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.