Community Profiles: Academic Librarianship
Bridging Knowledge Recipient Marcus Ortiz
“I wanted to learn more about my Hawaiian identity so I enrolled as an undergrad at the University of Hawaii at Manoa… while there I became privy to the historical traumas of colonization and how that manifests in modern times for Indigenous peoples. It was then that I felt compelled to support these populations—now I hope to help Indigenous students (among others) from the perspective of the library.”
Marcus Ortiz, ‘24, MLIS
Washington, D.C.
Arthur Kolat: Music, Art, and Literature
“When I first got into library school we all read The Invisible Substrate of Information Science by Marcia Bates. She says that information science is one of the meta disciplines, and says that people who are attracted to it are good with languages and good at getting the big picture of a subject. I remember seeing myself in those descriptions!”
Arthur Kolat, current MLIS Student
Los Angeles, California
In Conversation with ischool Blogger Kesheena Doctor
“One of the things with blogging is that I felt like I was really reflective, but I also was very determined to provide information for students.”
Kesheena Doctor, expected ‘24, MLIS
New Orleans, Louisiana
Archiving Special Collections at SJSU with Kate Steffens
“It’s a really great team and we all really get along and complement each other’s work and you know, try and do a lot of outreach together and work on projects together. I know having been part of a group called CSU Archivists, how lucky I am to be at San José State because there are quite a few people in the system who are like the lone archivist with no student assistants and no other people helping them. So having four people feels like an army to me.”
San José, CA
Kate Steffens, ‘19 MLIS
Organizing Archives with Sereen Suleiman
“That’s the beauty of the Library and Information Science profession. It’s a very versatile field. You don’t have to work specifically in a library to apply your skill set. You don’t even have to be known as a librarian. You could have a title such as Information Architect or Taxonomist to apply your skills into practice, and that’s an amazing feeling to know that if you don’t get into a library, it’s not the end of the world.”
Sereen Suleiman
SJSU MLIS, December 2023
Becoming an Instruction Librarian with Michael Stephens
“Now I like to say it’s a class in humanism and library services masquerading as a technology class because we do a lot with technology, but it really, really is about making connections with people. And how we might help them and serve their needs to live good lives in whatever information environment these folks are in.”
Michael Stephens
SJSU iSchool Professor
Documenting Black Librarianship with Selena Lee and Katie Perry
“Having Selena as a partner in this research made it 1000 times easier and better and it made it easier to accept the help, too. So really lean on your partners in your internship and your learning experience and your research. This research is going to help define our careers in the future.”
Katie Perry, ‘23 MLIS
Selena Lee, MLIS (expected May 2024)
Centering “Your Voices” with Kara (K. René) Price
“My goal is to connect my background in policy and data science to librarianship. I want to become an information professional who not only advocates for underrepresented communities in GLAM but also advises and helps information institutions truly embody belonging in their policies, programs, services, and spaces.”
Kara (K. René) Price (pronouns: they/she/y’all) MSDCS
SJSU MLIS, Expected Fall ‘24
Finding Success in Academic Libraries with Dominique Dozier
“No one has been in my position. I’m the first one. But I’m creating it. I am figuring things out. I’m using the tools that I learned in iSchool. I’m applying all this knowledge and trying to support the students and faculty the best way that I can.”
Dominique Dozier, ‘21 MLIS
Santa Clara, CA
Championing Student Success with Chris Lopez
“You have to ask yourself, what’s the Counseling Center doing? What’s the Women’s Resource Center doing? What’s the LGBTQ Center doing? How can I partner with them, because they’re getting to that holistic side of the student? They’re speaking to that and that’s where I want to help them see that the library is like a co-conspirator.”
Chris Lopez, ‘21 MLIS
Making Higher Education Accessible with Dr. Walter Butler
“So my interest was, how are [college] libraries changing? How are Open Educational Resources impacting their structures, and what new structures are now emerging to support this new effort?”
Dr. Walter Butler
Pasadena, CA
SJSU Ph.D. March 2022
iSchool Alumnus Darnelle Melvin talks Metadata, Linked Data, and Digitization
“If you want it, you can get it. If I can get it, you can do it. I’m the least likely person; I have a background in audio. An audio engineer became a metadata person, a linked-data professional. It’s not a long jump, but it is a jump. You can do it.”
Darnelle Melvin, ‘14 MLIS
Special Collections and Archives Metadata Librarian
University of Nevada Las Vegas
MLIS Graduate Finds Home in Academic Librarianship
“Volunteering counts, too! You don’t need to rely only on internships to gain library work experience.”
Jerry Limberg, ‘17 MLIS
Librarian, Saddleback Community College
Adjunct Professor, Palomar Community College
Carlsbad, California
MLIS Student Focuses on Community in Library Outreach
“The fact that I can stay ahead of the undergraduate students who walk through my library’s doors says so much about the quality of what the iSchool is teaching us.”
Rosa Conrad
MLIS Student (degree expected 2021)
Library Services Specialist, California State University San
Marcos
Fallbrook, CA
Family and Travel Open the World of Librarianship to MLIS Graduate
“Focus on people. Libraries are about people.”
Tameca Beckett, ‘18 MLIS
Reference and Access Services Librarian
Dover, Delaware
iSchool Alumna Finds Second Career at SJSU
“To those of you second-career people…it isn’t easy, but it CAN BE DONE…and it is worth doing!”
Ann Agee
Academic Liaison Librarian & Online Learning Librarian
King Library, San José, CA
Student Engagement Librarian Uses Data to Better Connect With Students
“It is important to find meaningful ways to connect with and support our users that we haven’t historically served as well, especially in the nation’s current climate. To me this means having cultural competency, knowing who your users are, having skills that support them and making sure you are meeting their needs in a way that is relevant and useful to them.”
Steven Deineh, Instruction and Student Engagement Librarian
MiraCosta College
Oceanside, CA
MLIS Graduate Advances Career as Collections Assessment Specialist
“Take advantage of the one-credit classes and internships while you are a student. There are a lot of interesting topics and opportunities that you might not know about otherwise.”
Kayla Kipps, Collections Assessment Specialist
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Stanford E-Resources Coordinator Values Community at the iSchool and Beyond
“Being a part of the student chapter of SLA was very helpful in making connections, some of whom I keep in contact with still. There are two other librarians on Stanford campus who are members of the local SLA chapter. Being a member is something that is appreciated at my job by people in higher positions, who understand the value of taking part in these associations.”
Yael Hod, Electronic Resources Acquisitions Coordinator
Stanford University Libraries
Palo Alto, CA
Metadata Librarian Stays Current With Post-Master’s Certificate in Web Programming
“As a metadata librarian, I like to work on projects that will be beneficial to my institution, but also in areas where I see a need. I like to collaborate with others and stay up-to-date on what is new in the field. It is so important to keep yourself connected with the professional community.”
Marina Morgan, Metadata Librarian
Florida Southern College
Lakeland, FL