A farmer’s daughter hailing from Hammonton, New Jersey, the “blueberry capital of the world,” Joyce DeStasio’s always had a love for literature and education. While she’s currently the outreach librarian at Stockton University’s Bjork Library in Galloway, NJ, librarianship wasn’t always her path.

In 2005, she graduated with a BA in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. It was during those college years working in a bookstore that her fascination for books truly flourished. “It amazed me that something could go from being an idea in someone’s head to being a physical, tangible thing you could hold in your hands,” she said. 

After college, her passion for publishing led her to the prestigious Summer Publishing Institute at New York University, a six-week intensive program that delved into the publishing industry. Immediately after, DeStasio secured a position at Simon & Schuster as a managing editorial assistant, working closely with various departments to bring books to life. However, the pull of family drew her back to Hammonton. “I loved every second of my time working and living in New York, but I wanted to be closer to home to start a family,” she shared.

Though Hammonton lacked the bustling publishing scene of New York, she found a home at a local advertising agency. “While I didn’t intend to have a long-term career in the advertising industry, my skillset, experience, and interests aligned well, and I flourished in this environment,” she said. “Over 14 years, I worked my way up to account director. My print production knowledge was useful as we did a variety of print work. And I have broadened my expertise as our projects become more digital and web-based.” 

Between 2019-2022, DeStasio embarked on new educational and career paths that took her from advertising to librarianship, made possible by her decision to enroll in SC&I’s Master of Information program.

“What started out as an internet job search unraveled into a deep dive into American Library Association-accredited Master of Information (MI) and Library and Information Science (LIS) programs,” she explained, noting that SC&I’s MI program is one of the top programs in the country, and it was right here in New Jersey.

“I was working full-time and raising two young children, so the ability to manage my schedule was essential. Additionally, Rutgers’ in-state connections allowed me to build a local professional network, something that continues to benefit me. While I’m disappointed I didn’t find this industry sooner, I realize that it is an important and exciting time to become a librarian, and I know that my interests and work experiences have prepared me for success in this career and given me a unique perspective.

“During the pandemic, DeStasio left her job in advertising and took a part-time job at AtlantiCare’s Health Sciences Library, working as the library services assistant at the hospital in Atlantic City. “This gave me experience in a library (something to add to my resume—yay!) and also gave me more time to work on my grad studies. Mostly importantly, because it was part-time, I could now fit an internship into my schedule. In the fall of 2021, I interned at Stockton University’s Bjork Library, and this led to my current position. Through my hard work and very fortunate timing, I was able to secure a role as a public services librarian at Stockton. I became their outreach librarian, which played into my strengths from working in advertising. I was able to use my knowledge from the Health Science Library to become the liaison to the Health Science programs here at Stockton. Earlier this year, my family donated the blueberry farm’s business records–ledgers, letters, deeds, advertising materials, photos, and more–to the Bjork Library Special Collections. These items will be preserved at our library, and our students and community members can research our local business history by exploring our collection. I get chills just talking about it!”

In recalling the most influential courses and instructors at SC&I, DeStasio said, “Search and the Information Landscape” with Library and Information Science Lecturer Brenda Boyer and Associate Teaching Professor of Library and Information Science Joyce Valenza was incredibly valuable—it taught me how to navigate the vast array of resources available. Former lecturer (and 2023 ALA president) Emily Drabinski’s “Information Literacy” course was another standout, as it helped me understand the principles of pedagogy and its importance in everyday library work. My field experience at Stockton University was quite significant. Director of the MI program and Teaching Professor of Library and Information Science Lilia Pavlovsky’s guidance during the internship was so helpful. She pushed me to ask the right questions and really make the most of the experience. Not only did the internship provide me with hands-on training, it also laid the groundwork for my current role. The friendships and connections that began during the internship are the same people who helped me obtain the full-time position and are my colleagues and teammates today. The research I conducted during my internship led to my first poster presentation at the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) national conference and my first published peer-reviewed article, all of which accelerated my tenure process.” 

When asked what advice she might like to impart to anyone considering the MI program, DeStasio offered these three points:

• “If you think you know the type of library you’d like to work in, make connections and plan visits as soon as possible. I had a pretty good idea I wanted to go into academic librarianship, but to make sure this is what I wanted, I got in touch with one of the librarians at a local university during my second semester of grad school. She was kind enough to set up a site visit during which I spent an hour with each librarian and even sat in on an information literacy session. This day set the tone for the rest of my grad school career. Because of that day, I had context for assignments, contacts for interviews and internships, and I had a better idea of the day-to-day of the library. I am so grateful for that day!
• “If you have your sights set on a specific library, do everything you can to get your foot in the door asap and use your assignments to get to know the library better. I kept in touch with the librarians I met when I visited, and that eventually led to my internship, which led to my temporary position, which led to my full-time job. Because I had used my assignments to get to know the library website and databases, etc., I was at an advantage when I started.
• “Realize that whatever life/work experience you have will be in some way applicable to your role as a librarian. We wear many hats, and we bring with us all our lived experiences, so use them to your advantage and lean into them!”

From her roots in Hammonton to her role as outreach librarian at Stockton, DeStasio’s career has been a testament to adaptability, passion, and continuous learning. “Though I didn’t start out with librarianship in mind, it’s clear now that everything I’ve done has led me here. I have found my place and my people here at Stockton, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Rutgers SC&I MI program."

Photos:  Joyce DeStasio MI’22