Home: Spotlight

Community Profile

Paving The Way In Youth Librarianship with Jane Gov 

“You need to know that you’re going to fail. I think there’s this perception that all of my programs are successful, and they’re not. That’s a misconception. It’s not that they’re failures, there’s always a learning curve.”

Jane Gov, ‘11 MLIS 
Pasadena, CA

Community Profile

Understanding Good Library Management with Tiffany Duck

Tiffany Duck

“I like being a manager. I know it can be stressful but I really like it. I think it gives you the opportunity to help shape people’s work and help them grow and get to where they want to go professionally.”

Tiffany Duck, ‘13 MLIS
Suffolk, VA

Community Profile

A Life of Libraries with Stephanie Saba

Stephanie Saba

“I love libraries. I love this profession. You just meet so many amazing people every day…I just love it. Like I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” 

Stephanie Saba, ‘12 MLIS
Pacifica, CA 

iStudent Blog

Dipping Your Toes in the Water: Conference Poster Presentation as an iSchool Student

Chicago Riverwalk

Published: May 4, 2022 by Laura Darlington

In April, the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) held their 50th annual conference in Chicago, and I had the pleasure of attending and presenting thanks to the SJSU iSchool. Last year, I logged on to ARLIS/NA’s virtual conference, yet after two years of remote learning and pandemic isolation, I felt eager for an in-person experience.

iStudent Blog

Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
iSchool Presents EDI Symposium May 10

EDI Symposium May 10, 2022

Published: May 3, 2022 by Guadalupe Martinez

In 1990, the United States designated the month of May as Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to commemorate their rich history and cultural legacy. Asian identity includes people with heritage from East Asian, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The umbrella term Pacific Islander includes peoples of Oceania and Native Hawaiians. AAPI identity is globally and culturally diverse. LIS professionals continue to play a significant role in addressing a range of information needs and advocacy work.

News

Student Chapter of the Year Award Goes to ALASC
iSchool Students Recognized for their ‘Incredible Work’

ALASC

The American Library Association Student Chapter at the San José State University School of Information has been awarded Chapter of the Year. This is the fifth time the ALA Student Chapter has won this prestigious award. One of the main reasons ALASC was chosen was due to their member engagement, as well as the chapter’s ability to create opportunities for leadership, especially during the pandemic.

News

Publication on Dementia Services Propels iSchool Instructor to Award Winner
Dr. Timothy Dickey Receives 2022 RUSA Award

Dr. Timothy Dickey

Dr. Timothy Dickey was awarded the 2022 RUSA Margaret E. Monroe Award for Library Adult Services. On winning the award, Dickey stated, “I am deeply humbled and tremendously honored by the award, which recognizes so many aspects of my professional life as a librarian, a faculty member, an author, and as someone dedicated to professional service.”

Community Profile

A Mother and Daughter’s MLIS Journey

Mother and Daughter MLIS

“You start with a love of books and go down to questions of who is the keeper of the information, and how do we keep it safe, and how do we organize it in such a way that future generations can find it, and all that stuff… It’s very cool.”

Julie Tilsner MLIS
Long Beach, CA

iStudent Blog

Scholarly Research: Publishing and Presenting

Published March 2, 2022 by Hilary Meehan

Hello, SJSU iStudent virtual community! I’m Hilary (she/her/hers), your new iStudent blogger. I look forward to addressing your school-related information needs effectively and comprehensively. Additionally, I encourage you to communicate to me your ideas, comments, questions, and concerns regarding the blog. You may use the comment box at the bottom of each blog post or contact me directly at hilary.meehan@sjsu.edu. I look forward to hearing from you and commit myself to respond to your messages. 

iStudent Blog

Celebrating Black History Month

Celebrating Black History Month

Published: February 22, 2022 by Guadalupe Martinez

At San José State University, our ongoing and upcoming calendar events and resources aim to uplift and honor the legacies of our diverse communities. Join us in celebrating Black History Month, highlighting the historic contributions and movements within the Black Diaspora.

News

Six iSchool Graduates Selected for ALA’s 2022 Emerging Leaders Program

Bryan Duran

The American Library Association has announced its Class of Emerging Leaders for 2022. Six graduates of the Master of Library and Information Science program at the San José State University School of Information have been chosen for this prestigious title. They are Emily Aaronson, ’15 MLIS; Bryan Duran, ’18 MLIS; Lauren Hall, ’20 MLIS; Victoria Montes de Oca Perez, ’17 MLIS; Kristin Peers, ’16 MLIS; and Patricia Zeider, ’16 MLIS.

Career Blog

Reassess Your Self-Assessment for 2022

Published: January 3, 2022 by Jillian Collins

The career self-assessment is yet another amazing iSchool tool. The self-assessment is a template for you to conceptualize the functions, people, and setting you want for your career. It’s 2022, a new year with obstacles beyond your control. Consider the optimism and strengths gained both academically and personally to map out important aspects of interactions, duties, and physical work environment.

Community Profile

Natasha Finnegan: Aspiring for Library Leadership and Management

Natasha Finnegan Headshot

“I like doing a lot of things, I could never put myself into a box (when it came to a career,) but when I started working in a library, I knew it was where I was meant to be.”

Natasha Finnegan, MLIS Student (expected graduation date in spring 2022)
Salisbury, MD

iStudent Blog

MLIS Career Pathways: A Look at Academic Librarianship

Published: November 17, 2021 by Leslie Parry

Last month the iSchool Student Services team hosted a new Lunch and Learn Workshop as part of their ongoing series on MLIS pathways. The topic was academic librarianship and featured School of Information faculty members Dr. Deborah Hicks, Alison Johnson and Dr. Linda Main. What makes this pathway unique? As Taryn Reiner, student support specialist, explains, “Academic libraries are found in institutions of higher education – in community colleges, private colleges, major universities or specialized research institutes.” They employ about 26,000 professional librarians and account for 48 percent of the positions analyzed in the most recent MLIS Skills at Work report. The roles and responsibilities of academic librarians are diverse; they include instruction, research support, project management, technical services, reference and outreach. Over the course of the hour-long program, the panel shared their thoughts on the classes, skillsets and experiences that can best prepare students for work in this field.