Community Profiles: Alumni
iSchool Alumna Enjoys Role in Online Student Outreach
“I had such kind and encouraging advisors when I was a student here. It’s gratifying to be able to give back.”
Sheila Gurtu, MLIS ‘99
Student Outreach Specialist
San José State University
iSchool Student Outreach Specialist Sheila Gurtu spent a good portion of her childhood at the public library, so it is no wonder that for her libraries “have always felt like home.”
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
Tameca Beckett has packed a lot into the last 10 years and to hear her future plans it looks like that trend will continue for at least the next 10 as well!
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
iSchool Alumna Explores Both Archives and Public Librarianship After Graduation
“One of the reasons I chose to do SJSU’s program was because I needed to continue to work. There was no way that I could just go to school full time, and SJSU is really flexible in that regard. One semester I took five classes, worked, did the e-Portfolio and I look back and don’t know how I did it, but somehow I made it all work.”
Patricia Delara
Librarian, Daly City Public Library
Daly City, CA
iSchool Graduate Finds Exciting Opportunities in Los Angeles
“Try to meet other people working in the field or who are studying similar things. I was really glad I got to work in a public library while I was going to school. The internships also helped me meet a diverse group of people with different skill sets, so just try to get out there as much as you can. Build your network out not just up, as we were told during the Academy Gold program. Build connections with your peers so you can all bring yourselves up in the process.”
Gerard Collins
Resident Archivist, LA as Subject
Burbank, 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
Sarah Edwards Obenauf Uses MLIS and Advanced Certificate as Librarian at New Mexico Tech
“I am putting the [advanced] certificate to good use now at the library at New Mexico Tech. We are trying to figure out how to get our archives up and running online. The classes that I took in digital asset management are definitely going to translate over into the real world sooner rather than later.”
Sarah Edwards Obenauf
Public Services and Instruction Librarian, New Mexico Tech
Albuquerque, New Mexico
iSchool Alumnus and Departing Community Profile Writer Summarizes His iSchool Experience
“One of the best things about SJSU’s iSchool is that it connected me with LIS professionals across the world and right next door. It actually took me going to a school online in California to meet and connect with LIS professionals working right here in Philly; which is weird, I suppose, but also kind of affirms the global network connectivity that librarians have going on.”
Nick Perilli
MLIS Graduate 2018
Philadelphia, PA
School of Information Alumnus and Archivist Hosts Genealogy Event and Looks Ahead
“I think the number of interesting dead people is greater than the number of interesting living people. I value the opportunity to help keep alive the memories of previous generations by arranging and describing historic records.”
Sebastian Nelson
MLIS Graduate 2007
Sacramento, CA
Recent Alumna Extends Her Preservation Skillbase as a Public Broadcasting Preservation Fellow
“The best part about the program is being able to go to school remotely in order to continue earning an income as well as being able to actually have an internship or a fellowship to gain hands-on experience. So much of the information field is online at this point that I don’t feel like I am missing anything by not being in a classroom. If anything, it has taught me how to better interact in digital forum [and] deal with time zones and different technology interfaces.”
Tanya Yule
MLIS Graduate 2018
San Francisco, CA
Teacher-Librarian Gains the Formal Skills He Needs in Web Programming Through the San José State University School of Information
“All of my course work in the iSchool was challenging and relevant. The courses required the ability to learn programming languages and solve increasingly difficult problems with those languages. The teachers created learning experiences that required in-depth knowledge and the ability to solve problems in a systematic way.”
Al Walker
Post-Master’s Certificate Graduate 2018
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Alumna and Former Student Assistant Values Connections Forged at the San José State University School of Information
“I use many of the skills that I learned during my time working with Dr. Bernier and my fellow student assistants in my current position. Including, running virtual meetings online and using project management tools to managing various projects through the committee work that I do. I also learned a lot about working collaboratively with people in different geographic areas.”
Joy Rodriguez
MLIS Graduate 2012
Fresno, CA
President of the CLA and iSchool Alumna Strongly Advocates for the LIS Profession
“It really helps you understand the bigger picture, keep an eye on the profession, and the issues that all types of libraries are facing. We’re in a field that is constantly being threatened, so it’s important to know when and where we need to advocate for our profession and how to communicate our relevancy in our communities.”
Dolly Goyal
MLIS Graduate ‘07
Sunnyvale, CA
Alumna and Former Student Assistant Strives to Empower the Public Every Day
“For me, I love being able to empower people the most. Many people who come in don’t realize the full range of services we offer or how to really find what it is that they are looking for. Being able to show local students how the databases work or helping a patron understand how to download a library e-book is a thrill for me.”
Julie Whitehead
MLIS Graduate 2013
Dumont, NJ
iSchool Alumna and Academic Law Librarian Continues to Evolve Her Career
“I selected SJSU because of its flexibility, because I wanted to be at a California school, and because once I made the decision to transition out of practicing law, I wanted to get started fast and jump on the next stage of my career. The convenience of online education – I could stay in LA, where I’d been living for quite a while, I could travel some, I could do internships where I wanted, etc. – was a big factor.”
Elyse Meyers
MLIS Graduate 2013
Los Angeles, CA
Urban Planner and iSchool Alumnus Explores Deep Relationship Between Public Libraries and Cities
“I chose SJSU iSchool for its affordable tuition, flexible online program and access to high-quality faculty and graduate student research opportunities in the MLIS program. These continue to be my selling points when people ask me about the MLIS program at SJSU iSchool. This MLIS program afforded me a space to explore my questions about the role of public libraries in urban life.”
Jonathan P. Bell
MLIS Graduate 2017
Los Angeles, CA
Passion for records and digital preservation led MLIS graduate Jennifer Mundy to work as a records officer and electronic records management analyst
“I found what would work best for me was working full time at a library or archives while attending an online MLIS program, and the MLIS program at SJSU came highly recommended.”
Jennifer Mundy
MLIS Graduate 2008
Multnomah County, OR
Diligent MLIS Grad Serves as Regional Director for Network of Regional Medical Libraries
“I found every one of the instructors [at SJSU] to be intelligent, knowledgeable and excited about the field. I especially found many of the adjunct professors who were actively working in the field helped to share the “real world” of librarianship and added to the experience.”
Eve Melton
MLIS Graduate 2001
Stockton, CA
Recent MARA Alumna Fast-Tracks the Certified Records Manager Exam with Her iSchool Studies
“Reflecting on my testing experience, I recognized that the courses I had taken during the MARA program at the iSchool had prepared me with broad AND specific knowledge – keys to success on the [CRM] exam but also in working in the records and information management field in general.”
Lauren Aiko Kelly
MARA Graduate 2016
Multnomah County, OR
iSchool Experiences Help Another MLIS Alumna find Dream Job
“Perhaps the most significant lesson I learned was that being my authentic self is the most important aspect of professional growth and development.”
Jessica Gilbert Redman
MLIS Graduate 2016
Grand Forks, ND