Community Profiles: Digital Environments

Overview

Community Profiles: Digital Environments

Community Profile

The Person Behind The Posts: Meet iSchool Social Media Coordinator Sonia Belasco

Sonia Belasco

“These different apps and social media channels evolve, but I think their importance is often underestimated. The truth is that social media is how most people are getting most of their information. And particularly in an online program, where you don’t have that kind of face-to-face interaction as much as you would if you were in person, it’s an opportunity to build community between people and also to connect them to resources and information.”

Sonia Belasco, ‘22 MLIS 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Community Profile

Checking out BookTok with Mychal Threets

Mychal Threets

“I think we just have fun with it. Me and the people who work on Library TikTok pride ourselves on embracing the cringe. I think as more and more people see library coworkers having fun with TikTok, you’ll see them start to submit ideas or be willing to participate themselves.”

Mychal Threets, ‘18 MLIS
Fairfield, California

Community Profile

Centering “Your Voices” with Kara (K. René) Price

Kara Price

“My goal is to connect my background in policy and data science to librarianship. I want to become an information professional who not only advocates for underrepresented communities in GLAM but also advises and helps information institutions truly embody belonging in their policies, programs, services, and spaces.”

Kara (K. René) Price (pronouns: they/she/y’all) MSDCS
SJSU MLIS, Expected Fall ‘24

Community Profile

BSLISE International Scholar Sabrina Gunn Discovers a Love for Information Systems

“I actually do thrive really well with technology. It’s not this scary monster but I think so many of us just put up boundaries and think, ‘Oh, I’m not this way. I’m not this type of person. I can’t do this.’ I find myself saying, ‘I can’t do this’ a lot. And then I find that I actually can, and be very good at it.”

Sabrina Gunn, MLIS student (anticipated graduation Spring 2023)
Sacramento, CA

Community Profile

Melissa Ward Brings Tech Experience and Energy to the ALASC

“Being a part of the ALASC has been a highlight of my time at SJSU. I love the library tours that the ALASC hosts at various libraries including the one where I work at Blizzard Entertainment. Being able to go behind the scenes to see what everyone is doing that is so different has been really fun.”

Melissa Ward
Chair, ALASC
Irvine, California

Community Profile

iSchool Alumnus and Departing Community Profile Writer Summarizes His iSchool Experience

“One of the best things about SJSU’s iSchool is that it connected me with LIS professionals across the world and right next door. It actually took me going to a school online in California to meet and connect with LIS professionals working right here in Philly; which is weird, I suppose, but also kind of affirms the global network connectivity that librarians have going on.”

Nick Perilli
MLIS Graduate 2018
Philadelphia, PA

Community Profile

iStudent Blog Writer Looks Ahead to Life After the MLIS

“[This work] gave me a reason to pursue all the avenues that this program and the LIS field are about while also connecting with professionals in the field and professors, students and alumni at SJSU. It completely opened up the program to me.”

Allison Randall-Gatt
MLIS Student Graduating May 2017
Sonoma County, California

Community Profile

iSchool Alumna Uses Her MLIS Skills to Further Evolve Her Career

“A core value that was a part of every class that I took was the user experience. Whether we’re working at a reference desk, working as a children’s librarian or working as a knowledge manager, we’re here for our user.”

Elizabeth Borghi
MLIS Graduate 2012
Redwood City, CA

Community Profile

Scott Brown on Being a Cybrarian

San José State University School of Information alumnus turned instructor Scott Brown on being a cybrarian. From humble beginnings as a page in the Santa Cruz, California, public library, iSchool alumnus and instructor Scott Brown has come a long way in his career.

Community Profile

An Academic Librarian Falls for Corporate Life

“The education you get from SJSU is all about what you put into it. Everyone that I know that dove in and got involved has only succeeded in life or in their career afterwards.”

Whitni Watkins
Web Systems Engineer, Analog Devices
Wilmington, Massachusetts
iSchool Alumna (MLIS, 2014)

Community Profile

In Times of Crisis, Student Naomi Fuhrman Deploys with the Standby Task Force

“There’s no better moment to look at all of humanity than a conflict, [which] brings out the best and worst in people. When it comes down to it, the idea that I’d get to work with people doing the best of things was a pretty nice idea.”

Naomi Fuhrman
Marin County, California
MLIS Student, Expected Graduation Winter 2015