NEW WEBINAR! SLA-San Diego is offering an upcoming webinar about all the things you did not learn in library school, but need to know. This is for anyone interested in public, academic, archives, and corporate librarianship. Check it out! LET’S TALK ABOUT…. WHAT LIBRARY SCHOOL DIDN’T TEACH ME APRIL 20th, Read more…
Great news! The wonderful Kate Spaulding has written about the “Demystifying Conferences” event that took place on November 7th in the iSchool Career Blog.
Kate was our previous Communications Director and continues to be a valuable member of our virtual community. Her post gives an excellent summary of the points covered during the event, as well as links to helpful and informative resources related to the topics covered. For those of you (like me) who were unable to attend but are interested in viewing a recording, please check out the SJSU SLA YouTube channel; in addition to the most recent event we have recordings dating back to early 2015 showcasing the variety of wonderful speakers and topics our group has been lucky enough to host.
Keep reading for links and to view an embedded version of the event recording!
Join us tomorrow (November 7) for a presentation on the conference experience from guest speaker Dr. Michael Stephens. Have you ever been interested in attending an LIS conference to enhance your professional skills and development? For many, conferences present themselves as overwhelming or even intimidating events. Dr. Michael Stephens, Associate Read more…
Join us on October 3rd for a presentation on international librarianship with Librarians Without Borders founder Melanie Sellar. Our guest speaker’s presentation will begin promptly at 7:30pm (Pacific Time), but please pop in early for some virtual mingling beforehand (our “social half-hour” will be starting at 7pm).
Here is a link for the Collaborate room where the event will be held: https://sas.elluminate.com/d. jnlp?sid=2011274&password=D. 10CD983E2C411007F77A54FF505C43
We hope to see you there! Until then, we wanted to share some details about the event and the speaker.
Melanie will be discussing Comp O and what it means to “do” international librarianship. It’s a huge concept, and this guest lecture will explore how a closer examination of the term “international librarianship” (IL) yields a much sharper definition than you might initially think possible.
Given that higher education institutions are increasingly formalizing internationalization into their strategic plans and that LIS programs (like the SJSU School of Information) are responding by encouraging the inclusion of more international perspectives throughout the curriculum, it is useful to look at the who, why, and how of international librarianship.
IL is indeed a relatively small field that is not understood well. In order for IL to be studied, practiced, and funded in ways that are appropriate to its potential, this guest lecture will discuss some common misconceptions, and advocate for more intentional, reciprocal, and reflective applications.
Keep reading to learn more about guest speaker Melanie Sellar!
On August 29 at 6:30pm Join the SLA Student Chapter for: What I Wish I Knew Then Come join iSchool Special Library Association for a welcome back to school social and chat. Our “experienced” students and alumnae will discuss what they wish they had known when they started the program. Read more…
When most of us think of Yosemite National Park we think of soaring peaks, Half Dome, waterfalls, and perhaps crowds enjoying the sights and wonders of one of America’s most famous national parks. Did you know that Yosemite hosted over 5 million visitors in 2016? That’s a lot of people, especially considering most visit from April to October. In fact, you have to look pretty closely to discover the Yosemite Research Library. But it’s there. Past the visitor center, into the 1925 stone Herbert Maier designed Museum building, just past a Native American shopping kiosk, there is a small sign in a stairwell that announces to those who happen to get this far that the Yosemite Research Library is up those stairs.
And if you happen to venture up the stairs and into the dusty back rooms of the second floor, at the end of the hall you’ll see a bookcase for the library visitors to leave their things (particularly their edibles, given the possible critter problems that crumbs might create) and just beyond the bookcase you’ll encounter a closed door. Through that door is over 100 years of Yosemite related research treasures crammed into a small room filled with books, papers, and maps. Collection development started in 1923, and the library now holds over 10,000 items. Despite its rather hidden location and the lack of signage or directions, the library is open to visitors (10-4:30 Mon-Thurs, with a 12-12:30 break for lunch). And, as some of us were able to experience first-hand, also open to volunteers. San Jose’s SLA group was lucky enough to spend a day and a half volunteering at this special place.
In this post, a couple of our members share their experiences:
While Hogwarts might be a figment of our fantastical imaginations, education in the conjuring arts has a very long and very real history, so I guess it is not a surprise that there are libraries for that! As I delved deeper into the conjuring arts, I was amazed not only Read more…
We hear quite a bit these days about human rights and how we all need to work together to keep these rights intact. What are human rights? One definition is “everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person” (Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Since the adoption of the UDHR in 1948, lawyers, victims, and advocates have been working to ensure the values enshrined in the document are upheld equally around the world. That’s when libraries can be the most helpful places to go to find materials to support this work.
We’re less than two weeks away from a very special event, which we’ve collaborated with our SAASC friends to help organize. Join us on May 1 for The End of Term Web Archive: Collecting & Preserving the .gov Information Sphere. From 6:30-7:00pm (Pacific), San José State University’s student chapters of the Special Libraries Read more…
Military Librarianship: It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure! When I first started this post, I intended to do an interview with a military librarian to represent this unique special librarian field. But I only had to dive into the research and reach out to a few contacts to Read more…
SJSU put on its spring conference of Library 2.0 on Expertise, Competencies, and Careers, on March 29th. One of the many interesting presentations was given by David Shumaker, from The Catholic University of America. He was one of the key participants in formulating the 2016 Core competencies for SLA Read more…
Disclaimer: This is a long post and if you don’t think you can make it all the way through, at least read the conclusion because that’s where the moral of the story lies.
As library and information science and archives and records administration students, we’re constantly bombarded with terms “professional development,” “networking,” “professional branding,” etc., by our instructors and other more experienced figures. And although most of us know what these terms means, sometimes it can be hard to figure how to successfully put them into practice and make the most of the opportunities afforded to us. I can honestly say one of my biggest regrets in undergrad was that I was one of those students who did not take full advantage of the opportunities I was given. Through this incredible journey at San Jose State, my number one goal has been to not make the same mistake! I got wise to this knowledge a little late, but I have seen that often times many of my peers and colleagues still haven’t learned the lesson. So I want to take this time to share with you about one of the more recent events I attended and how important it was to actually listen to the wise words being spoken to us.
Well, perhaps not actual murder and mayhem, but in researching different types of library collections, I never expected to run across any devoted to criminology! However, there is an entire organization (the World Criminal Justice Library Network) whose membership includes dozens of these libraries in 26 countries.
I also discovered a paper written by Stuart Stone, the head librarian at the foremost criminology library in the UK, named after Leon Radzinowicz. The Radzinowicz Library is part of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge.
The Radzinowicz Library of Criminology.
Interestingly, this library actively collaborates with the Koestler Trust, a charity that works with prisoners and holds an exhibition of their artwork each year. The library always purchases and displays a few pieces. Funding for these acquisitions comes from overdue fines. As Mr. Stone so elegantly put it, “the delinquency of our own readers helps to contribute to the rehabilitation of others.” (Stone, 2016, p. 4).
After reading Mr. Stone’s paper, I wrote to him and, to my delight, he was kind enough to answer a few questions in a detailed email. Enjoy!
Continue reading for the full interview.
Social Media is ubiquitous in today’s world, and the ability to connect from the palm of your hand allows organizations to extend their reach quickly and easily. Librarians have endless choices of tools and platforms, but the most important factor in your success is a well-designed social media plan. W8H Read more…
When I joined the SJSU MLIS program, management–or even the notion of being in a business–was not in my mindset. Libraries seemed to me to be something else, unique and special and somehow outside of the “business world.” Well, I only had to be in the program for one semester Read more…
The Special Libraries Association board has issued a statement in support of diversity and its global membership in response to recent executive action on immigration. “SLA supports our international members in their professional growth and development and values their inclusion in activities and events. SLA will continue to advocate for members Read more…
Please join us as we welcome the newest members of our executive committee! Laura Doublet will be serving as the assistant membership director. Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Laura joined SLASC as a way to connect with other students in the SJSU MLIS program. “I live in Canada, which feels very Read more…
On January 11, the Spring 2017 Student Associations Panel featured various SJSU iSchool groups. Communications Director Kate Spaulding did us proud with her presentation on behalf of SJSU’s SLA Student Chapter. Each presenter spoke briefly about their group’s focus, events, and member benefits, as well as answering audience questions. There were about Read more…
SLASC is looking for current SJSU students to fill upcoming and current vacancies on its Board! Getting involved is a great way to build your resume and professional connections while gaining valuable experience you can use after graduating. To apply, send an email to sjsu.slasc@gmail.com with the subject line Self Nomination and indicate the Read more…
November 15, 2016: 6:30 PM PST Click here to join us! Tracy Z. Maleeff Title: Sharpening Career and Networking Skills for Fun & Profit Description Congratulations, you will have an MLIS degree soon! Now, what? Whether library and information science is your first, second, or third career, learn how there are Read more…
Friends Colleagues Leadership Skills Networking Opportunities Professional Contacts SLA Student Chapter SJSU Fall 2016 Interview with Dana V. Lema the President of the SLA Student Chapter It’s free and easy. Click on Membership to join today.