The Martin County Library System recently promoted Florida State University School of Information alumnus Justin de la Cruz to the manager of Blake Library in Stuart, Fla.

After earning a Master of Science in Library & Information Studies in 2012, de la Cruz was hired in as the Digital Literacy Librarian at the Peter & Julie Cummings Library, which is also in Martin County.  Over the past year, de la Cruz developed and implemented popular computer classes and helped hundreds of library members turn their digital ideas into reality.

As a manager at the Blake Library and a member of the Martin County Library System’s Public Services Management Team, he will be able to design and implement similar excellent services on a much larger scale and at multiple locations.

One of the courses that made an impact on de la Cruz was the History of Reading in Everyday Life, which examines the influence of print on social, cultural and intellectual life.

“There is always going to be a new technological revolution that impacts the sharing of information and reading, comprehension and understanding,” de la Cruz said.  “Some people view these technologies in a negative way, but there has always been this kind of response to technology throughout history.”

Before earning his MLIS, de la Cruz also received a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Florida State.  He also spent his final year abroad as the Library Supervisor for the university’s academic library in Florence, Italy.