MCPS
and University Partnerships for
Library Media Specialist Careers
Media Specialist
Preparation
The Division of School Library Media
Programs (SLMP) works with local colleges and universities
to provide financial incentives and additional support
at the graduate level for individuals working toward
state certification as a school library media specialist.
Partnership programs focus on expanding
the candidate pool with respect to applicants representing
diverse backgrounds and career experiences. Programs
involve extensive MCPS field experiences, supplemental
training, and supervisory support by colleges, universities
and MCPS cooperating media specialist.
Candidates are invited to interview
with the director of MCPS School Library Media Programs
in order to be endorsed for tuition reimbursement. Candidates
should bring a recent observation or evaluation from
their administrator or supervisor and be prepared to
address the following questions:
What made you realize that you wanted to pursue
library media certification?
Describe one of your most successful instructional
collaborations with a teacher or library media specialist.
Explain the concept of curriculum integration using
information literacy and a content area.
Illustrate the role the library media program plays
in the implementation of technology within a school.
The program at the University of Maryland results
in a Masters in Library Science as well as state certification
as a school library media specialist. The mission of
the library media program is to ensure that students
and staff are effective users of ideas and information.
This mission is accomplished by providing intellectual
and physical access to materials in all formats, by
providing instruction to foster competence and stimulate
interest in reading, viewing, and using information
and ideas, and by working with other educators to design
learning strategies to meet the needs of individual
students. The SLMP mission statement was taken directly
from the mission statement for the latest national guidelines
and standards for school library media programs, Information
Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. By adopting
this mission, SLMP ensures that its theoretical framework
and philosophy are consistent with the latest and most
advanced national statements regarding the profession.
The School Library Media Program of the University
of Maryland, College of Information Studies (CLIS) requires
that students who do not have teaching backgrounds must
take additional course work outside the program: three
credits in learning theory and three credits in classroom
techniques. These courses do not count toward the requirements
of the program itself, but CLIS will not recommend students
for certification without teaching backgrounds or this
additional coursework. Students are required to complete
an internship of 180 hours with field experience in
both elementary and secondary schools. Periodically,
information sessions are held in MCPS to inform interested
participants about the partnership. Check The Bulletin
for more details.
The program at McDaniel College results in a Masters
in Education (MED) and state certification as a school
library media specialist. The school library media program
endorses the American Association of School Librarians'
Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning.
The successful school library media specialist will
be an outstanding teacher, an instructional leader,
and a user of technology. Successful completion of the
School Library Media program requires that candidates
enroll in the one-hour course SLM: Professional Portfolio.
The digital portfolio is designed to showcase everything
the candidate has learned throughout the SLM program.
Candidates organize their portfolio according to the
AASL four professional standards, selecting previous
class assignments that best represent the standards.
Participants will spend a minimum of 110 hours (3 weeks)
in a school library media center. If participants do
not have successful teaching experiences, they will
spend additional time on the internship. The internship
should be completed during the last semester.
The program at Towson University results in a Master
of Science (MS) and certification as a school library
media specialist. With MCPS, Towson has formed a cohort
to conduct many of the courses in Montgomery County.
The School Library Media Cohort is designed to address
the critical shortage of school library media specialists
in MCPS. Candidates are often MSDE certified teachers
who have completed either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor
of Science degree and are highly motivated to enter
a challenging graduate program at Towson University
to qualify as a school library media specialist. The
School Library Media Cohort requires a part-time commitment
to acquire 36 required and 6 elective graduate credits
in the Master of Science in Instructional Technology.
Graduates are qualified to direct library media programs
in K-12 schools and serve as a member of a large media
center or system level media program. The school library
media specialist is the keystone of a student-centered
library media program where students learn and apply
information and technology literacy skills through content-driven
multi-disciplinary instruction. Participants are required
to complete a practicum of 180 hours in a school library
media center in Montgomery County with experiences at
both elementary and secondary levels.
The program at The Catholic University of America
(CUA) results in a Master of Library Science (MLS) and
meets state certification requirements as a school library
and media services specialist. The School Library Media
concentration is designed for individuals who aspire
to direct library media programs in elementary, middle,
or secondary schools. This graduate program is approved
by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE). Graduates are certified as School
Library Media Specialists K-12 by the Maryland State
Department of Education. The CUA School of Library and
Information Science offers a variety of courses that
focus on school library media services. Each student
is required to take the four required core courses along
with appropriate mid-level and advanced courses. . Students
who lack valid teaching certificates should be aware
that there is a high probability that they will be required
to take some education courses, in addition to the courses
required by the School of Library and Information Services
in order to qualify for certification as a school media
specialist. Participants are required to have 120 hours
of supervised professional training in a school library
media center approved by the faculty of the School of
Library and Information Science.
