Published: October 8, 2024 by Gabe Farmer

As we break out the Halloween decorations and enjoy a smorgasbord of pumpkin-spice flavored treats, let’s take a look at the iSchool events coming up this October! The month ahead offers events ranging from casual networking to professional education and development opportunities, both online and in-person. 

We’ve got a lot of wonderful events to cover, so let’s start off with a series of events hosted by a familiar face for many of us, Dr. Sandy Hirsh. 

Discover the Next Generation of Librarianship with Dr. Sandy Hirsh

Anyone who has taken INFO 200 Information Services Today may recognize Dr. Sandy Hirsh as the author of “Information Services Today: An Introduction,” but she has recently published a new book, “Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries.” In connection with her recent book, Dr. Hirsh delivered a public keynote address on October 7th and will be moderating a panel session as the Allen Smith Visiting Scholar at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science on October 10th. 

“I am honored to be invited as an Allen Smith Visiting Scholar and I am looking forward to the engaging conversations we will have about the future of libraries.” – Dr. Hirsh

Many of our courses at the iSchool focus on the ever-changing landscape of information science, and Dr. Hirsh is leading the charge to keep San José State University and other information science students at the forefront of that evolution. If you want a leg up on the next ten years, Dr. Hirsh’s insights are a great addition to your knowledge base!

The Future of Libraries: A Panel of Perspectives Faculty Presentation
Thursday, October 10th, 5pm-6pm(EDT) | 2-3pm (PDT) https://simmons.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUrfuqvqj8pEtWCC-89KAEeCzdZWvzVVhgS#/registration

Additionally, Dr. Hirsh is hosting “Library 2035: Imagining Next Gen Libraries” at Internet Librarian Connect 2024, a paid online event that runs from October 22nd to 24th for any who are interested in attending.  

Advance your career by attending these events and exploring what your career landscape may look like over the next decade.

Two Opportunities to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th and the iSchool has two upcoming events to celebrate! As of 2022, 40.3 percent of California residents and 20 percent of the United States population were of Hispanic descent, so even if you have no Hispanic heritage, these events are a great opportunity to learn more about the culture of a significant portion of the US population.

The first event, Latino Librarians: Leading Change and Shaping the Future, continued the theme of looking to the future of librarianship. This event highlighted the powerful initiatives that Latino librarians are making in shaping the future. Speakers at the event included Becky Calzada: First Latina President of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), Manuel Julio Duran Mendez: REFORMA AfroLatine Affinity Group, José Luis Benavides, Ph.D.: Professor, Department of Journalism; Director, and Alexandra Rivera: REFORMA President with Loida Garcia-Febo: SJSU iSchool Health and Wellness Ambassador hosting as moderator. 

SJSU iSchool’s Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month: “Latino Librarians: Leading Change and Shaping the Future”
Tuesday, October 8th @ 10 am–12 pm (PDT)

Keep an eye on the iStudent Blog for a recording and recap of the event!

The next event brings an emerging technology twist to the traditional Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos. On October 14th, SJSU REFORMA will be teaming up with the iSchool VR team for a virtual reality Dia de los Muertos event. 

Participants of the event will have the opportunity to build an altar or ‘ofrenda’ (offering) in a virtual reality space. These altars are made to honor loved ones who have passed on and often include photos, candles, flowers and the favorite foods and drinks of those being remembered and honored. 

All are welcome to take part in this event and, even if you can’t attend, you can still submit photos to be included in the altars. 

SJSU REFORMA iSchool Student and Alumni Group & the iSchool VR team: Dia de los Muertos Event
Monday, October 14th @ 6 pm-7 pm (PDT)
RSVP form: https://tinyurl.com/sjsu-reforma-dia
For those unable to attend, but want to participate, please upload photos to our Google form by October 13th
Photo form: https://forms.gle/5QM5c2Zrvb8ccUUR8

Fall Fun and Networking

For those of you looking for some low-stress and fun opportunities to hang out with other iSchool students from the comfort of your own home, the SJSU ALA chapter is hosting two great events this month! Networking can be stressful and nerve-wracking, but you know what isn’t either of those two things? Hanging out, drinking coffee and playing trivia! 

On October 22nd ALASC is hosting ‘Connect Over Coffee.’ You are invited to join with your coffee (or tea or, my favorite, Diet Coke) while SJSU alumni answer questions about school, career, and post-graduation life. This is a great low-effort way to begin networking with some of your SJSU classmates and alumni.

You can view the speaker bios here: http://bit.ly/3ZCBSJ6 and register for the event at the link below.

ALASC Fall 2024 Connect Over Coffee Networking Event
Tuesday, October 22nd @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (PDT)
https://sjsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpcOigrD4iGNRA6bsVDtvL5j4BwSi825ow

After wetting your whistle at the Connect Over Coffee event, you can keep the fun rolling with ALASC again a week later at Trivia Night. This Halloween-themed event offers the perfect chance to showcase your trivia skills for a shot at exciting prizes. Take a break from your studies and join your fellow students for a fun-filled evening of friendly competition and spooky vibes. Don’t miss out on the fun! 

ALASC Fall 2024 Trivia Night
Tuesday, October 29th @ 5:30 pm-6:30 pm (PDT)
https://sjsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcocuusrjsiH9SWFITvk6r38mYb693xVl5G

Prevent Cyber-Scares with Cybersecurity Awareness Month

With the mention of spooky season, nothing is spookier than your online information being stolen. In today’s world, everything from our collection of hundreds of photos of our pets to our bank account is accessible online with the right credentials. SJSU is dedicated to ensuring that students are aware of cybersecurity risks and how to avoid them.

On October 25th, SJSU is hosting two cybersecurity events: the SJSU Hackathon and the SJSU FBI Presentation. If you have any interest in cybersecurity, these events are sure to be interesting. You can join the Hackathon to help our campus compete against other schools for the most points, then hear from two members of the FBI San Francisco Field Office to learn more about the bureau and its opportunities! If you are interested, be sure to register at the Google forms below.

SJSU Hackathon
Friday, October 25th @ 10 am-2 pm (PDT)
https://forms.gle/iUuadFpqCbU1MkfB9

SJSU FBI Presentation
Friday, October 25th @ 1 pm-2:30 pm (PDT)
https://forms.gle/Gp5edarGPmVuZ5GdA

In-Person and Conference Meet-ups

The month of October brings several in-person meet-ups that SJSU students, alumni and faculty will be attending. If you’ll be attending the Association for Library and Information Science Education Conference in Portland, OR, or the California Library Association Conference in Pasadena, CA this month, there are meet-ups planned that you can drop by. Even if you aren’t attending these conferences, but find yourself in the area, you are welcome to join in.

ALISE 2024 Conference Networking Meet-Up
Wednesday, October 16, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (PDT)
More information

CLA – California Library Association 2024 Annual Conference and VR Poster Event
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 12:15 pm – 4:30 pm (PDT)
Friday, October 18, 2024 | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (PDT)
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (PDT)
More information 

For any students located near Elko, NV, the NLA and SJSU iSchool are hosting a networking meet-up that same week. Guests are welcome and light refreshments will be provided. 

NLA – Nevada Library Association & SJSU iSchool Networking Meet-Up
Wednesday, October 16, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm (PDT)
More information

These are great opportunities to meet up with friends and colleagues in your local area and make face-to-face connections.

Wrap-Up

As you can see, October is full of opportunities to make connections and increase your base of knowledge as an iSchool student. I look forward to attending some of these events myself and hope to defeat some of you at trivia. Let me know in the comments if you’ll be there!

If you’re reading this post and find that you’ve missed an event that you are interested in, don’t worry! Keep an eye out for recordings and recaps here on the iStudent Blog.

To see all of the events and the most up-to-date information in one location, or to submit an event your student group is holding, always be sure to check out the iSchool Calendar webpage!

Keep up the great work this fall semester and have a great October!