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Title
Science Reference and Instruction Librarian
Area of Study/Expertise
Subject Specialist: Substance Use Studies
Office Location
virtual
Phone Number
848-445-3527
Email
judit.ward@rutgers.edu

Judit Hajnal Ward

Currently the resident science librarian on the Rutgers Cook Campus, Judit Hajnal Ward, PhD, MLIS, was the Director of Information Services at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) from 2007 to 2016. Her scholarly activities cover broad but related fields, with the primary focus of facilitating research, publication, and education in addiction science. A research librarian interested in multidisciplinary topics throughout her career, she is currently focusing on promoting reading in various settings. She was PI on Reading for Recovery, a project funded by the American Library Association to advance the therapeutic use of reading among people grappling with addiction, resulting in The Librarian’s Guide to Bibliotherapy, co-authored with Nicholas Allred.

Passionate about the history of alcohol studies, Judit has become fascinated by the mysteries around E. M. Jellinek, an ingenious alcohol scholar also with Hungarian roots. The combination of Judit’s education, experience, and job titles uniquely positions her to explore and unveil resources hidden so far, but she is also willing to go the extra mile. Her Short Research Leave in 2021 jumpstarted the revival of the Rutgers Digital Alcohol Archives, a project started in 2008 and suspended in 2016 after the closure of the CAS Information Services. Her sabbatical research leave in Spring 2023 aimed at developing various platforms to provide access to the unparalleled collection of the CAS Archives, resulting in the Digital Alcohol Studies Archives in 2023 and the Digital Alcohol Studies Archives Exhibit in 2025.

Judit Hajnal Ward earned her doctoral degree in linguistics at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, after completing her master level studies in English and Hungarian literature and linguistics. She received her MLIS at Rutgers. She loves reading in multiple languages and running long distances.

Awards & Distinctions