Published:  March 11, 2022 by Hilary Meehan

The SJSU iSchool invites graduate students to submit posters for presentation at the upcoming ALA and CLA conferences. Posters should represent the impact of their own research projects, innovations, and/or internship experiences as related to a specific information community. 

• There is no cost to participate.
• Electronic poster templates are provided by the iSchool.
• You are not required to attend; SJSU iSchool representatives will print, transport, and set up your poster onsite.
• You are welcome to attend the conference and enjoy the iSchool reception (registration and travel costs will apply). 

Conference Poster Sessions

Posters will be presented at one of two upcoming library association conferences: 

CLA 2022 Conference: Together Towards Tomorrow! Sacramento, CA. June 2-4, 2022. Poster session at the SJSU iSchool Networking Reception, June 3, 4:30pm-7:30pm PT.

ALA 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition: Together Again! Washington, DC, June 23-28, 2022. Time and location of student poster sessions to be announced.

Why Participate?

Highlight Your Professional Skills

Conference poster presentations increase your professional visibility by highlighting your knowledge, creativity, and capacity to “gather, appraise, organize, analyze, and disseminate information in a smart, concise, and digestible way” (MLIS Skills at Work: A Snapshot of Job Postings 2021).

Represent Your Community

According to current trends in the LIS job market, the ideal LIS applicant is experienced with marketing, outreach, and customer relations. Additionally, employers seek innovative LIS candidates with strong interpersonal skills and “the ability to demonstrate a positive and enthusiastic commitment to public service” (MLIS Skills at Work: A Snapshot of Job Postings 2021).

Over the course of our studies, iStudents gather significant knowledge about information communities of personal relevance to us. Advocate for your community by presenting your research findings to a diverse array of information professionals.

find inspiration

While you are not required to attend the conferences, you certainly may do so! Conferences are excellent access points through which you can meet potential employers and future collaborators, identify new directions for your research, and enjoy mingling with likeminded professionals.

This year’s CLA keynote speaker is Minda Harts, Professor at NYU, workplace and equity consultant, author, and podcaster. In 2020, Dr. Harts was named the Top Voice for Equity in the Workplace by Linkedin.

Speakers at ALA’s conference include actor John Cho and Maria Hinojosa. In 2020, Cho published his young adult novel, Troublemaker, about a 12 year old Korean American boy living through the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. An author and journalist, Hinojosa, is the anchor and executive producer of the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, and Founder of Futuro Media, an independent nonprofit organization with the mission of producing multimedia content from a POC perspective.

If you choose to attend the conference, you will be responsible for registration and travel costs. Visit CLA and ALA registration sites for more details about member/non-member fees, and student or volunteer discounts. CLA offers some no cost registration options. You may also consider asking your employer if they assist with professional development expenses. 

Past iStudent Poster Presentations

Read about how this experience influenced iStudents in recent years here. 

Scroll through a gallery of past SJSU student posters here.

Sign Up to Participate Today!

To participate in this opportunity, click here. Please note that the sign-up deadline is May 1, 2022.  

Need More Information from the iSchool?

• Email Sheila Gurtu, MLIS, iSchool Student Outreach Specialist
• Book a Zoom appointment with Sheila on the iStudent Services Advising Appointment Calendar