iStudent Blog: Professional Development
The Big Tent: What ALA Annual 2026 Taught Me About Who Holds Libraries Up
By Polya Tocheva
MLIS Candidate, San José State University (Expected 2027)
I am a first-time ALA Annual Conference attendee. I’m finishing my MLIS here at SJSU while I work in a public academic law library. I came to Chicago with a strategically mapped out schedule of the talks I wanted to hear and the people I wanted to say hello to; it was important to me to utilize my time efficiently to honor the financial support I received from the iSchool. For the most part, I stuck to the plan.
My 2026 ALA Conference Experience as an SJSU iSchool MLIS Student
by Ashley Flores
From June 24-29, 2026, I had the marvelous opportunity to visit Chicago, Illinois for the 2026 American Library Association (ALA) Conference. It was a very intimidating experience at first as this was the very first time attending a professional conference. The chance to attend a national conference attracting librarians not only from the United States but also from around the world itself was a very thrilling prospect. With my added positionality as a first generation graduate student, there was much uncertainty I felt in anticipation of attendance.
From First Semester MARA to a Conference: Reflecting on Queer History South 2026
by Ryan Martin
Being able to attend a professional conference has been one of the highlights of my experience as a MARA student. Thanks to the SJSU iSchool Student Travel Grant, I had the opportunity to attend the Queer History South 2026 conference in February. It was a powerful experience to learn more about LGBTQ+ community and institutional archives throughout North America.
ALA Annual Conference 2026
by Cindy Ries
At the end of June 2026, I was able to attend the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, IL, with financial assistance through the iSchool’s travel grant. As I near my final semester in the program, this conference was a remarkable chance to grow, learn, and connect with both students and professionals across the field.
Representing SJSU iSchool at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference
by Amber Janke
Attending the 2026 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago was an incredible opportunity to represent the San José State University iSchool while engaging with library professionals, researchers, alumni, educators, and fellow students.
From Family Archives to the Conference Stage
by Lizette Avina
Thanks to support from the San Jose State University travel grant, I had the opportunity to travel to Brooklyn, New York, and present at the REFORMA Northeast Joint Mini-Conference. As an MLIS student, this experience was especially meaningful because it was my first time presenting at a professional conference outside of California and my first visit to New York City.
Summary of my experience at the California School Library Association Conference 2026
By Susanne Saldivar
I started my CSLA 2026 conference experience with a chance celebrity encounter. As I sat down in my first Thursday workshop on the California Young Reader Medal (CYRM), I exchanged introductions with my neighbors.
Themes, Trends, and Takeaways from Henry Stewart DAM LA 2026
by Thomas Macaluso
With gratitude to the iSchool for its generous financial support, I attended the Henry Stewart Digital Asset Management (DAM) LA 2026 conference in Downtown Los Angeles on March 18 and 19, 2026. In this post, I share practical insights I gained at the conference that may be valuable to iSchool students. The conference covered many topics, but across the sessions I attended, three major themes stood out: leadership, technology, and professional networking.
Beyond the search box: Navigating agentic AI at ACM CHIIR 2026
by Charles Costa
As I near the end of my final semester for my master of library and information science (MLIS) program at SJSU, I recently traveled to Seattle for the 2026 ACM SIGIR Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval (CHIIR). Coming from a background in enterprise product marketing and knowledge management, I attended this conference to gain a deeper understanding of information retrieval.
Professional Development Opportunities for iSchool Students
One of the biggest advantages of graduate school is the opportunity to connect what you learn in the classroom with the professional world. From professional associations, student groups, conferences, and workshops to networking events and research collaborations, the iSchool offers many opportunities to help students build experience, expand their networks, and explore career pathways while completing their degree.
More than just a Conference
Being awarded the SJSU Travel Grant to attend the California Library Association Conference in Riverside in 2025 removed the financial burden of attending. I attended the 2024 CLA conference in Pasadena, which had some bumps in the road. This time, I was able to reconnect with peers, mentors, and new friends at the conference and engage in an inspiring panel discussion, learn what is working for other libraries, and gather ideas for programming and events. What was cool was that I was able to meet face-to-face with some of the students who attend SJSU, and peers with whom I had classes.
International Archives Congress Feels Like the Olympics for Archivists
My Transformative Experience Representing Team Ukraine and the iSchool
Published: November 13, 2025 by Kelly Famuliner
LIS Hands On: Volunteering Options in Archives
Each student’s path to joining the School of Information is unique. I’ve spoken to people who joined out of a personal love for libraries and a belief in public access to knowledge, and others who started to figure out their path while taking classes.
Taking on New Challenges and Experiences at the SAA Annual Meeting
Published: October 27, 2025 by Rea Sandhu
This past August, I had the honor of attending the annual Society of American Archivists conference and presenting a poster for the first time. With the conference being located in Anaheim this year, I was able to attend thanks to an iSchool grant that covered my stay and registration fees.
Travel Grant Affords Opportunity to Attend SAA Annual Meeting
Published: September 9, 2025 by Joshua Insel
In August, I attended the 2025 Society of American Archivists (SAA) Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, with a travel grant from the iSchool. I am currently in my last semester in the MLIS program and pursuing a career as an archivist. I went to the SAA conference to network with archivists and learn more about the latest trends and advances in archival work. I live close by, in Los Angeles, so it was very convenient for me to attend.
Leadership and Learning: My Trip to ALA Annual 2025
Published: August 26, 2025 by Cat Tang
From Thursday, June 26 to Monday, June 30, 2025, I had the opportunity to attend the American Library Association (ALA) Annual conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My travel was supported by iSchool student organization leadership funding I was eligible for as the result of my involvement in the SJSU ALA Student Chapter (ALASC), as well as prize money received from the ALA New Member Round Table (NMRT) for ALASC’s 2025 ALA Student Chapter of the Year Award win.
Information Gone Wild Blog: Episode 15
Exploring the Future of Libraries with Dr. Sandra Hirsh
Published: August 15, 2025
In the latest episode of Information Gone Wild, hosts Maurice Coleman and Paul Signorelli welcome Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Associate Dean for Academics at the San José State University College of Information, Data and Society. Dr. Hirsh is also a special advisor on AI curricular initiatives and the editor of Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries. Together, they discuss her career path, insights from her books, and the evolving role of libraries in our communities.
My Experience at ALA Annual was ‘Unforgettable’
Published: August 8, 2025 by Lennox Bishop
Travel Grant Affords Opportunities to Try New Technologies
Published: July 25, 2025 by Charlene Hardin
The American Library Association’s 2025 Annual
Conference was my first in-person experience attending a library
conference and my introduction to ALA. I am grateful to San
José State University for sending me to Philadelphia to
expand my horizons from the virtual worlds I have been using to
an in-person experience.