Welcome to the July 2011 SLIS Descriptor!

Dear fellow students,

In this issue of the Descriptor, we bring you an opportunity to get to know your 2011-12 ALASC officers. Check out what we’re reading this summer and learn more about us and what’s on our bookshelves:

• Elizabeth Borghi, Chair

• Lisa Dibbern, Co-Chair and Web Coordinator

• Elaine Hall, Program Coordinator

• Rosemary Kiladitis, Secretary/Archivist

• Stacey Nordlund, Newsletter Editor

• Maryanne Rodriguez, Treasurer

• Have you ever wondered what success actually smells like? Alison Leonard shares her experience touring the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s Library where she was given a chance to sniff out their unique perfume vial collection.

• Considering an internship? Pat Oey discusses her internship experience at Atherton Library in San Mateo County. Learn why LIBR 294 is such a valuable class and how it can benefit you as you work towards your MLIS.

Lastly, please remember to visit the SLIS Networks page to find connections in your geographic area.  If there is no group in your region, start your own and email the editor to have it included.

As always, we welcome your feedback and submissions and wish you well in your studies as summer semester comes to a close and fall semester rapidly approaches.

Sincerely,

Stacey Nordlund

2011-2012 Editor

SJSU ALASC SLIS Descriptor

Meet ALASC Chair: Elizabeth Borghi

Here are some books I’ve enjoyed this summer:

The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau

Chris Guillebeau’s Art of Non-Conformity email newsletter began several years ago, but his book by the same name was published in 2010. His intention is to teach readers how to “set your own rules, live the life you want, and change the world.” Guillebeau walks readers through clear exercises and the nuts and bolts of developing goals, dealing with fear, building relationships, managing finances and more – meanwhile citing clear examples from his own life and others. This is a good read for anyone desiring a life overhaul, and is especially relevant to students and new professionals. A brief chapter on grad school advises, “relate your education to what you actually want to do when you finish” and “consider some form of alternative learning to increase your knowledge.” AONC’s concepts and success stories provide an inspirational guide to navigating uncharted territory, thus making it a great guide for those invested in the success of libraries in a time of unprecedented change.

Meet ALASC Co-Chair and Web Coordinator: Lisa Dibbern

Here are a few of the books I'm reading this summer:

An Intellectual History of Cannibalism by Catalin Avramescu and Alistair Ian Blyth: I've been waiting to read this for about a year and finally just went out and bought it.  It's not so much about the history of Cannibalism as it is about intellectual history of ideas about cannibalism and the way the cannibalism has been used throughout history transforming political thought and violence.

Tough Island by Crash Barry: This is the second self-published book by Barry, a Maine Native, who writes about real life adventures based here in Maine.  This book should be just the right amount of gritty, with a little mischief and sea foam on the side.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter by Mark Seal: Whoa! Just read a synopsis and some reviews for this book. Looks spectacular and very suspenseful; I mean, if you don't know the story, like I didn't!

Meet ALASC Program Coordinator: Elaine Hall

One summer read I recommend is The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

A definite read for defining the complexity of close friendships, and even more the complex relationship between mothers and daughters. I only gave it 4 stars because throughout the book it was hard to follow the characters. Each chapter is from a different character's perspective. I had thought it would've been helpful for Chamberlain to outline the characters in the beginning but it becomes clear at the end of the book why she didn't. 



As you read the story, you get a sense of predictability but there is no predicting the ending of this book. The plot thickens and by the time you reach the middle of the book, you can't put it down. There is love found, love betrayed, and love lost. There is mourning and there is hope. There is hope for the birth of a child and the fear of losing a child. There is a midwife so complex, so giving and loving, and yet so mysterious with secrets so dark she could not reveal them to her husband, her sister, nor her best friend. 



I would highly recommend this book for any book club. Upon completing the novel, the reader finds a wonderful list of inquiries about the reader's own journey and understanding of the book. These inquiries would make for wonderful, deep conversations about the characters, our reactions, and how the plots would be handled in real life. If one had the time to completely dissect a book - Chamberlain provides the framework and the invitation to do so with "The Midwife's Confession"!

Meet ALASC Secretary/Archivist: Rosemary Kiladitis

Hello to all! I hope you're all having a great (and air-conditioned) summer! Since I registered for Materials for Tweens this fall, my summer reading list has become quite a bit younger in scope as I give myself a head start on the books I’ll need to be reading for the semester. And while I enjoy tween books as much as any aspiring children’s librarian and mom, I also made sure to build in some grown-up time, too.

Doctor Who: Resurrection Casket by Justin Richards

I am a dedicated Doctor Who fan, and the novels are fun to read. They’re like little episodes with covers. In this one, the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion, Rose encounter pirates!

The Boy at the End of the World by Greg Van Eekhout

A middle-grade post-apocalyptic story, Boy follows a boy named Fisher, living in a post-apocalypse society where he is the only survivor after a bunker he and other humans were living in was destroyed. He meets a robot named Click who protects him as they try to find more humans in another survival bunker. Think Cormac McCarthy’s The Road but less depressing.

Meet ALASC Newsletter Editor: Stacey Nordlund

Summertime is a time to relax, enjoy the outdoors, bask in the sunshine, take a vacation, and all that fun stuff, right? Well, for me, summer is a time of learning to catalog, starting my peer mentor experience (welcome, new LIBR 203 students!), working at my public library, and parenting. Not much time for leisure reading, so my books are on the shorter side this summer. Here are some titles from my bedside table:

Just finished: The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman

Every time a new volume of this graphic novel series is published, I read it in a single sitting. The epic story moves relentlessly through the days and nights of a group of survivors battling an increasingly bleak war against zombies. Every volume in the series has managed to both shock and surprise me, and No Way Out is no exception.

For fans of: World War Z by Max Brooks, George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (movie)

Currently reading: In the Town, All Year ‘Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner

My two-year-old daughter, Hana, and I can spend probably half an hour every single day poring over the illustrations in this book (that’s practically HOURS in toddler-time, for those of you who aren’t parents!). Originally published in German, the book is divided into four sections, each one representing a season. The book is practically wordless, yet countless stories are told through Berner’s keen attention to detail and colorful illustrations of people, places, and community events that take place over the span of a year. I can’t say enough about this book!

For fans of: Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford, Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Meet ALASC Treasurer: Maryanne Rodriguez

Here are a couple of my summer book recommendations:

Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez

This book was recommended to me by a friend who said this book is notorious for being one of the most frequently stolen library books!  I haven't been able to confirm, but I can certainly recommend this book for those looking for a rare, eloquent narrative of a chicano gang member turned poet and activist.  From his own words, the reader follows the life of "Chin" from a childhood in some of the rougher parts of L.A. to his teen years toting guns, experimenting with drugs and being chased by police.  The book is more than a biography about La Vida Loca: Rodriguez's command of the first person narrative and his timeline hopscotch never loses the reader or its genius.  A highly recommended page-turner.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Why would a young college graduate with money, brains and a humanitarian spirit ditch his family, his assets and his identity in the Alaskan wilderness? This book addresses that imminent, haunting question and many others of Christopher "Alexander Supertramp" McCandless' acquaintances and family.  McCandless' body was found only weeks after he starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness---his death drawing strong reactions nationwide, and drawing the borderline obsession of Krakauer who tells his tale step by step.  Reading the words of Chris' journal and of those who loved him, Krakauer tries to bring us as close as possible to the young man in an impossible attempt to satiate our questions.  Though it is an emotional read, Krakauer's graceful adventure writing style produces an unforgettable reading experience as he follows the final trail of our generation’s Thoreau.

SJSU M.L.I.S. Students Tour the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

by Alison Leonard

 

In April, LISSTEN President Cynthia Orozco, organized a tour of the library at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). There are four FIDM campuses.They are in located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego. We toured the L.A. campus which is located in the heart of the new entertainment district and is surrounded by the Fashion, Financial, and Jewelry Districts.

FIDM is a specialized, private college dedicated to educating students for the Fashion, Graphics, Interior Design, and Entertainment industries. There are over 20 majors including: Business Management, Fashion Design, Film & Costume Design, Footwear Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Jewelry Design, and Entertainment Set Design & Decoration.  The FIDM library supports all of  these fields of study and more, and it is the largest specialized fashion library in the western United States.

Our tour was led by Robin Dodge, Special Collections Librarian at FIDM. Robin was a great host; she gave us a very comprehensive tour of the library that includes the Media Room, where students can check out movies by genre—remember, students major in film and costume design; the Conference Room, where they teach information literacy on coursework varying from English Composition to Trend Forecasting; and the Textile Workroom, where they, among other things, conduct burn test on sample fabrics. Fabrics in the Textile Workroom are donated from manufacturers. The Reading Room contains the stacks.  The librarians decided to put circulating material together with reference material as students tend to browse the stacks more than use the catalog. There is also a Media Lounge where students can watch movies or check them out and take them home. The films were probably most inspirational to set and costume designers.

My Youth Services Internship at Atherton Library

by Pat Oey

From the time I began my SLIS coursework, I eagerly looked forward to taking LIBR 294, Professional Experience:  Internships.  As someone who is not already employed in a library setting, the appeal of the course is clear—getting hands-on experience that would not only inform future career decisions, but would also make those career possibilities open up because I would actually be able to list the experience on my resume!

So, from the moment I completed my prerequisites (200, 202, 203, 204, and three elective courses), I would peruse the Internship Sites page and dream and plan.  As luck would have it, on Thanksgiving Day 2010 I discovered a listing from Atherton Library in California for a youth services intern—the description seemed a perfect fit for me.  I applied, interviewed, and was granted the opportunity to serve as Atherton’s youth services intern for Spring 2011!       

My first encounter of Atherton Library (a branch of the San Mateo County Library) was incredibly pleasant.  It is a one-room library which was added onto a house that used to belong to the police chief of Atherton, so the staff work rooms are quaint, and there are two bathtubs in the bathrooms (one of which the children’s librarians use for storing crafts materials).  Atherton itself is a very small, rural community, so the pace at the library was far from stressful.  There was a healthy flow of patrons, but the atmosphere never got crazy, and the friendliness that can characterize a smaller community prevailed. 

Welcome to the May 2011 SLIS Descriptor!

Dear fellow students,

As another academic semester comes to a close, I am honored to begin a new chapter of my SLIS experience as editor of the SLIS Descriptor.  I am eager to share the range of experience represented by our diverse student body, and I welcome your ideas and input.  I also want to thank our outgoing editor, Joni Savage, for her hard work and dedication in the last year, and for working with me to bring you the May issue of ALASC's newsletter.

For our many recent graduates who are changing their focus from final projects and coursework to concentrate on CV updates and career trajectories, this final issue of the spring semester focuses on the professional side of librarianship:

• Attention new graduates: SLIS alumna Lucy Bellamy summarizes a list of suggestions for remaining in contact after earning your degree in "Tips to Staying Involved in SLIS after Graduation." Are you an alumnus/alumna? We want to hear your perspective.
• Kimberly Koshiyama provides an illuminating summary of her corporate internship experience at a major telecommunications company in "My Experience as a Corporate Librarian Intern in Silicon Valley." Have you completed a memorable internship? Please share your experiences.
• Sam Leif shares some essential online sources for students seeking that elusive, ultimate LIS position in "Job Resources for Students." Do you have any other LIS resources to recommend? Share your favorite websites in the comments.
• Alison Leonard describes her experiences in "SJSU SLIS ALASC’s Tour of the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum" in Yorba Linda, California. Please send us your stories of library tours.
• Stacey Nordlund discusses the future of the MLIS in an interview with an Ontario Legislative Librarian. In "Thinking Outside the Box: An Interview with Government Librarian Wendy Reynolds" she covers the importance of developing a broad skill set that is transferable to multiple settings. Where has your MLIS taken you? Share your professional experience.

Lastly, please visit the SLIS Networks page to find connections in your geographic area.  If there is no group in your region, start your own and email the editor to have it included.

Sincerely,

Stacey Nordlund

2011-2012 Editor

SJSU ALASC SLIS Descriptor

Tips to Staying Involved with SLIS after Graduation

by Lucy Bellamy
SJSU SLIS Class of 2007

I can’t believe that it’s been almost four years since I graduated from SJSU’s SLIS program! It really doesn’t seem like that much time has gone by. I have to say that staying connected to current students and alumni have made this transition invisible. Finding time to network while pursuing my degree was definitely a challenge; but joining the local student group was an important first step in establishing this important relationship. My student chapter, LISSTEN (Library Information Science Students Encourage Networking) offered several events which provided students with opportunities to network with one another as well as professionals established in their careers. It was at one such event where I was introduced to what would become my professional membership association, the Special Libraries Association (SLA). SLA, like other professional membership associations, offers a variety of events, professional and social, for students to network and be involved before, during, and after graduation. It’s easy to become overwhelmed while in the SLIS program, and often the thought of adding yet another commitment to an over-flowing plate of obligations can deter even the most focused student. However, I urge you to think of this opportunity as an investment in your future.

My Experience as a Corporate Librarian Intern in Silicon Valley

By Kimberly Koshiyama

When I first saw QuickSLIS mailer’s advertisement calling for a student in Library and Information Science at San Jose State University to work as an Intern at one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, I immediately thought, is this possible?  Can the artsy/literature-focused library world be inter-meshed with the fast-paced, often cutthroat corporate, technology industry?  As I have found out, it indeed can, and my internship there was one of the best yet challenging experiences of my life.

The closest environment that I had ever worked at previously was a start-up technology company, which was still quite dissimilar from my current position.  We frequently showed up to work wearing jeans and tee-shirts, multi-tasking by playing music and chatting intermittently on top of working.  Immediately when I walked in to my interview at my internship, I was blown away by the shiny chrome buildings, the twenty-three plus various campuses, glass doors, and being surrounded by professionals adorned in business suits, heels, or finely pressed clothes.  I was then brought into an interview with three variant individuals (after many attempts at an electronic "summoning" system), one of whom I talked to via phone rather than in-person.  Most of the communication is done either by Web-conferencing or phone which the SLIS program has sufficiently prepped me for!  I lived within an APR (Audio Privacy closed off glass paneled room with electrical outlets, Kleenex, Whiteboards, camping equipment…kidding about the last one but you get the picture) as most individuals do within the company. 

Job Resources for Students

By Sam Leif

If there is one thing on the mind of most students it is getting a job after graduation. There are a number of useful tools to help you find open positions and learn useful tips for everything from your resume to the interview.

ALA JobLIST

The American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries teamed up to create a useful list of job openings. They allow searching by keyword, city, state, job/library type and more. They also provide a useful feature of identifying which institutions will be at the upcoming conferences so you can network in person if you are also attending.
Don’t Miss: The Facebook group, on which they are constantly sharing links to blogs and career resources that offer guidance and help for every topic that can be connected with employment.

SLIS Career Development

The SLIS website actually has a very developed career development section. In fact, we even have our own career counselor Jill Klees. The website has a thorough PDF file of emerging trends and skills employers are expecting and many resources on how to network. They have tips for writing your resume, cover letter or curriculum vitae. They have run a series of workshops that are available for viewing on topics from prison librarianship to life after MLIS.
Don’t Miss: Perfect Interview. This awesome software has a bank of interview questions for you to ponder, and an option to see what employers might want to hear as a response. This tool is easy to use and very useful.

SJSU SLIS ALASC’s Tour of the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum

By Alison Leonard

In April, John Jackson, ALA Student Chapter Program Coordinator, organized a tour for San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science American Library Association Student Chapter (SJSU SLIS ALASC) of the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, California.

The Nixon Library contains over 50 million documents relating to Nixon's time in office, consisting of more than 500,000 photographs, 700 hours of film, over 4,000 hours of "off air" video recordings, and 4,469 audio recordings, including the infamous "Nixon White House tapes." Additional information on the collection is available on the Library's website.

The tour was led by Dr. Gregory Cumming, Supervisory Archivist for the Nixon Library. Greg has formerly worked in the archives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation.  The Nixon Library requires that all archivists be experts in certain periods of time in history. Greg’s expertise is in post-World War II American history.  The Library encourages their archivists to develop one-on-one relationships with researchers in order to assist them. Therefore, Greg has formed many professional relationships.

Thinking Outside the Box: An Interview with Government Librarian Wendy Reynolds

By Stacey Nordlund

Earlier this year, I attended a conference at which SLIS director Sandy Hirsh spoke to the importance of thinking broadly about the skills we develop throughout the MLIS program.  Many SLIS graduates are taking advantage of opportunities outside of the library realm because our skills are transferable to so many types of environments. Hirsh’s presentation included a pertinent quote from well-known librarian Stephen Abram: “LIS skills are good currency in this world – but only for those with the flexibility and insight to exploit the opportunities.”

With this in mind, I have been conducting informational interviews with librarians working outside of the traditional public, academic, and school library spheres. One librarian I recently chatted with, Wendy Reynolds, is a government librarian in Toronto, Ontario. She kindly took the time to answer a few questions – on a weekend, no less! – about her work and her thoughts on librarianship in general. Wendy is the Manager of Library Client Services at the Ontario Legislative Library, an organization which serves as a resource for the elected Members of Provincial Parliament who serve in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Welcome to the March 2011 SLIS Descriptor!

Kick off your spring break with an all-new issue of SLIS Descriptor!

Are you anxious about upcoming annual conferences? Interested in exploring LIS careers? Do you need a break from all your academic reading? This issue has something for you:

• Jamie Renton fills us in on some exciting ALASC news on "An Update from our ALASC Chair." Catch up on a recording of "Making the Most of Your ALASC Membership" and do some shopping at the newly updated Cafe Press Store.

• Interested in federal librarianship and looking for ALA travel funding? Julie K. Williams shares her experiences as an FAFLRT travel scholarship winner in "Travel Scholarships for Upcoming Federal Librarians". Remember to apply before the April 15th deadline.

• Interested in the various opportunities in medical librarianship? Linda Thuy Nguyen provides her insight in "Breaking into the Medical Librarianship Field." 

• Stacey Nordlund writes about her experiences at the Ontario Library Super Conference 2011, the largest library conference in Canada. Get an insider's look at the Canadian LIS landscape and learn some valuable tips to prepare you for a large library conference in "Where's the Coffee? Experiencing the Ontario Library Association Super Conference."

• Leigh Schaffer and Sukena F. Taibjee highlight important topics in information literacy, cataloging and diversity in "Chinese American Librarians Association - Southern California Chapter".

• R. Schuyler Selden offers an artistic glimpse into the world of an SJSU Special Collections employee through a collection of work-inspired Poetry.

 New SLIS social networks are now available in Canada and the United States East Coast! Please visit SLIS Networks page to find out more. If you don't see a group for your region, start one and e-mail the editor to have it included.

Cheers,
Joni Savage
SLIS Descriptor Editor, 2010-2011
ALASC

An Update from our ALASC Chair

Hello fellow SLIS’ers!

 I hope everyone is having a great semester!

The ALASC has had an exciting last two months!  On February 22nd, we hosted “Making the Most of Your ALA Membership” in Elluminate.  If you missed it, the recording is available at https://nexus.sjsu.edu/play_recording.html?recordingId=1267553021365_1298422898945 and the password is “success”. 

We have also added a lot of really great items to our Cafe Press ALASC store at http://www.cafepress.com/alasc.

Would you like to contribute to the success of our school and to the library profession?  If so, please consider running for an ALASC officer position.  Elections will be held in Angel in April and results will be announced via slisadmin. The positions available are:  Chair, Co-Chair/Webmaster, Program Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Secretary/Archivist, and Treasurer.  Descriptions of each position are available on the ALASC website at http://slisgroups.sjsu.edu/alasc/about.shtml.

If you have any questions, please email Jamie Renton at sjsualasc@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Jamie Renton
ALASC Chair
2010-2011

Travel Scholarships for Upcoming Federal Librarians

by Julie K. Williams
ALASC Treasurer
2010-2011

Planning to attend ALA Annual, but short on cash? Have an interest in Federal Librarianship? Good news! The ALA's Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table (FAFLRT) offers two student awards to defray the cost of attending the annual conference. Applications for the 2011 awards are being accepted until April 15, 2011.

Julie K. Williams received the Adelaide del Frate conference sponsorship award last year. It was a great assistance to the cost of attending ALA Annual, as well as an excellent introduction to the amazing librarians in FAFLRT.

Information about the Adelaide del Frate $1000 conference sponsorship and the Cicely Phippen Marks $1500 scholarship awards are at: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/faflrt/initiatives/awards/index.cfm. Note that three SJSU students have received the conference sponsorship!

Breaking into the Medical Librarianship Field

By Linda Thuy Nguyen

Are you considering medical librarianship as a possible career choice after graduation? San Jose State University library school students and graduates who are interested in medical librarianship have the option to work in all kinds of settings. They can work in a hospital, academic medical center, clinics, colleges, consumer health resources centers, health information center, government agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and many others. For those who are thinking about entering medical librarianship, I would like to provide you five simple tips to help you enter this specific field.

1. Take advantage of SJSU databases
As a current SJSU student, you have unlimited access to all the databases. If you are interested in learning more about the different SJSU health databases, you can explore the PubMed database. In addition, you can try CINAHL, which is a database focused on the nursing profession.   There are many other health databases in the SJSU library’s website, so take advantage of them before graduating! Getting training in Dialog could be useful, as they contain numerous health databases, such as Gale Group Health & Wellness Database. As a library school student, you can get access to Dialog by taking the online searching (library 244) class. If you already graduated from library school, you can always enroll in classes at a community college and get access to some health databases.

Where's the Coffee? Experiencing the Ontario Library Association Super Conference

By Stacey Nordlund

You’ve probably heard it a million times: one of the key elements of developing your career path as an information professional is networking, networking, networking.  And what better way to network than to attend a professional conference with thousands of other librarians?

That’s exactly what I did in February when I attended the Ontario Library Association’s (OLA) Super Conference 2011 in Toronto, Ontario.  This four-day event is the largest library conference in Canada, and information professionals from across Canada – and even from the U.S. – trekked into the city to attend despite the sudden snowstorm and frigid temperatures.  Because the population in Canada is widely spread out over a large land mass, the annual Ontario Library Association conference is a unique opportunity for librarians from across the country to interact and share ideas in person.  As an added bonus, out-of-towners get to spend some time experiencing the culture and sights of the largest and most diverse city in Canada.

Chinese American Librarians Association - Southern California Chapter

by Leigh Schaffer and Sukena Taibjee

Photo taken by Mitsu (Eric) Kimura

Visionary planning, empowerment of Chinese students with information literacy skills, Resource Description and Access (RDA) and e-libraries were some of the topics presented at the recent CALA-SCA Annual Conference. 

The conference was held February 4, 2011 at the Ikeda Library at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California.  Presenters came from institutions across Southern California: California State University San Bernardino, California State University Los Angeles, Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library, University of Southern California, University of California Riverside, University of California San Diego, and California State University Fullerton.  The conference was organized and moderated by CALA-SCA President Joy Wang, Cataloging Librarian at Ikeda Library.

Poetry

by R. Schuyler Selden

SJSU Special Collections Mantra

Preservation

Conservation

Digitization

Organization

APA consternation

XML frustration

Validation

Elation

Editorial recrimination

Editor placation

Culmination;

OAC publication

FileMaker Pro

FileMaker Pro!

Why do you not show,

New people, even though

I typed the names twice, with agility?!

Your auto redacts

Of our new contacts

Only detracts

From your usability.

Reading Room

Q-Can you make me copies?

A-Ten percent, just ten percent.

Q-Can I look at old floppies?

A-No, no precedent.

Q-Can I munch upon my snacks?

A-No, no food or drink.

Q-Can I visit in the stacks?

A-Now what the *#@!* you think?

---

R. Schuyler Selden is in his last semester of the MLIS program. He lives, works, dreams and writes in San Jose. These poems were the result of on the job inspiration while working at the San Jose State University Special Collections department. FileMaker Pro is the software that they try to get to work when checking materials out.

Welcome to the January 2011 SLIS Descriptor!

Welcome to a new year, new semester and an all-new January 2011 issue of SLIS Descriptor!

This issue takes the "distance" out of "distance program."  This issue offers ideas and encouragement for new and returning students on how to connect with other students and professionals. 

Jamie Renton kicks us off with upcoming events in our ALASC update. Find out what ALASC has in store for us and how you can participate.

John Jackson introduces us to ways of building, reshaping and connnecting with online communities beyond the confines of the classroom in "Getting the Most Out of Graduate School: Building Communities Online." Are you connected?  Please share your ideas, questions and experiences.

Andrew Carlos proves that it is never too early to be a library innovator. In "Meet and Greet: The California Library Association Conference", he navigates us through the intimidating world of professional library conferences, and ways to contribute as a student.  What are your memorable library conference experiences? Are you attending one this year and need some advice? Please do not hesitate to share!

Lastly, if you have not yet networked with other students in your area, visit the "SLIS Networks" at the top of this page. If you do not see a network in your area, create one and e-mail the editor at alasc[dot]descriptor[at]yahoo[dot]com to include it on the list.

Sincerely,

Joni Savage

2010-2011 Editor

SJSU ALASC SLIS Descriptor

An Update From Our ALASC Chair

Welcome to the Spring, 2011 semester! 

The SJSU SLIS ALASC is hoping to help you get off to a great start to this semester.  On  Tuesday, February 22nd, from 6:00-7:30 pm PST,  we will be hosting an Elluminate event called “Making the Most of Your ALA Membership”.  We will have four very distinguished panelists who will give us great ideas on how to get the most out of your ALA membership.  

We have other exciting events planned and will post those to our Facebook wall, our Twitter account and also to SJSU SLIS list serves as more information becomes available. Please connect with us through the following links for more ALASC updates:

ALASC blog:  http://slisgroups.sjsu.edu/alasc/index.html
ALASC on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/alasc
ALASC on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/ALASC

Even though April may seem like a ways off, it will be here before we know it.  ALASC officer elections will be held towards the end of April.  It’s not too early for you to begin thinking about which officer position you would like to run for:  Chair, Co-Chair/Webmaster, Program Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Treasurer or Secretary.  Holding an officer position is a great way to give back to our school and to help make it become what you think it should become.

Good luck to everyone with the beginning of the semester!

Jamie Renton

Chair, 2010-2011

Meet and Greet: The California Library Association Conference

By Andrew Carlos

Every year, California librarians converge in one location to browse aisles of new library-related products, hear about new developments in the library world and share ideas with their colleagues. This past year, the California Library Association (CLA) Conference was held in Sacramento and I had the opportunity to attend and present.

One of the best things about attending a conference is learning new ideas from innovators in the library world. Even better is to be one of these innovators. I had the chance to present a poster session that would be viewable for the duration of the exhibition hall. The session was focused on technology and education: using mobile apps for education. With the wide variety of applications out there, I highlighted the ones that were useful for students: information retrieval apps and productivity apps. The session was very well received and many attendees were surprised that each of the apps were ones that I use in my everyday life.

Getting the Most Out of Graduate School: Building Communities Online

by John M. Jackson

Before I started the SLIS program at San Jose State, I was a graduate student in the English Department at the University of Virginia. It was a traditional program in the sense that all my courses were held in physical locations at specific times during the week. Despite all the hours I spent in the classroom, the most beneficial learning experiences rarely occurred in front of a blackboard or behind a computer terminal. No, the most innovative ideas, the most compelling discussions, and the most exploratory debates always took place in casual settings: a friend's home, a local pub, or on a walk between campus buildings. The mind can discover some remarkable things when moved beyond the pressures of the classroom and the compulsion to perform. All it requires is space in which to play and other minds with which to engage. As students in an online program that favors asynchronous communication and lacks a physical, communal space, how can we recreate these experiences?