Alumni Spotlight: iSchool Lays the Foundation for Alumna’s Career in Academic Librarianship – Joyce Garczynski MLS ‘09
The foundation for Joyce Garczynski’s, MLS ’09, career in librarianship was built from her experience in the Master of Library Science (MLS) program at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies (iSchool).
The foundation for Joyce Garczynski’s, MLS ’09, career in librarianship was built from her experience in the Master of Library Science (MLS) program at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies (iSchool). After serving as the Civics Project Coordinator for the Annenberg Public Policy Center, Joyce knew she wanted to become a librarian. Her coursework and practical experience gained while pursuing her MLS degree helped solidify the particular skills she wanted to focus on and become an expert in.
“I got my first experiences with library instruction planning and teaching through my iSchool coursework and that proved invaluable to me as an instruction librarian,” Joyce says. “I believe that the hallmark of a good course is when you end up thinking about the course material long after the course is over.”
While looking back on her time at the iSchool, Joyce recalls distinct learning opportunities highlighting the information law and policy course she took with Dr. Paul Jaeger, exploring management issues with Dr. Ping Wang, and learning library instruction methods with Dr. Trudi Hahn, which all proved to be significant turning points in Joyce’s career.
Joyce is currently the Assistant University Librarian for Development & Communications at Towson University’s Albert S. Cook Library. In this role, she teaches journalism students about the research process, manages its social media, and helps raise money for the library. She authored the book, “Fundraising: How to Raise Money for Your Library Using Social Media” and co-authored “Fundraising for Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians” which was published by Rowman & Littlefield in July.
Joyce remains active in the iSchool community serving as an adjunct instructor where she prepares the next generation of information professionals. As advice to those pursuing librarianship, she says, “Take a wide variety of courses because you never know what will spark your interest.” She also recommends anyone looking to pursue a career in academic librarianship should stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and be prepared to speak on them during interviews.
As a mother to seven-year old twin girls, Joyce is passionate about helping other academic librarians navigate parenting and librarianship. Additionally, she enjoys baking delicious brownies and bread in her free time.