Get involved! Joining a student organization is a great way to connect with peers and build relationships outside of the classroom. All School of Information Sciences students are invited to become involved with our student-led groups as well as local and international professional associations.

Most SIS student organization meetings are virtual (via MS Teams or Zoom) and held monthly. Meeting dates and times are shared via the SISINF student listserv and on social media. All students are invited to attend meetings with no obligation to join.  
 

Click on the video to learn more about the SIS student orgs and hear from representatives from the WSU student chapters of the American Library Association, National Digital Stewardship Alliance, Society of American Archivists, Future Librarians for Inclusivity and Diversity and The Information Warrior Student Journal Committee.

Active Student Organizations

American Library Association (ALA)

The mission of the WSU student chapter of ALA is: to facilitate and encourage participation in the ALA; to increase the awareness and use of resources of the ALA, including publications, promotional materials, scholarships, and conferences; to provide a local forum for the exchange of ideas and information about trends, issues, and opportunities in the profession; to develop skills and relationships that will enable students to have a creative impact on the profession; to promote involvement in professional activities; and to increase awareness of the national issues on Library and Information Science.

Follow the group on Facebook and Instagram.

• President: Kirsten Cessna
• Vice President: Erin Quada
• Secretary: Amie Fuentes
• Treasurer: VACANT
• Social Media: Kelsey Rudy
• Historian: VACANT
• Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christine D'Arpa

"Student organizations and clubs will be your best resource going through the program, and joining doesn't have to be a huge commitment. It is often just showing up to one hour-long Zoom meeting a month during the school year. The meetings are often full of really helpful content, like talks on how to present at conferences." – SIS student Grace Moore

Future Librarians for Inclusivity and Diversity (FLID)

This purpose shall be effectuated through promoting awareness by organizing on and off-campus events (social, educational or otherwise) for SIS students to learn about, exchange ideas, and perhaps resolve issues surrounding diversity and inclusion in LIS.

Follow the group on Facebook and Instagram.

• President: Selena Aguilera
• Vice President: Amie Fuentes
• Secretary: Tori Robinson
• Social Media Coordinator: Grace Moore
• Volunteer Coordinator: Autumn Anderson
• Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kafi Kumasi

"The highlight of my time in the program was working with FLID. I got to meet amazing people who care about the things that I care about. I know I'll maintain relationships with my fellow officers long after I graduate." – Selena Aguilera, MLIS 2022, FLID past president

 

National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)

The National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) has agreed to partner with Wayne State University's School of Information Sciences for their first ever student chapter. Students joining this group delve into the issues of Digital Preservation, assist in the development of outreach education for these fragile formats, create educational videos and provide input to the NDSA Wiki. There is also a potential for further research in the arena and assisting to develop standards.

Learn more on the WSU NDSA Student Chapter website and follow the group on Facebook and Twitter. 

• President: Andrew Wilhelme
• Vice President: Kelsey Rudy
• Secretary: Allison Westfall
• Communications Chair: Eric Morgel
• Research Chair: Ginny Schneider
• Faculty Advisor: Kim Schroeder

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"Student organizations provide ample opportunities to work collaboratively – which is often emphasized in this field – and build relationships with fellow students. Taking part in a student organization also allows for students to help each other in the program and provide pathways to possible professional opportunities." – SIS student Robert Browning
 

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Society of American Archivists (SAA)

The Society of American Archivists student chapter strives to enhance the education of students interested in archival studies by providing practical resources, networking opportunities and hands-on events, whether they be tours, workshops or the like. This group is active, dynamic and dedicated to the archival profession. In general we are Master's students in the Library and History programs, but we are all in this field to preserve the present day's records for future generations' use.

Follow the group on Facebook and Instagram. 

• President: Eric Morgel 
• Vice President: Robert Browning
• Secretary: Melissa Ewing 
• Treasurer: Andrew Wilhelme
• Social Media Manager: Grace Moore
• Digital Liaison: Allessandra Liberati
• History Department Liaison: Grace Moore
• Faculty Advisor: Louis Jones

The Information Warrior Student Journal Committee

This is a committee of student volunteers that collaborates with faculty and staff on Information Warrior, a SIS student journal. This publication nurtures and encourages students to publish their research papers and literature reviews. Students who are new to the program and/or academic publishing are encouraged to join.  

Senior Editors:

• Ginny Schneider
• Kirsten Cessna
• Lindsay Pulsipher
• Melissa Moore
• Hannah Grant

Interested volunteers for the digital journal (to be hosted on the libraries' Digital Commons) should contact Faculty Advisor Kim Schroeder at ag1797@wayne.edu. You will be added to the TEAMS site which holds the group's meeting announcements and files. 

"You get to work with a group of people who are interesting and hardworking, and it's just a great time. It's one of the main pieces of advice that I give to the students I work with. I tell them to not just be a member of an organization, but to really get involved and do the work. That's how you get to know people and that's how you become more competitive in the workforce." – Jill Turner, MLIS 2005, past president of the Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association and Metropolitan Detroit Medical Libraries Group  
 

Other Groups

Metropolitan Detroit Medical Library Group (MDMLG)

Members include information professionals and experts, paraprofessionals, and students who work or are interested in biomedical or health sciences libraries or medical informatics. The current membership represents hospital, academic, and special libraries, or resources centers, from Southeastern Michigan and beyond. 

MDMLG now offers a free membership to all School of Information Sciences students! Complete the membership form here to join. 

Students will benefit from:

• Networking with professional health sciences/medical librarians and informationists in the field
• The MDMLG mentoring program
• Employment and internship opportunities
• Annual student scholarships   

Follow the group on Instagram. 

Aspiring Youth and School Librarians

The purpose of ASIS&T is to provide a format for the professional development of information specialists, to promote and further research and its application, and to make these achievements known to the public. ASIS&T is an organization that strives to build bridges between different scholarly disciplines such as research and technology, and information and users.

• President: VACANT
• Vice President: VACANT
• President Elect: VACANT
• Treasurer: VACANT
• Volunteer Coordinator: VACANT
• Secretary: VACANT
• Webmaster: VACANT
• Social Media Specialist: VACANT
• Faculty Advisors: Dr. Tim Bowman