Resources & Services: Children and Youth
Students may be admitted in the Summer and Fall terms.
For more than 100 years, library services to young people have been a focus of the degree programs offered by the iSchool. Founded in 1901 as a part of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the school was first known as the Carnegie Training School for Children's Librarians. By 1919, the School had moved to the Carnegie Institute and the name had changed to the "Carnegie Training School" to include educating other librarians. Nonetheless, the program strongly advocated children's services and continues to do so over 100 years later.
Children’s and Young Adult Librarians are needed today more than ever. Young people live in a world rich in technology and media, where direct contact with an adult who knows books and loves to read is sometimes hard to come by. At the same time, we can’t forget that today’s children are digital natives and they interact with information, story, and the world at large in ways that their parents could hardly imagine. The iSchool acknowledges the changing landscape of children’s and young adult librarianship. Without forgetting our important roots in children’s literature, our school prepares information professionals who can reach out to the child of the 21st century.
Competencies for librarians serving children and young adults in public libraries
Several library organizations have determined the core set of skills for information professionals who will work with children or young adults. At the iSchool, our curriculum is designed to provide students with those mandated skills as well as the theoretical knowledge necessary for leadership in the library profession.
Guidelines for library services for babies and toddlers, children, and young adults.
Children’s and Young Adults Section. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Public Libraries. Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Competencies for Librarians Serving Young Adults. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
For more detailed information about the possible course of study, please click here.
For more information about this specialization, please contact our Student Recruitment Coordinator at ftinfo@sis.pitt.edu or 412-648-3108 .