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UNC at Chapel Hill School Library Media Coordinator Educational Program
The school library preparatory program at the School of Information and Library Science at UNC at Chapel Hill is intended for all those seeking the NC 076 school library media coordinator license. These include MSLS students wishing to specialize in school library work and graduates with a master’s degree in library science who seek to add the specialized coursework necessary for licensure. For holders of the MLS, the sections below entitled “Education Requirements” and “School Library Specialized Requirements” will be of primary interest. The courses offered will also satisfy requirements for school library certification in most other states as well.
Education Requirements. Because teaching and working with teachers and students in an educational setting is central to the work of a school library, a teaching certificate or equivalency is required as a first prerequisite. A valid North Carolina A-Level teacher’s certificate is required for licensure as a library media coordinator in North Carolina. For those students interested in school librarianship who lack this license, 9 hours of coursework in education may be accepted as a substitute with a student teaching equivalency in a school library under the supervision of a licensed library media coordinator.
The educational coursework should be distributed to include a course in the foundations of American education, a course in educational psychology, and a course in the methods of teaching reading. The first three courses may be taken at either the undergraduate or graduate level. All the education courses may be taken at UNC at Chapel Hill or at another accredited university. If the courses are graduate level and taken concurrently with the library science coursework, the 9 hours may be considered as elective credit toward the MSLS degree, if the student’s advisor approves. Some UNC at Chapel Hill courses that meet the first three requirements include:
EDUC 441: Education in American Society (3) (undergraduate)
EDUC 681: Human Development (3) (graduate)
EDUX 622: Content Area Reading and Writing (3) (graduate)
Students wishing to take online courses in education should check out distance education offering at NC State University (http://distance.ncsu.edu).
Library Science Requirements. Students seeking school library media certification must meet requirements for the Master of Science in Library Science degree. This degree is accredited by the American Library Association's Committee on Accreditation (COA) and includes 48 semester hours of graduate level coursework, completion of a satisfactory comprehensive examination in the field of information and library science and satisfactory completion of a Master's paper.
Required courses (22 hours) for all Master's students in the School of Information and Library Science are as follows:
INLS 500: Human Information Interactions (3)
INLS 501: Information Resources and Services (3)
INLS 513: Resource Selection and Evaluation (3)
INLS 521: Organization of Materials I (3)
INLS 585: Management of Information Agencies (3)
INLS 780: Research Methods (3)
INLS 992: Master's Paper (3)
Also required is a proficiency in use of the computer for word processing, email, spread sheet and database construction and use. Students may take INLS 461: Information Tools (3) to satisfy this requirement or may petition to waive the course if they can show proficiency.
School Library Specialized Requirements. Additional required courses (15-21) for students seeking 076 certification are as follows:
INLS 530: Young Adult Literature and Related Materials (3)
or (but preferably both)
INLS 532: Children's Literature and Related Materials (3)
INLS 744: The School Library Media Center (3)
INLS 745: Curriculum Issues and the School Librarian (3)
INLS 795: Supervised Field Experience (3)
[Recommended that SLMC students take this twice]*
*During the field experience, School Library Media Specialists must spend a minimum of 150 hours on site in either an elementary, a middle, or a secondary school library under the supervision of a certified School Media Coordinator. A second field experience would allow exploration of school library work at a different level. The field experience should include a collaborative experience with a classroom teacher with the school library media student teaching at least part of a unit. If the student does not already hold a valid North Carolina A-Level Teacher's Certificate, 25 additional hours must be spent observing in one or more classrooms (preferably during the field experience and preferably in the majority of classrooms in the school).
Electives. The remaining 6 to 12 hours may be taken as elective courses. For students lacking a teaching certification, up to 9 hours of electives may be used for education courses that can count dually toward the MSLS degree and toward the certification requirement. Students interested in becoming a library media coordinator at the middle or high school level would be well served by taking advanced reference courses in subject areas (humanities and social sciences (INLS 704) or science (INLS 703) and the government documents course (INLS 707). Students interested in becoming a library media coordinator at the elementary or middle level may want to consider a storytelling course (INLS 558) or a course in children and technology (INLS 534). Systems analysis (INLS 582) is recommended for all school librarians, as is Internet applications (INLS 482). Students wishing to combine preparation as a school librarian with preparation for work with children in a public library might wish to take INLS 733: Administration of Public Library Work with Children and Young Adults.
Media Coordinator Specialty Area Exam. All students seeking certification must take the Media Coordinator (#0310) PRAXIS/NTE (National Teacher’s Exam) specialty exam. This is the only test required. Information about the PRAXIS tests, when they are given, and how to apply is available at www.ets.org/praxis.
Application for License. If the student or graduate has completed the appropriate program of study at UNC at Chapel Hill, the application for North Carolina Licensure for School Media Coordinator is submitted to the Licensure Officer in the School of Education. See http://soe.unc.edu/services/student_affairs/licensure/additional_programs.php for specific application information or contact: Ramona D. Cox, Licensure Officer, 103 Peabody Hall, CB 3500, UNC at Chapel Hill School of Education, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3500. Tel: (919) 843-3482. Email: rdcox@email.unc.edu.
Updated: December 2007