in May 2015, will be handing the reins to President Elisa Ewing (MLIS 2011) in 2016, and current student Bridget Thrasher will become the chapter’s president-elect. Valerie Sweeley (MLIS 2007) will be taking over the role of secretary in 2016, and current MLIS student Kimberly Carle will be serving as treasurer.

For Laurence, who will be serving as past-president alongside the new executive board, being a part of SLA-SV has been a valuable experience both professionally and personally. “It’s a great way for me to challenge myself, put my organizational and leadership skills to use, get more involved, and meet some great people,” she explained. Ewing, who attended an SLA Leadership Summit with Laurence in January 2015, has also reaped the benefits of being a part of the association. “I found networking with colleagues valuable from a workplace perspective,” she stated. “We exchanged ideas on how to handle common challenges regardless of industry.”

Thrasher is also anticipating an exciting year leading the dynamic group. “I look forward to the challenge of helping to lead our chapter through the association’s transition toward a new direction, and I hope to be of meaningful support and service to our chapter and its members,” she stated.

In spring 2015, Carle won a scholarship to attend the SLA annual conference, which was held in Boston in June. Being a part of SLA and attending the conference has been a “rewarding and enriching experience” for her, and she has especially appreciated learning about “the very unique and various ways LIS professionals apply their master’s degrees.” Carle is excited about the opportunity to serve as treasurer for SLA-SV, and will be diving right into the experience, since she is finishing the previous treasurer’s term as well as serving in 2016.

Sweeley, who mentored Laurence when she joined SLA-SV, is eager to begin her duties as secretary of the chapter, and is looking forward to getting more involved with the chapter’s many activities. As secretary, she will be able “to help others become more involved as well, especially students and new graduates.”

Laurence and the new executive board represent the diversity of professional roles that iSchool students and alumni play in information organizations today. Laurence is a knowledge coordinator at Rocket Fuel, Inc., while Ewing is a senior analyst at Symantec. Thrasher is currently a metadata intern at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Carle is a library intern at a private university in Sunnyvale, and Sweeley works as an information specialist at Applied Materials in Santa Clara. 

Congratulations to the SLA-SV board members!