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School Library Media Coordinator Program

School Library Media Coordinator Program

Overview

Whether you’re making a career change or just starting out, school librarianship is a rewarding career if you enjoy children, learning, and sharing your enthusiasm about learning, reading, and technology.

Today’s school librarian is a leader who works within the school community to support and foster lifelong learning and the love of reading. Working collaboratively with teachers, school librarians contribute to advanced learning by guiding and encouraging individual inquiry and engaging students to think critically about the world around them.

Job opportunities are plentiful, with trends indicating that many school librarians will reach retirement age over the next 10 years.

School Librarianship at SILS

Individuals interested in seeking an MSLS or MSIS specializing in school librarianship will find:

  • Intellectually rigorous courses emphasizing skills in curriculum development, management, technology integration and leadership
  • Exceptional faculty
  • Dedicated peers and a collegial community
  • Instruction in emerging technologies used in today’s schools
  • Hands-on experience in public school settings
  • Personalized mentoring by licensed school library media coordinators and SILS faculty
  • Preparation for the NC 076 school library media coordinator license

It is our number one priority that graduates of this program leave with a clear understanding of the diverse learner, how the act of learning occurs, and best practice and emerging trends in teaching and instruction. We strive to prepare our graduates to enter the workforce ready to positively engage and support students, teachers, and administrators and create a school library media program that reaches beyond its four walls.

School Librarian Roles

  • As Leader, the school librarian works within the realm of the possible to influence the principal and teachers in a school toward a “best practice” vision of a dynamic collaborative library program focused on advancing student learning.
  • As Instructional Partner, the school librarian works with teachers to develop instructional activities using technology and other information resources to incorporate information skills into the classroom curriculum.
  • As Information Specialist, the school librarian provides access and assistance in finding and using information.
  • As Teacher, the school librarian instructs students and others in the use and communication of information and ideas.
  • As Program Administrator, the school librarian works collaboratively with members of the learning community to define the policies of the library media program and to guide and direct all the activities related to it.

Licensure Information


Library Science Requirements

The school library media coordinator program is a formal master’s specialization. Completing this specialization fulfills the coursework requirements for a North Carolina 076 school library media coordinator (SLMC) licensure and prepares students to take the Media Coordinator (#5312) specialty area on the PRAXIS/NTE (National Teacher’s Exam).

To sign up for the school library media coordinator program, contact Sandra Hughes-Hassell (smhughes@email.unc.edu). Because these requirements are intensive, it is best to sign up in your first or second semester.

The following are required for school library media coordinator licensure:

  1. INLS 501: Information Resources and Services
  2. INLS 530: Young Adult Literature and Related Materials
  3. INLS 534: Youth and Technology in Libraries
  4. INLS 732: Children’s Literature and Related Materials
  5. INLS 782: Library Assessment
  6. INLS 783: Library Instruction and Pedagogy
  7. One of the following courses:
    • INLS 545: Information Professionals in the Makerspace
    • INLS 690-324: Design for Accessibility
    • INLS 737: Inclusive Information Services for Diverse Populations
    • INLS 739: Information Services for Specific Populations
    • (With the permission of Sandra Hughes-Hassell, the program coordinator, another course focused on equity can be substituted.)
  1. INLS 796: Supervised Field Experience in School Library Media (must be taken after INLS 783 and in the last semester of the program)

The requirements listed here may also satisfy bin requirements.

 

The following additional courses are not required, but are recommended as possible electives:

  • INLS 513: Resource Selection and Evaluation
  • INLS 520: Organization of Information
  • INLS 558: Principles and Techniques of Storytelling
  • INLS 585: Management for Information Professionals
  • INLS 733: Administration of Public Library Work with Children and Young Adults

 

The following professional development opportunities are also recommended:

These professional development opportunities are short (four- to eight-hour), campus-wide trainings offered by various offices and centers at UNC. You will not receive course credit for these, but you will receive a certificate of completion and/or a placard certifying that you have completed the course.

 

Be aware: Course offerings change frequently. Some courses on this list may be taught regularly, while others may be taught rarely.

Last revised on: July 30, 2024

 

Media Coordinator Specialty Area Exam

All students seeking certification must take the Media Coordinator (#5312) 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. Visit the School of Education website for specific application information or contact:

Diana B. Lys, EdD.
Assistant Dean of Program Assessment, Accreditation, and Teacher Preparation, School of Education
(919) 445-8878
Email: lys@email.unc.edu

All professional employees of public schools must hold a license for the subject or grade level they teach or for the professional assignment they hold. The official title for school librarians in North Carolina is Library Media Coordinator and the license code number is 076.

A clear and continuing license as a school library media coordinator requires:

  • A master’s degree in library science with specialized courses in school library-related topics
  • Fieldwork (i.e., internship) in a school library media center under supervision of a licensed and experienced library media coordinator
  • A satisfactory score on the Media Coordinator (#0311) PRAXIS/NTE (National Teacher’s Exam) specialty area

The SILS specialization program in school library media satisfies the professional licensure and/or certification requirements in North Carolina and prepares students to sit for the Praxis exam. However, requirements in other states may be different. UNC-CH may or may not be able to advise whether a program meets requirements outside of North Carolina. Prior to enrolling in the program, please discuss this important topic with the coordinator of the school media library program at SILS.

The following information applies to all UNC-CH programs that lead to a license to work in any level in public schools, i.e., teachers, principals, librarians, social workers, school counselors, superintendents, etc., in North Carolina.

Upon successful completion of educator preparation program degree requirements and licensure requirements for the State of North Carolina, such as, but not limited to, testing and national assessments, candidates will be eligible for an UNC-CH recommendation for a NC license. However, final licensure granting decisions are the sole responsibility of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction not UNC-CH. You should apply for a North Carolina license within five years of completing any program leading to licensure. After five years, UNC-CH cannot guarantee the ability to recommend for a license due to potential changes in licensure requirements and programs.

Candidates who graduate and seek out of state employment will have to meet the receiving state’s requirements for licensure. There is no automatic licensure reciprocity between states. UNC-CH will verify the completion of an approved, accredited program for candidates who seek employment out of state, and those candidates will be responsible for working with the receiving state to complete any additional requirements needed to obtain the license for employment.

Once an applicant has completed the UNC-CH approved school media licensure program, the license application may be submitted online at www.ncpublicschools.org/licensure.

For questions about the process contact:

Diana B. Lys, EdD.
Assistant Dean for Educator Preparation and Accreditation, School of Education
1028 Peabody Hall,
CB #3500, UNC-CH
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3500
Email: soe_edprep@unc.edu

See UNC’s School of Education Licensure page for specific steps to follow.

Contact Information

For more information about this program, contact:

Dr. Sandra Hughes-Hassell
Director of the School Library Media Program
Phone: (919) 843-5276
smhughes@email.unc.edu