From information services to school libraries, career paths, and virtual worlds, there is something for everyone in this fall’s online Colloquium Series produced by the San José State University (SJSU) School of Information.

According to Dr. Bill Fisher, organizer of the webinar series, “The colloquium presentations bring a variety of topical issues and speakers to the iSchool community that they might not have access to otherwise.”

Graduate students at the SJSU School of Information and other interested information professionals can attend the colloquia live via Blackboard Collaborate or watch recordings of webcasts posted on the iSchool’s YouTube Channel.

The marketing of information was the topic of the Sept. 22, 2014 colloquium. “With more than 30 years selling information to a wide variety of libraries,” explained Fisher, “Michael Gruenberg discussed the buying and selling process from both sides of the negotiating table.” The objective of the webinar was to help students and working professionals “understand the dynamics of a successful transaction.” (A recording of Gruenberg’s presentation will be available in about two weeks.)

Coming up on Oct. 22, 2014, Dr. Mary Ann Harlan “will introduce the Common Core standards, the instructional shifts in schools related to the new standards, and the basic implications for academic and public libraries.” The new standards have “introduced instructional shifts that impact academic libraries and what librarians can expect in regard to students’ prior knowledge,” stated Fisher.

In addition, the fall presentation lineup includes several webinars geared toward graduate students in the school’s exclusively online Master of Archives and Records Administration (MARA) program and information professionals interested in virtual worlds.

“The MARA Guest Lecture Series provides students preparing for careers in archives and records administration the opportunity to interact with experts in the field,” said MARA Guest Lecture Series organizer Dr. Pat Franks. “It also provides MARA alumni the opportunity to share their experiences and successes with current graduate students.” According to Franks, the presenter of the first MARA lecture on Oct. 1, 2014, Jim Merrifield, will help students understand the difference between a certificate and a certification, and learn more about career growth options in the fields of archives and records administration.

Franks explained that the Virtual World Lecture Series is intended to “expose students pursuing careers in archives, records management, libraries, and special collections to other students, educators, and professionals in the field of virtual worlds and immersive environments.” The Virtual Worlds webinars take place in the Virtual Center for Archives and Records Administration (VCARA) in the Second Life virtual environment. Topics covered in the Virtual Worlds colloquia include professional networking and the marketing of virtual world solutions to educators. The next Virtual Worlds presentation is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2014 at 6 pm PST.

The iSchool’s colloquia are open to the public and held entirely online. The fall schedule can be viewed on the iSchool’s website. Individuals requiring real-time captioning or other accommodations should contact Dr. Sue Alman prior to the live event.