This month the REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student & Alumni Group welcomes Perla Marquez, who is the new secretary.
Congratulations, Perla on being the group’s newest officer. We wanted to give our readership the chance to get to know you better. Thank you for sharing the following about yourself:
How long have you been a member of REFORMA?
I recently joined this Spring 2022 semester.
What is your local chapter?
Los Angeles Chapter
Tell us a little bit about your educational background.
I recently graduated from college this past year and have just begun my Master in Library Science at SJSU.
What has been your favorite course at the iSchool and why?
This is my first semester. I just began the MLIS program so the courses I am completing as of now are the beginning core ones every student needs to complete before choosing their electives. However, the most interesting one I am taking right now is INFO 202: Information Retrieval Systems because it involves how to design a website, while focusing on users’ needs.
How has the acclimation been so far? Have there been any surprises for you?
It’s been good. I just started so there haven’t been any surprises or difficulties in adjusting.
What is your dream career once you have your degree?
I hope to pursue a career in cataloging and metadata.
What has been your favorite opportunity at the iSchool?
My favorite opportunity has been registering for “Librarian Career Chats” where every student who registered is paired with a professional librarian for a Zoom call meeting.
Who were you paired with and what learning opportunities arose from your “Librarian Career Chat”?
I was paired with Michelle Mascaro, the Special Collections Cataloging & Metadata Unit Head at UCSD. She provided me with a lot of advice on how to take advantage of the resources that I have at SJSU and gain more experience in the field of Library Science.
Do you have a favorite book you’d recommend for summer-reading?
I don’t have a favorite book in particular but I have been reading a lot of fantasy, the current book I am reading is titled “Gallant” by V.E. Schwab.
What are you hoping to see in your own community that helps promote the goals of REFORMA?
Many community members in Los Angeles, apart from being of low-income, are of Latinx origin. Thus, fortunately, many opportunities have been made available, such as LA public libraries transitioning to becoming fine-free institutions, alleviating that worry that some Angelenos may have when checking out library materials. I hope that LA libraries continue this route and choose to further advance library services for many Spanish-speaking and Latinx communities that reside in Los Angeles.
We will be holding elections soon to build up a new team of officers for this iSchool Student Group. What would you say to iSchool students and alumni who are interested in becoming an officer for REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student & Alumni Group?
I’d say that it’s always a great opportunity to have a leadership role while in school, especially one that reflects your own interests. Becoming an officer for the REFORMA SJSU iSchool Student & Alumni Group provides you with great leadership experience to boast about for your future career in Library Science as well.
Thank you so much for this opportunity to get to know you better. Welcome aboard!
