Bradley Kuykendall (MS '15) was a "library junkie" as an undergraduate at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. Now serving as the reference and instruction librarian at Lincoln University, he is in a position to give back to his alma mater and recruit more students into the field of library and information science.
"I never had intentions of becoming a librarian until I had an altercation with the library director about interlibrary loans (ILL)," said Kuykendall, who majored in business administration and management as an undergraduate. "He didn’t like me standing at the bookstore, telling all the students about ILL. We talked about it, then he gave me a job. The rest was history."
The MS/LIS program at the iSchool provided a strong foundation in librarianship that has helped Kuykendall work in various different industries. Prior to joining Lincoln University, he was a researcher for John Deere at the University of Illinois Research Park.
Kuykendall's advice to students is to get involved in iSchool programs and organizations and build relationships. As an MS student, he served as treasurer of the American Library Association (ALA) student chapter.
"The School provided me with access to a network of alumni across the country that has helped me personally and professionally," he said.
At Lincoln University, Kuykendall serves faculty, students, and the Jefferson City community, providing reference information and instruction on how to use the online catalog, electronic resources, and libguides. He also manages and trains circulation desk student workers. In addition, Kuykendall is the vice president of the Faculty Senate at Lincoln University. In his spare time, he likes to read and work out.
"I used the library all the time as an undergraduate. To this day, I still enjoy spending time in the library after work," Kuykendall said.