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?