A Student’s Review of This Summer’s ALA Conference

Career Blog
Conference Room

Published: August 7, 2024 by Aryn Prestia 

The American Library Association hosted its annual conference this past June in San Diego, California. Billed as “the biggest library event of the year,” ALA Annual was attended by dozens of SJSU iSchool alumni, faculty, and current students. I had the opportunity to speak with one student attendee, Eddie Lagos, to learn more about the experience.

Taking advantage of proximity

A resident of Southern California, Eddie became interested in pursuing an MLIS after years of teaching. He’s entering his second year of the program and ALA Annual was his first time at a library conference. He noted that his proximity to the host city made it easier to travel, plus the financial support he received from being an executive member of the student chapter of ALASC, allowed him to attend the conference at a very low cost.

Did you know that as a student of the iSchool, you also have the opportunity to apply for a travel grant and receive reimbursement for conference attendance?

And this was an especially meaningful Annual for Eddie to attend, because the SJSU iSchool’s ALASC  chapter received the American Library Association’s Student Chapter of the Year Award! This award enabled the chapter to receive additional conference travel funding and be recognized during the ALA’s NMRT (New Member’s Round Table) Reception. Eddie was one of the lucky executive members who represented the chapter at the reception.

Making the most of informal networking connections

Though Eddie is leaning towards the Digital Curation pathway, he was able to meet information professionals from multiple sectors including public, academic, and even vendors and authors. While he wasn’t intending to network in a formal way over the course of the conference, he did end up having multiple opportunities to meet new people informally, and came away from the experience excited about the potential for re-connecting in the future. He even ran into a classmate while at the iSchool Reception, a great way to turn an online relationship into a face-to-face one.

Did you know that the iSchool hosts receptions at conferences across the country? Not just ALA Annual! Keep an eye out for notices via e-mail or the Events calendar to know when an event is occurring in your area.

Taking advantage of conference resources

A highlight for Eddie was taking part in the NMRT’s resume review and mock interview services that were FREE for conference attendees. He had the opportunity to work with an academic librarian who provided actionable tips for improving his job search.

Did you know that as an ALA NMRT member you can access a virtual resume review service year-round? Find out more here.

Tips from a first-time conference attendee

Now that he has a conference under his belt, Eddie has some advice for students considering attending an event like ALA annual. 

  • Take a break – conferences can be tiring and it’s important to prioritize rest. There is a lot more walking between conference spaces than you’d think. 
  • Bring business cards – though it sounds a little old school, vendors frequently ask for them and they could be nice to have to share with colleagues who want to take your information in order to reconnect at a later date. (Two very inexpensive options for getting business cards made up are vistaprint.com and moo.com.)
  • Make a plan – know where to park, where to stay, and what sessions you’d like to attend ahead of time. Even if you live close to the conference, it can be pretty overwhelming to show up and try to figure out what to do day-of. Note: Some events are ticketed and require early registration.

I’d like to thank Eddie for his time in discussing his experience. Think you may be interested in attending a conference? Check out SJSU’s iSchool Events page here to see what’s coming up.

Interested in joining the award-winning SJSU ALASC? Learn how to get more involved here.

Two More Things…

Here are some job opportunities on Handshake that might be of interest!

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