How Online Education Fosters Multinational Community with Marilyn White 

Marilyn White (MLIS ’27) is an international student in the iSchool and works as a school librarian in Abu Dhabi.

“A global student body significantly enhances the skills of MLIS students by providing diverse perspectives, fostering global awareness, building essential professional skills, and preparing students for the multicultural environments they are likely to encounter in their careers.”

International Student Experience

Among the many strengths of the iSchool’s academic experience, the virtual learning environment fosters a truly international student body, enabling students and faculty from around the world to connect, learn from one another, and pursue their career goals no matter where they are based. Marilyn White, a school librarian at a private K-12 academy in Abu Dhabi and a current student in the San Jose State University MLIS program, exemplifies this international learning community. 

Ms. White comes to the program with a B.Ed in School Leadership from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica and many years of experience working as a teacher librarian before moving to the UAE and accepting her current position.

As she pursues her degree, Ms. White continues to develop her expertise in school librarianship and enhance her skills in library leadership. Returning to school for her Master’s degree while balancing a full-time job and personal responsibilities was no easy transition, but she credits iSchool resources, such as the Online Learning Tools and Strategies for Success course, with helping her navigate the program and adapt to the virtual learning environment. 

SJSU’s MLIS program was a natural choice for her as she pursued an advanced degree. “As an international student,” she says, the program offers “necessary courses, expert lecturers, support staff and flexibility.” And she is enthusiastic about the learning environment and community: “A global student body significantly enhances the skills of MLIS students,” she explains, “preparing students for the multicultural environments they are likely to encounter in their careers.” 

The iSchool’s commitment to creating an academic and professional community that spans the globe improves the educational experience “by providing diverse perspectives, fostering global awareness [and] building essential professional skills.”

Simultaneously, her experience has taught her that even across regions and contexts, “we have more commonalities than differences.” She points to unifying experiences and concerns, including addressing literacy gaps, developing advocacy and outreach strategies to support LIS institutions, and addressing the impact of new technologies such as Generative AI.

Presenting at Sharjah International Library Conference

In November, Ms White attended the Sharjah International Library Conference in Sharjah, UAE, where she presented a poster about her school’s Summer Reading challenge initiative for students. The poster, entitled “Read, Reflect, Reward!” showcased her library’s Summer 2025 efforts to encourage student reading during summer break. Building on the experience of students and teachers noticing “summer slide” in reading comprehension and literacy, Ms. White and her colleagues designed both digital and print outreach materials and engagement activities, with a particular emphasis on engaging fourth-grade students. The program culminated various celebratory activities, such as “Book Buddy” cards and celebratory posters, when students returned to school in the fall.

She credits the initiative’s success to the “disciplined and iterative approach” she and her colleagues took in designing the program, based on “frank discussion with team members and colleagues,” as well as thorough evaluation processes to inform future projects.

Learning from Leaders – the Future of Library Work

In addition to her experience as a presenter, Ms. White values the conference experience for the opportunity to learn from other professionals’ work and build relationships with LIS colleagues from around the world. She welcomes the chance to “share best practices, challenges and opportunities pertinent to LIS” and also make connections with fellow “expat educators,” particularly those working in the Middle East. 

The 2025 Sharjah International Library Conferencefeatured standout presentations from LIS leaders – including SJSU’s own Dr. Sandra Hirsh who gave the keynote address: “Library 2035: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path Ahead.”

The impact on AI was top of mind for conference participants and was the focus of many speaker presentations, which spoke to AI in school library contexts. For Ms White, the main takeaway that these perspectives clarify is recognising a “critical need for LIS professionals, including school librarians, to build supportive and effective communities while leveraging AI ethically and effectively.” 

And crucially, these collaborations should be occurring across contexts, specialities, and modalities. “It is imperative that we equip ourselves through formal options, such as higher education and conferences” as well as “professional learning communities and self-directed learning.”

Lessons for School Librarians

Reflecting on both her professional experience and insights gleaned during the SILC, Ms. White advises her fellow MLIS students and school librarians to recognise that “small wins count.” In the context of her library’s summer reading initiative, she highlights that seemingly little investments, such as prizes and acknowledgements, can make a huge difference in boosting student morale and enthusiasm. 

“Every time I answered questions about the poster or gave a brief summary,” noted White, “I emphasized how exciting and gratifying my experience was.” She reflects that when students met their reading goals, “classmates enthusiastically cheered them on – and some promised to participate in the next challenge.”

It can be easy, she realizes, to “get caught up in ‘busyness’ and sometimes disappointment,” especially when, inevitably, some initiatives fall short of expectations. By focusing on opportunities for reflection, collaboration and reiteration, every project can become a meaningful learning opportunity and a chance for professional growth.

A Lifetime of Library Joy with Mychal Threets 

Librarian Mychal Threets smiling and wearing a t-shirt that reads “Bans Off Our Books"

“I love libraries. I owe libraries everything. I’m alive today because of library people.”

Mychal Threets (MLIS ’18) is a librarian, author, and the new host of Reading Rainbow.

Long before he became a viral voice for libraries – before the TikTok followers, national speaking tours and hosting the reboot of Reading Rainbow – Mychal Threets was your quintessential library kid.

Homeschooled throughout his youth, Threets spent much of his childhood in public libraries — a constant, comforting presence that shaped his sense of belonging. “Libraries were always a home away from home,” he says. “For me, that’s ultimately what led to me choosing libraries as a career, as a pathway.”

His professional path into librarianship began as a shelver for his local library in Solano County, CA, where he continued to work while earning his MLIS from San Jose State with a concentration in Youth Services. He knew from early in his career that he wanted to work with kids, and also that he enjoyed doing library outreach. Through his work, he strove to raise awareness about library programs and instill in young people the same sense of safety and possibility that libraries had given him.

An Online Champion for Libraries

Threets is widely known for his personal TikToks, which he started filming during the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, but he had been doing social media and online marketing for his library long before that. His skills were crucial for raising public awareness about the library services still available during the lockdown. The community “didn’t know that we had musical instrument collections, board game collections, video game collections – all these things to help them with their loneliness, with the isolation.”

Spreading the word about libraries quickly spilled over from his professional world and into his personal TikTok account, where he began posting regularly about literacy, books, library resources and finding community through a love of reading.

Threets always viewed social media more as a tool for library workers than a replacement or substitute for library spaces. Whether posting on his own account or on behalf of the library, “going viral is not the point,” he stresses. “The point is to get the information out there,” and encourage the community to come to the library and engage with library programs. 

Advocating for Literacy and Freedom to Read

Threets’ enthusiasm for libraries and passion for celebrating the LIS community motivate his work as a vocal advocate for libraries and the people who keep them running. From championing library services on social media to speaking out against book bans, Threets uses his platform to defend the freedom to read — and to remind the public that libraries are for everyone. 

“I get to talk to New York Library people, Arkansas Library people, Texas Library people, Florida Library people, and on and on, and just amplify the wonderful things that they’re doing,” he says. 

Librarian Mychal Threets sitting and reading a picture book to a small child.

From his time as a librarian to his new role on TV, Threets has always loved working with youth.

The Joy of Working with Kids

Even as his advocacy work and public profile have expanded, Threets has never forgotten his first passion: working with youth. “Once a children’s librarian, always a children’s librarian,” he says.

Remembering his years working with young children, Threets insists that “I learned from those library kids way more than they ever learned from me.” Children’s openness—the way they name what they feel and find comfort in doing so—reminds him that libraries are spaces where emotions, questions, and wonder all belong. “Kids still have their worries and struggles, but they’re not jaded like adults. They notice the little things”

During storytimes, which he hosted several times a week, Threets encouraged participation and curiosity by allowing kids to interrupt and ask questions – even if he was in the middle of reading. “If a kid wants to engage, it means they’re paying attention. It means they’re interested,” he explains. “Let’s embrace that.”  

Bringing His Worlds Together – Reading Rainbow and Beyond

As the new host of Reading Rainbow, Threets has the opportunity to share and combine his passions on a national stage. The show is an incredible platform for simultaneously teaching key literacy skills, demystifying the library experience, and engaging young audiences with important issues such as intellectual freedom and equity. 

His experience as a youth librarian has taught him not to shy away from engaging kids in big and sometimes heavy topics. In fact, some of the most inspiring activists he has met have been kids: “I’ve been on panels with kids talking about banned books [and] fighting for their right to read,” he shares. “They’re just so powerful, and they care so much. […] kids are spreading the word. They’re telling their classmates” to fight censorship. 

Threets is also excited for the upcoming release of his picture book, “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” (Random House, 2026), illustrated by Lorraine Nam.  One of several book projects in the works, the story centers on the bond between a young kid and a friendly, welcoming librarian, teaching kids practical skills such as how to get a library card while also encouraging a love of books and reading.

Advice for Early Career Librarians

To current MLIS students, Threets offers practical advice to get their start in the LIS field. While finding one’s professional footing can be trying, Threets reminds students that the only place to start is at the beginning: by getting a foot in the door through an entry-level job or volunteer work. Not only can this open doors to opportunities for progressing up the ranks of library work, it is also an invaluable learning time and a chance to explore different interest areas.

As an iSchool alum, Threets also speaks directly to the student experience – Although he himself sped through the Master’s program, he advises other students not to follow his lead but rather to concentrate on using their time in school to focus on enjoying their learning and making strong connections with their peers. 

“Library people are always reliant on one another,” he says – and school is a crucial time to start building those relationships.

Harnessing the Power of Community with Ayush Sunil Gawai

“SJSU is where I learned that growth is communal, every achievement here is shared.”

Ayush Sunil Gawai, a first-semester graduate student in Applied Data Intelligence at San José State University, is a dynamic professional and engaged student with a passion for building community in the tech world. A recipient of the Global Spartan Scholarship, Ayush’s work focuses on data engineering, AI, and automation – building intelligent systems that bridge people, processes, and technology.

Prior to coming to the U.S., Ayush got a Master’s degree in Computer Applications (MCA) from Shri Ramdeobaba Kamla Nehru Engineering College in India and worked in data engineering, analytics and AI systems. He also founded the online marketplace Sneakstore.in – igniting an interest in business development, marketing and social media. 

Wanting to further develop his acumen as a start-up founder and interdisciplinary professional, Ayush was drawn to SJSU’s graduate program because of its extensive research opportunities, strong academics and roots in Silicon Valley. This combination of intellectual rigor and industry alignment sets SJSU apart: “The best thing about San José State,” he says, is “that they are constantly updating the program” to align with industry trends, new research methods, and the most up-to-date academic standards. 

Expanding Opportunities Through Networking

But the most important thing he has learned since coming to SJSU is the power of networking, and he is always eager to attend events, such as public panels and social mixers, that speak to his interests and goals. He has never regretted pursuing an opportunity to connect with other students and professionals, because every event is an opportunity for learning and meeting new people. Plus, he says, he gains valuable insights and connections that “I couldn’t have gotten from ChatGPT and the Internet.” 

Networking has also led Ayush to exciting opportunities. In addition to his studies, Ayush is a Graduate Research Assistant under Professor Guannan Liu – a position he received after meeting Dr. Liu and a Women in Data Science event, where she presented her work studying Human Machine Intelligent Systems. This position is giving him valuable insight that complements his industry experience. “Research has taught me to appreciate the process, not just the outcomes,” he says, because “every iteration is a lesson.”

Compounding Experience with Curiosity

Ayush has been invited to present at events such as a recent CIDS strategy retreat.

When it comes to getting involved, Ayush’s philosophy is to turn “curiosity into contribution.” If he is interested in a skill, topic or opportunity, he seeks avenues for putting his skills to use. Recently, he accepted a position as a Graduate Student Assistant for Social Media and Outreach with the College of Information, Data and Society (CIDS), where he combines his passion for networking with his creative skills in graphic design to promote CIDS events and opportunities.

He is active in the tech world off-campus as well. In October, he applied and was accepted as a participant in CalHacks 12.0, an annual Hackathon and technology expo – the world’s largest at the collegiate level. This, too, was a lesson in community-building and networking. As a solo participant, he says, “I went alone, no plan, no team.” But he was eager to learn and open to new connections and “came back with collaborators, mentors, and direction.”

Ayush’s enthusiasm and dedication have not gone unnoticed; Ayush was recently invited by Dr. Mehrdad Aliasgari, Dean of CIDS, to represent students at a department-wide retreat discussing the future of CIDS curriculum and how the College can implement best practices around key issues such as AI and data ethics. 

The retreat allowed Ayush to contribute to key conversations about how the CIDS community, and SJSU as a whole, should navigate a rapidly changing social and technological landscape. By bringing together students, faculty and staff, the retreat exemplified intergenerational and interdisciplinary community-building and problem-solving – a perfect representation of Ayush’s graduate school experience: “SJSU is where I learned that growth is communal, every achievement here is shared.”

Advice for Students 

By balancing academic rigor, professional endeavors and community engagement, Ayush demonstrates how students can make the most of their SJSU experience. His advice for other students? “Be focused, be consistent and try to be involved everywhere. Recognize that every new experience and relationship is a learning opportunity and a chance for growth: personally and professionally. “Every opportunity I’ve had,” he reflects, “came from being involved, staying curious and showing up.”

The Importance of Student Perspectives in Leadership

I get to put in work that positively impacts people – That’s something I’m really proud to be contributing to.” – Isheah Al-Sumairi

The College of Information, Data and Society (IDS) Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities (RSCA) Committee recently appointed two student representatives from the iSchool to join in the Committee’s crucial work developing and enhancing IDS education. 

Isheah Al-Sumairi is an undergraduate student majoring in Information Science and Data Analytics (ISDA). Currently in her final year of the program, she values the BA-ISDA for its dual emphasis on technical skills and critical thinking – enabling students to build professional competencies that are well grounded in ethical imperatives such as mitigating bias and centering accessibility. Al-Sumairi is excited to join the Committee and help encourage strong relationships between undergraduate students and faculty.

A headshot of Jessica Toth in a black blouse against a grey background

Jessica Toth, MLIS student (expected graduation 2027) and RSCA Advisory Committee Member

Jessica Toth is earning her Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS), specifically following the Information Organization pathway. Toth comes to the LIS with a previous M.S. in Public Health and a professional background in User Experience (UX) research. She excitedly notes that an MLIS will “help me bolster what I already bring to the industry.” The MLIS will further expand her ability to help companies navigate an information landscape in which the volume of data to manage, analyze and utilize is growing exponentially and at a breakneck pace. Toth is glad to join the RSCA, where “the student voice is very much appreciated’’ and as a Committee member, she has the opportunity to contribute her expertise in service to her learning community.

The RSCA Committee is an interdisciplinary team that includes representatives from both the iSchool and the Applied Data Science departments – a crossover that speaks to both students’ interests in studying data analytics and information management through a holistic lens. Members are tasked with keeping their finger on the pulse of the interests and needs of the IDS community, ensuring that leadership can make informed and timely decisions about professional development, research and outreach needs. 

The RSCA has not always had student representation, but according to Professor Virginia Tucker, who chairs the Committee, having a student perspective is hugely impactful. 

Last year was the first time we had a student member and their ideas provided valuable insights to our work,” shared Dr. Tucker. 

And, because she and Al-Sumairi represent such different student experiences, Toth believes their presence on the Committee provides an important balance of perspectives, noting:

Between the two of us, we are bringing together a diversity of the student voice.” 

Isheah Al-Sumairi, BA-ISDA (expected graduation May 2026) and RSCA Advisory Committee Member

Participating in the RSCA Committee not only creates opportunities for dialogue and collaboration with faculty but also gives students the chance to apply their learning to practical, impactful projects that benefit the entire IDS community. Al-Sumairi, for instance, is excited to be helping refine the Committee’s annual RSCA Metrics survey, a vital assessment tool, to increase accessibility and enhance engagement.

Elevating Student Research Via the Online Student Research Conference 

Another of the RSCA’s major projects is to host the annual Online Student Research Conference, a campus-wide event for elevating student research projects and initiatives. Al-Sumairi and Toth are both eager to participate in helping to plan and execute the 2026 conference, planned for March 3, 2026.

For Al-Sumairi, who participated in the conference last year as a student researcher, the opportunity represents a “full-circle moment.” For her, the research and presentation experience was deeply rewarding, and she is excited to help other students through the process. Al-Sumairi’s presentation, “Ye Talim: Social Engineering and Gen Z Arab Americans (2025)” explored the implications of social engineering tactics on the field of human-centered cybersecurity, paying particular attention to the susceptibility of Gen Z Arab Americans to certain modes of behavioral coercion in online environments. This is just one example of the breadth of research being pursued by College of IDS students. 

As the conference demonstrates, sharing the value and impact of IDS research is at the heart of the RSCA Committee’s mandate. On November 13, Toth had the opportunity to moderate a public panel discussion featuring several faculty members speaking about the mutual relationship between their research and teaching practices. She says she enjoys working on the Committee because it enables her to contribute her skills in project management while also “getting a bigger perspective” about the field of Information Science and all the opportunities her MLIS degree will enable.

The ability to explore career paths and academic interests while contributing to her community is equally valuable to Al-Sumairi. “I’m thriving being in a space where they won’t make you feel little for asking a question,” she says, “they’re very supportive.” 

Championing Data Literacy with PhD Candidate Andrea Medina-Smith

A headshot of Andrea Medina-Smith

Andrea Medina-Smith PhD (Expected completion by 2027), Baltimore, MD

“Being open-minded about where you can use your skills and how you can use your skills has really helped me through my career.”

Andrea Medina-Smith is a PhD Candidate in the School of Information’s Gateway program and the Executive Editor of Sage Data. She was recently a featured speaker at SJSU’s Open Access Summit. 

The event’s theme, “Defend Research, Defend Open Access,” aligned with Ms. Medina-Smith’s professional interests and research focus. Her in-progress dissertation examines the outcomes of legislative efforts to make federal data open-access. Looking particularly at the 2013 Holdren Memo and the Office of Management and Budget’s M13-13, which articulated unprecedented goals for open-access to federal data, she is interested in when and how federal data is being used.

The research draws from over a decade of experience as a data librarian at the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In alignment with the policy push, NIST sought to both follow through on its open-access objectives with its own datasets and also encourage the utilization of federal data for research through outreach and engagement initiatives.

Navigating Challenges in Federal Data and Policy

Her work at NIST motivated her pursuit of a PhD and continues to inform her dissertation research. Overall, she says, “we still need time” to evaluate when and how federal data is being used, particularly regarding policy evaluation. However, her findings already elucidate important issues for LIS professionals – for instance, inconsistency in citation methods and adherence has led to what she believes is a significant undercount in how often federal data sets have been utilized. 

She is also concerned that the current Trump administration’s vitriol towards scientists and academics has put all these initiatives in a “holding pattern,” if not cut them altogether. Even existing data is at risk, as staffing and budget cuts continue to imperil collection and maintenance. “Work that is being done by universities and groups like the Data Rescue Project are essential,” she says, for saving and safeguarding federal data.

Integrating Feminist Perspectives into Open Science

In addition to being a champion of open access, Medina-Smith has demonstrated her commitment to ethical research methodologies through her professional writing and outreach.  Earlier this year, she contributed a research guide, How Feminist is Your Open Data?, to Sage Research Methods’ data literacy library – a vital resource for students and researchers. 

The article demonstrates a weaving together of feminist principles and Open Science best-practices, highlighting how a feminist approach to data science illuminates best practices for all researchers by putting key issues such as accessibility, inclusion, transparency and pluralism at the fore and insisting on challenging hierarchical approaches in data collection and research methods.

“Science tries to be neutral,” she says, “but the people who are actually doing the research are not neutral. So how do we talk about those things? How does that tension show up?” She urges researchers to think about this tangibly: “Who are you bringing into the lab? What questions is everyone being allowed to ask” both of each other, and of the data?

Leading Sage Data into a New Era

Now in the first year of her tenure as Executive Editor for Sage Data, Medina-Smith is bringing her combined expertise in applied data and research ethics to help guide the organization in a new direction. 

When the product that became Sage Data began in the 1990s the resource library and functionalities were revolutionary – But now that access is the norm, and Sage is pivoting to meet new needs. “We are repositioning ourselves,” she explains, and are focused on developing Sage into “a place for students to learn how to use data responsibly and ethically, and how to ask questions of data.”

Like most LIS professionals, Ms. Medina-Smith and her team at Sage are thinking critically about the impact of AI technology on their own work and on the field more broadly. But, she says, she has rarely found herself utilizing AI in her work. At Sage, the entire company is “being very deliberate with each product that we’re thinking of putting AI into.” That means considering the adoption ”not only from a business side” but also asking “does this actually help a student? Does this actually help a user?” 

A Career Built on Adaptability and Purpose

Medina-Smith exemplifies a multi-disciplinary professional – her career spans public and private sectors, requires both technical knowledge and grounded ethical commitments, and is now geared towards developing innovative approaches to data literacy. “Really being open-minded about where you can use your skills and how you can use your skills has really helped me through my career,” she reflects. 

Even when her own path has taken unexpected turns and required pivoting at difficult moments, she has learned to bring her strengths and values to every role – and in moments of uncertainty or change, she reminds her colleagues to “see how your experience and knowledge is really transferable.”