SIS really encourages students to go out and get real-world experience and for that I am grateful. I would say this is what prepared me the most for my career so far.

Maria Nuccilli is a digital collections librarian for the Wayne State University Library System. She graduated in 2017 with a Master of Library and Information Science and a certificate in Information Management.

While pursuing her MLIS, Nuccilli was a Graduate Student Assistant for the WSU Libraries and was a recipient of the Visual Resources Association Foundation Internship Award which provides financial support for graduate students preparing for a career in visual resources and image management. The award funded her internship at Detroit’s Scarab Club in collaboration with the Digital Media Projects Lab at Wayne State.

Q. What was your path to librarianship? Did you always know you wanted to work in libraries, or did you find it as a second (or third) career? 

A. I never considered working in libraries, although my grandma was a school librarian for many years. One of my best friends, Molly Schoen, started her MLIS at SIS when I was still an undergrad at Wayne State. She kept getting to intern at all these cool places, like the Motown Museum! I considered entering the program right after finishing up my BA in English, but decided I needed a break from school. For the next four or five years I worked as the store manager and buyer at this great local resale shop, Regeneration.

When I was accepted into SIS, I took it slow, just taking one or two classes at a time for the first year. During the first year of my MLIS I really had no idea what I wanted to do in libraries. I was a little intimidated by classmates who seemed to have it all figured out. This started to change when I applied for a Graduate Student Assistantship, and to my surprise, received it. I was very lucky to be chosen as a GSA, because it opened my eyes to the possibilities of librarianship. For the first time, I could actually see myself in this line of work. 

Q. What do you love most about your current job?
A. When I was still in school, I decided that my long-term goal as an information professional was to ensure the accessibility and usability of cultural objects, while promoting information literacy and visual scholarship. As Digital Collections Librarian, I get to work toward that goal every day. I feel so lucky!

Q. What do you feel is the most important or surprising thing you've learned about the library and information science profession?
A. I've come to realize how vital they are for the greater good. I always enjoyed libraries, but never gave their societal importance much thought before starting my MLIS.

Q. Do you feel SIS prepared you for your career in the information profession? 
A. SIS really encourages students to go out and get real-world experience and for that I am grateful. I would say this is what prepared me the most for my career so far.

Q. What advice would you give to current students? 
A. Your time in SIS is what you make of it! Don't rush through the program – do an internship, research, present. Figure out what you like and what you don't like while you're still learning! 

Q. What was a highlight of your experience as a SIS student?
A. As a GSA I really loved getting to work on projects in Discovery Services, like doing usability testing of the library website. Experiences like that really gave me a taste of what my future in libraries could look like.