iStudent Blog: Community and Engagement

iStudent Blog

Building Your Professional Network as an iSchool Student

Published: July 27, 2021 by Leslie Parry

Kim Dority, the iSchool Student and Alumni Career Advisor, recently gave an insightful presentation about an essential (if occasionally dreaded) topic: “How to Build Your Professional Network (Without Feeling Weird About It).” To some people, the idea of networking can be exciting and invigorating; to others, awkward and stressful. No matter if you’re an extrovert or an introvert, a graduate student or a seasoned librarian, network-building is core to the profession. But don’t let your anxiety get the better of you. As Dority describes, it’s not about schmoozing or having transactional, superficial relationships; it is about growth, connection, and helping your colleagues and friends. “Building a valuable, sustainable network is a long-term play that involves creating genuine relationships of mutual benefit,” she says.

iStudent Blog

Get a Jump-Start With Summer Opportunities

Published: May 26, 2021 by Leslie Parry

The end of the semester is here! For months we’ve been rearranging our lives and work around the pandemic, keeping up with our studies, and waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. Now it’s time to take a break and celebrate! For those who are looking to keep up momentum during the summer, there are plenty of ways to stay engaged. From summer classes to networking opportunities to simply getting organized, here are ideas for enhancing your iSchool experience over summer break.

iStudent Blog

“Ask Me Anything” with Dr. Linda Main

Published: March 15, 2021 by Leslie Parry

Dr. Linda Main, interim director of the San José State University School of Information, met with iSchool students earlier this month for an insightful “Ask Me Anything” session. These regular, informal meetups give students a chance to chat with the director and ask about anything from career paths to iSchool resources to the LIS world at large. Below are just a few of the questions Dr. Main fielded. To view the full Q&A, click here.

iStudent Blog

What is Mindfulness, Anyway?

Published: April 24, 2020 by Havilah Steinman

Diversity is an important value of faculty and administration at San José State University iSchool. One of the projects the iSchool’s diversity committee works towards is creating engaging content that fosters that value. Recently, a diversity webinar series took a long look at mindfulness, and it’s role in the corporate world. See below for highlights of the recorded webinar What is Mindfulness, Anyway? by speaker Jamie Lin. Hopefully, this timely topic offers insight during a time of such stress and uncertainty in our country. For more engaging content, check out SJSU iSchool Podcast Feed via Apple Podcasts, SJSU iSchool YouTube Channel and iSchool On-Demand Webcasts Portal.

iStudent Blog

iSchool Life During the Pandemic

Published: April 7, 2020 by Havilah Steinman

While the iSchool at San José State University is a fully online school, COVID-19 has a drastic effect on the LIS community. Our classes are not affected, but everyone is dealing with the effects this global pandemic has on their respective communities and personal lives. Below is a roundup of resources that may be helpful in this difficult time. 

iStudent Blog

MARA Student Vida Barone Shares Her Insight

Published: March 24, 2020 by Havilah Steinman

Wondering what current students of the Masters of Archives and Records Administration at San José State University’s iSchool are up to? Vida Barone has worked in local government for 25 years, and shared that she still learns something new every week. Barone founded her own company 13 years ago, City Clerk Management Services, Inc. She started at the MARA program in summer 2018, and made the decision to enroll so she could show her credibility in information governance.

iStudent Blog

Day in the Life of iSchool Student – Kim Edwards

Published: October 15, 2019 by Havilah Steinman

[image:13258, image left]What does the original Captain Kirk, crocheting and San José State University’s iSchool Masters of Archives and Records Administration have in common? The illustrious Kim Edwards, of course! The latest to be featured in our Day in the Life Series, Edwards works full time as a Records and Scientific and Technical Information Manager at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and this piece represents her inaugural involvement with student life!

iStudent Blog

Today’s Thriving Libraries – MiraCosta Community College

Published: August 28, 2019 by Havilah Steinman

Alumni of San José State University iSchool’s many programs are everywhere. In fact, you could run into a fellow grad without even realizing it! MiraCosta Community College has been a fixture of the City of Oceanside since 1934, and the 48,000 square feet Library and Information Hub was built in 2003. I had the opportunity to tour the library with alum Steven Deineh, instruction and student engagement librarian, and he offered a great snapshot of the resources available to the lucky students at the college. 

iStudent Blog

Day in the Life of iSchool Student – Rosa Conrad

Published: July 3, 2019 by Havilah Steinman

Hot off the presses, it’s the latest edition of our Day in the Life of an iSchool Student series! Today we’ll be introduced to Rosa Conrad, library services specialist at California State University San Marcos. With an expected graduation in spring 2021, Conrad juggles school, a full-time job, and being a mom with fantastic skill.

iStudent Blog

Day in the Life of iSchool Student – Amy Wallace

Published: February 19, 2019 by Havilah Steinman

Our next Day in the Life series installment is here! Meet Amy Wallace, soon-to-be MLIS iSchool graduate! She is the head librarian at Bethany Christian Schools and hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Some of her favorite classes she completed while studying at the iSchool include Interpersonal Communication Skills, Marketing of Information Products and Reference Information Services. Wallace shared, “These classes really helped me to expand my idea of what it takes to be a librarian, as well as grow my confidence in my work. I know that these courses, specifically, have done a great deal to prepare me for my career.”

iStudent Blog

Library 2.018 Design Thinking Conference Recap

Publishistudent_blog_designthinkingchalk_-_copy.pnged: March 19, 2018

Gain insights from the Library 2.0 virtual conference, “Design Thinking,” held on March 8.

Over 5,500 people registered for the first Library 2.0 virtual conference of the year. “Design Thinking: How Librarians are Incorporating it into their Practice” was held online and for free on March 8.

iStudent Blog

Make 2018 Your Best Year Yet!

Publishistudent_2018_goals.pnged: January 2, 2018

Helpful tips for setting goals and achieving them to make 2018 great.

Happy new year and welcome to 2018! It’s the perfect time to lock in your new year’s resolutions and set some goals for the year ahead.

iStudent Blog

Be Social! Connect With the SJSU iSchool Through a Variety of Social Media Platforms

Published: August 3, 2017

Being in an online graduate program isn’t all about research and writing papers, listening to lectures and posting on discussion forums. It is that, but there is also a large community of SJSU iSchool students just waiting to get to know you.  As a budding library and information science professional, you should know how to get to information through your fingertips via iSchool social media. Whatever your pace and social media style, there’s a lot to choose from.

 

iStudent Blog

How SJSU iSchool Students Rev Up for the End of the Semester and Unwind for Summer

Published: May 10, 2017

You’re almost there—the end of the semester is almost here. Some of you may be feeling relief while others may be feeling overwhelmed. Do not despair! Help, hope and happy days are ahead. SJSU iSchool students have become experts at organizing, planning and finding the right way to celebrate and are very willing to share their tips with you.

iStudent Blog

The iSchool Community’s Favorite Reads for the New Year

Published: December 30, 2016

At the SJSU iSchool, it’s pretty much a given that anyone who is teaching or in a graduate level program in library and information science would be a bookworm. Or a Kindle worm. If you enjoy audiobooks and podcasts, would that make you an earworm? (The visual connotations are endless.) I was curious what my classmates and iSchool staff and faculty members were reading during their break, and so I asked them.

iStudent Blog

Become Communication Savvy with RSS Feeds

Published: September 29, 2016

If you don’t want to miss a post from your favorite library blog or need to keep track of the iSchool’s new internship listings, then you need to become better acquainted with how to subscribe to blogs and listings through RSS feeds.