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Returning to campus in the fall takes some time to adjust, especially if you’re coming back six hours ahead of everyone because you spent August in Milan, Italy.

Ten students in the Master of Library and Information Science program traveled to Milan to attend the International Federation of Library Associations conference from August 23 to 27. They spent a few weeks before their sojourn in a course called “International Librarianship,” that focused on library and information service in a global society.

“Students spoke to librarians all around the world,” said Claire McInerney, chair of the Library and Information Science department at the School of Communication and Information. “Even if our students never leave the country, chances are they will be working with people in remote locations.” McInerney co-taught the course with instructor Virginia Papandrea.

Because of the nature of their coursework and personal schedules, graduate students don’t typically have as many opportunities to study abroad as undergraduates. The International Librarianship course not only allowed students in the MLIS program to explore Italy’s libraries and meet librarians from around the world; it also introduced them to the academic conference.

“Part of being a professional is knowing how to go to a conference,” McInerney said. “It teaches them how to prepare: how to plan ahead of time, study what they would like to learn about, and really mine the conference so that they get the most out of it that they can.”

Last year, students from Darmstadt, Germany visited the School of Communication and Information as part of an online course. The exchange of ideas with people across the globe is key to stimulating provocative research. “One of the advantages of study abroad is that you gain confidence in yourself and it expands your creativity,” McInerney said.