Julia Cuddahy '17 graduated wtih a Master of Library and Information Science with a School Media Specialization and works as a Reference Librarian for the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System, New Jersey.

We met up with Julia for a brief Q & A session. 

How do you think the new Master of Information (MI) program has prepared you for your chosen profession, and how do you think it helped you obtain your current position?

Rutgers University’s alumni connections give students an edge in the job market. The Master of Library and Information Science Program is highly ranked nationally, and the program is well respected in the library community.

In your opinion, what are the top 3 skills you learned from the MI program that make you more qualified in your field?

The program gave me opportunities to learn and practice key skills in the field of Library Science. I learned to embrace technology, while still acknowledging and respecting more traditional learning tools like encyclopedias. The most important lesson I learned was every community’s needs are different.

In your opinion, what are the top 3 benefits of the MI program?

The program teaches you how to take action. I learned how to ask the right questions, who to ask and where to look for resources on a topic. You learn how to be a leader in your community, a friend to your neighbors and a resource in your own right.

Did you attend classes online, on-campus or both in the MI program? What were the positives and/or negatives of your choice of attendance?

I attended both online and on-campus classes. Online classes also gave me the opportunity to pause and watch sections of the lectures over again, which allowed me to work at my own pace. I also really enjoyed the simultaneous discussions of my on-campus classes.