Community Profiles: Archives and Preservation
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
Muppets and MLIS Mayhem with SLASC President Lauren Kime
“Being a part of that production, and post-production, seeing the full scale of what it takes to not only write something and have it approved but also get it produced, and then all the marketing that goes into it and all of the appearances and promotions and everything, it’s definitely changed the way that I view puppetry as a whole… because there’s just so much more to it than just someone sticking their hand into a puppet and making it talk.”
Lauren Kime, MLIS/DAM Certificate December
2023
Los Angeles, CA
Positioning Herself to Preserve Archives with Sara Morrison
“There’s no need to be anxious or worried about succeeding because I feel like with the help available to me personally, it would be impossible for me to not succeed in this program.”
Sara Morrison, MARA (anticipated Dec. 2023)
Seattle, WA
Organizing Archives with Junia Papas
“I’m just so grateful to San José State University. I think they prepared me very well. That’s something I really wanted to say because there was all this vast information I didn’t know and they really got me prepared correctly so when I got on the scene, working a real job, I felt really confident that I’d be able to do it.”
Junia Papas, ‘18 MARA
Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan
Preserving Indigenous Latine Culture with Briana Alvino
“Many of us are first-gen grad students, so there’s a lot of pressure to live up to the expectations of our family and peers. Don’t be afraid to explore all the different fields LIS has to offer, and keep in mind that the Latine community is proud of you no matter what.”
Briana Alvino
SJSU MLIS, Projected ‘24
Preserving Family History with Harold T. Pinkett Student of Color Award Winner Erin Castillo
“The award has really been the cherry on top to say, ‘you’re on the right path. Just keep going. Trust your instincts, follow your interests and what you enjoy.’ That’s what the award means to me – that my idea is something that is not available in every community right now, but could be beneficial.”
Erin Castillo, ‘23 MLIS
Los Angeles, CA
Student Meredith Lancaster’s Passion for Art History and Archives
“I wake up in the morning and can’t think of anything else but art. When I go to bed at night, I can’t think of anything else but art. That’s how I know I was meant to be an art historian and archivist.”
Meredith Landcaster, MLIS Student (degree expected
spring 2022)
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Alumna Beaudry Allen’s Passion for Digital Archives
“Whether it’s accessing images in our digital libraries that creates more equitable access, or when a researcher has what they think is a really difficult question and we have the material to help them – it’s really exciting to see your collection being used.”
Beaudry R. Allen, ‘15 MARA
Preservation and Digital Archivist Villanova University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A Dream Job Takes Form in the Face of a Pandemic
“We grew up in libraries, so we stayed. That’s really what it comes down to. We recognize where the magic happens.”
Bethany Rice, ‘15 MLIS
Curator of Collections, Kern County Museum
Bakersfield, California
Dr. Daulby Prepares Students for a Future in Information Governance
“We can’t just think in terms of traditional records and information management anymore. Information Governance is where this field is going.”
Lisa Daulby PhD, IGP, CRM
Lecturer, San José State University iSchool
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
MLIS Graduate Helping to Archive the Immortal Work of Charles M. Schulz
“My love of history led me down the archives pathway of classes. I chose SJSU’s iSchool because it is ALA accredited, and having an online program was important for me since I was working full time and needed to ‘attend classes’ at odd hours.”
Jennifer Pickens
MLIS Graduate 2014
Santa Rosa, CA
Historian in MLIS Program Finds Happy Niche Archiving Primary Source Materials
“Although I would like to work with archives and historical records, the MLIS degree gives me the confidence to work in corporate environments as well.”
Amanda Mellinger
San Jose, CA
MLIS Student
Alyse Dunavant-Jones: An Archives Girl in a MLIS World
San José State University School of Information MLIS student Alyse Dunavant-Jones mixes archives, library and information coursework to broaden her horizons.
Brittany Austin: A Grand Pas to Success
“Two of my major motivations for going back to school for my MLIS were to build communities and to share information and resources within these communities. My overall academic goals were to take classes that gave me new experiences that I could not learn on the job at my current position in a college library.”
Brittany Austin
Becket, Massachusetts
iSchool Alumna (MLIS, 2014)