Two Projects Completed!

Hello Friends,

The past few weeks have been exciting times for our nation and SISCO alike! Obviously, SISCO’s recent projects are colossally less important than the presidential election. Still, we’d like to think we’ve done some pretty good things locally.


On Sunday, November 2nd, a strong showing of SISCO members volunteered at Bookem’. We spent the afternoon arranging books in their library and preparing packages to be shipped across the country.

Then, on November 8th, SISCO teamed up with a group of volunteers from Literacy*AmeriCorps and the community of Millvale to help winterize the future home of the Millvale Library. It was a lot of hard work—boarding up windows and fitting them with insulation, cutting pipes, hammering and sawing down old woodwork—but it was also a lot of fun.

We’d like to thank everyone who has participated in our efforts thus far! We’re currently working on getting our next projects lined up. So, check back soon for more information.

Updates Galore

Hello SISCO Loyalists,

The next few weeks are going to be a busy time for us, which is great news! We have two volunteer opportunities lined up before Thanksgiving. The first, described in the previous post, is a service day with Bookem' (Sunday November 2nd). The second will be a day of volunteering at the Millvale Library(Saturday November 8th). This is an exciting opportunity for students in the LIS program (really in all programs) to help build a library (literally) from the ground up. The Millvale project will entail some renovation work. So, be prepared to get your hands dirty! The Millvale library is also looking for volunteers to help redesign their website. Please contact sisco.pitt@gmail.com if you can help in this regard.

It would be great for us (and for the organizations involved) to know how many people will be attending these events. As such, please RSVP to sisco.pitt@gmail.com if you're planning to come. We'll try to work out transportation to both events over the next week.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday October 29th, from 5-6pm, in IS 522. The goal is to discuss our upcoming projects and hold elections for SISCO officers. The offices available are President, Vice President and Business Manager. Please contact sisco.pitt@gmail.com if you'd like to hear more about these positions.

Finally, Beginning with Books - a local nonprofit focusing on youth literacy- is seeking volunteers to read to children in public libraries. Anyone interested should contact Gloria Townsend. A link to more information can be found on our links tab to the right.

Thanks!!

First SISCO Event

Dear Friends of SISCO, 

Our first event is going to be a volunteer day at Book Em' on Sunday, Nov 2nd from 3-8pm (attendance for all 5 hours is not required).  Book Em' is an organization that collects donated books, which they then send to prisoners across the country.  Volunteering will entail reading requests from prisoners and matching these requests, as closely as possible, with items from Book Em's library.  Book Em' is located at 5125 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224.

Our second event, tentatively scheduled for early November, will involve working with the Millvale Library. Members will have the options of A) helping renovate the library building or B) helping to re-design the library's website.

Thanks to everyone who came out for our second meeting!  Check back soon for more updates.

First Meeting- Recap

I'd like to thank everyone who made it to our first meeting. We had a diverse turnout ranging from undergraduates to PhD students, from LIS to IT. As a group, we produced a number of good ideas for future events:

1. Help local community organizations develop a web-presence.
2. Host a technology fair to help the public learn about computer maintenance and security.
3. Volunteer with local organizations including the Millvale Library and Book Em'.
4. Conduct workshops teaching non-native English speakers about their local libraries.

Our first outreach event is already in the works and is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 18th. I'll post more details as plans finalize over the next few days.

Also, our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th, in SIS 501 from 5-6pm.

FREE PIZZA for all who attend. So, come and bring a friend.

Welcome to SISCO

Dear Students,

Welcome to the SISCO blog. SISCO (School of Information Science Community Outreach) is a new organization for SIS students. SISCO aims to provide opportunities for SIS students to volunteer their talents in and around Pittsburgh. As an organization, our community building initiatives will focus on promoting literacy, information literacy, technological aptitude and access to information.

SISCO membership is open to all students enrolled at SIS. Interested students, or groups with volunteer needs, may contact us via email. Please check the blog for updates related to future SISCO news, meetings and events. Thank you for your interest!