Dr. Anthony Chow

School of Information Director

Good evening, everyone.

This is one of my favorite days of the year.

First and foremost, much thanks to all of you. I'm delighted to say that we are flourishing as a school. Across all graduate programs, admissions were up by 21% for spring 2025, and we by far have one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation. We have an excellent program tonight for you, so I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. So let's get started.

First, a hearty congratulations to all summer and fall 2024 graduates. So all of you family members, loved ones, please join me in celebrating the amazing accomplishment of our 2024 graduates. You've earned it.

As a doctorate student, we had a motivational question we would use for one another when things got tough. We'd ask ourselves, in four years, you'll be four years older anyway, so wouldn't it be better to have a Ph.D.? I'm sure many of you have wondered along the way and asked yourselves that same question, if you could do it. Well, you have. Congratulations. Each of you have done it and arrived at the moment where you have earned a degree that is now permanently part of your journey in life forever.

This semester we have 494 graduates from the iSchool, 433 Master's of Library and Information Science, 7 in Management in Archives and Records, 46 Master's in Informatics, and 8 Bachelor's of Science in Information Science and Data Analytics. As SJSU iSchool alumnus, you are now joining a network of 13,500 alumni in a world that is increasingly more digital. By the summer, we will be well over 14,000 alums.

Your degree as an information specialist empowers you to be a leader in information, librarianship, data, knowledge, access, literacy, etc. While the LIS field is projected to grow 3% over the next decade, which is at the same pace as the average of all occupations, because of recent events, book banning and the attack on intellectual freedom will increase and has already ramped up.

Just this past few weeks, there has been a proposal to close the South Dakota State Library and relieve all state library staff, and Western Illinois University just laid off their library faculty. Furthermore, gen AI, gen AI robots, and XR technologies, virtual mix, and augmented realities will continue to change the landscape of information and how people seek access, interact with, and use information. Sounds scary, doesn't it? In fact, the continued fast-paced evolution of our field is indeed very scary at times.

You, however, are prepared to not only meet these challenges, but to be agile and a leader in this space for others. While none of us have all the answers, you have been taught to think critically, to access quality information, and to continuously improve and learn. Library services and the field of information are actually growing because of digital access. In fact, your School of Information just won a prestigious International Anthem Award for our work in XR technologies, and we can proudly say that the LIS field is taking the lead in using immersive technologies, especially in digital preservation
and storytelling.

As you move forward in your careers, when faced with challenges, I encourage you to be assertive and take the offensive in standing up for intellectual freedom, radical diversity and inclusion, and articulating the value of LIS information services no matter where you are. Furthermore, be confident in your skills and leverage your expertise to enhance and improve information services wherever you are with a focus on equity of access for all. I'm very proud of you, and thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your academic and life journey. You will forever be an SJSU Spartan, and our brand has never been stronger, as recently Wall Street Journal ranked San Jose State the number 4 public university and number 16 overall university in the nation, using three main criteria:

1. Student outcomes, including the time required to repay the net cost of attendance.

2. Learning environment, including learning opportunities, career preparation, quality facilities, and overall satisfaction.

3. Diversity, including inclusion of students from varied backgrounds.

So you should be very proud. In fact, it's because of all of you that we are now ranked so highly. We have an outstanding program for you tonight, including an historical moment in time where we will be calling the names of our graduates for the first time in virtual reality.

Congratulations again. I am so happy for you, and I'm honored that we've had a chance to be part of your journey.