iStudent Blog

iStudent Blog

Information Gone Wild Blog: Episode 13
Legacy, Librarianship, and Being Dangerous: A Conversation with Dr. Nicole A. Cooke

Dr. Nicole Cooke, photo courtesy of ALA

Published: June 19, 2025

Information Gone Wild, the podcast by San José State University’s iSchool, recently featured Dr. Nicole Cooke, Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and professor at the University of South Carolina, to discuss her powerful new book, “The Legacy of Black Women in Librarianship.” In this episode, Dr. Cooke dives into the emotional journey of writing the book, the women who inspired it, and how librarianship can be a radical act of change.

Q: What inspired you to write The Legacy of Black Women in Librarianship?

iStudent Blog

Roots of Resilience: Food as Medicine, Music as Healing, Literacy as Power
iSchool Presents Free Online EDI Symposium June 18

Published: June 16, 2025 by Ananda Kerns

Juneteenth Event Banner

Please join the SJSU iSchool for our symposium on Juneteenth Day, “Roots of Resilience: Food as Medicine, Music as Healing, Literacy as Power”, presented in collaboration with the Black Student Library Collective (BSLC) and taking place Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 10:00am – 12:00pm Pacific Time. 

iStudent Blog

Information Gone Wild Blog: Episode 12
A Conversation with Michael Lambert, City Librarian of San Francisco

Michael Lambert

Published: May 15, 2025

In Episode 12 of Information Gone Wild, hosts Maurice Coleman and Paul Signorelli welcomed Michael Lambert, the City Librarian for the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and current President of the Public Library Association. Michael’s story is both inspiring and deeply rooted in public service, innovation, and community. Here’s a look at the key takeaways from their conversation—shared in a Q&A format that feels like you’re right there with them.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a library career?

iStudent Blog

Building Connection and Confidence Through Student Groups
A Conversation with ALASC Chair Cat Tang

Published: May 14, 2025 by Gabe Farmer

Cat Tang didn’t always know she wanted to be a librarian. In fact, she was firmly against going back to school. “When I finished undergrad, I was like, oh, no grad school. I’m not going to grad school,” she said. But after a year working in libraries, her perspective shifted. Encouraged by coworkers and inspired by the work, she began researching Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) programs. Eventually, she enrolled at San José State University School of Information, knowing she wanted to get involved from the start.

iStudent Blog

Rooted in Culture, Growing Through Service
Alyssa Galvan's Journey into Librarianship

Published: April 23, 2025 by Gabe Farmer

Alyssa Galvan’s pride in her Mexican American identity is a thread that runs through her career and her aspirations. Raised in a family where Spanish was spoken with elders and cultural traditions were closely held, she always carried that sense of connection and responsibility. “My whole family’s Mexican, and my husband’s Mexican,” she said. “I love my culture.”

iStudent Blog

Information Gone Wild Blog: Episode 11
Rolling Libraries, Real Connections: A Conversation with ECHO Mobile Library in Greece

Becka and Giulio

Published: April 15, 2025

What happens when you combine a van full of books, a passion for literacy, and a mission to connect people across cultures and borders? You get ECHO Mobile Library, a grassroots mobile library serving refugee communities around Athens, Greece.

iStudent Blog

From Retail to the Library

Published: April 10, 2025 by Gabe Farmer

While some iSchool students begin their journey shortly after completing their undergraduate degrees, many of us (myself included) have returned to the classroom after a decade or more, eager to forge a new path. Because online learning can be so isolating, a goal of mine is for this blog is to share stories of iSchool students from all backgrounds and walks of life, highlighting that no matter your circumstances, you’re not alone.

Mirna Gutierrez’s journey from a 15-year career at Target to becoming the sole library tech at a junior high school perfectly represents the new paths many of us are forging. In our conversation, she shared how a simple job tip evolved into a lifelong calling and how she’s balancing full-time work while pursuing her master’s degree in library science.

iStudent Blog

Making the Most of Spring Recess

Published: March 31, 2025 by Gabe Farmer

We’re officially more than halfway through the semester, and if you’re anything like me, you might be surprised by how fast (and somehow also slow?) that milestone arrived. Whether you’re feeling ahead of the game, barely hanging on or somewhere in between, spring recess offers us something precious: time.

iStudent Blog

Information Gone Wild Blog: Episode 10
Interview with Nick Higgins: Chief Librarian of the Brooklyn Public Library

Published: March 17, 2025

Nick Higgins, Chief Librarian of Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), was named to the 2023 TIME100 Next list for his leadership in fighting censorship and book banning. He is the driving force behind BPL’s Books Unbanned initiative, which provides teens nationwide access to the library’s digital collection, and has inspired other libraries to join the movement for intellectual freedom.

The following is an excerpt from our recent Information Gone Wild podcast with Nick.

iStudent Blog

From Rope Tricks to Reading Lists
Karen's Quest to Lasso Lifelong Learning

Karen Quest Cowgirl Tricks

Published: February 25, 2025 by Gabe Farmer

iSchool Alum Karen Quest has been roping in audiences for most of her life and still incorporates her cowgirl act into her work with library outreach. Her show, Cowgirl Tricks, features trick roping, whip cracking and what she laughingly calls “kooky cowgirl shenanigans perfect for the whole family.” Karen has performed for corporate events, private parties, fairs and festivals nationwide. Yet, in 2011, she stepped into a new performance arena: libraries. At a children’s librarian showcase, she found an intriguing new audience. “As I continued to get booked at libraries, I noticed that librarians were funny and they were smart and they get it,” she explains. “And very different from the other clients that I did business with. And I started getting library curious.” 

iStudent Blog

Information Gone Wild Blog: Episode 9
Elizabeth Ruane: The Emotional and Practical Challenges of Library Closures

Published: February 17, 2025

Closing a College Library Book CoverElizabeth Ruane is the former library director at Marlboro College in Vermont, which closed in June 2020. Elizabeth co-edited the book Closing a College Library, which explores the challenges and emotional impact of library closures, and offers practical advice for navigating these difficult times.

iStudent Blog

From Education to Libraries: Jackie’s Journey of Career Transition and Balance

Published: February 11, 2025 by Gabe Farmer

Jackie Roussin

Making a career change can be stressful enough, but working on your second master’s degree while balancing a full-time job really ups the pressure! iSchool student Jackie Roussin is meeting the challenge with determination and enthusiasm. Jackie, a former educator, made the leap into librarianship in 2022 and now works as a children’s programming librarian while pursuing her MLIS degree.