School Library Certification Program
Supervisor of Library Science Certificate Program
The Supervisor of Library Science Certificate can be earned through the successful completion of a graduate program offered as an area of interest in the Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) program. The School Library Supervisor Program (SLSP) is designed to prepare librarians to supervise district-level school library media programs in K-12 schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Candidates for the Supervisor of Library Science Certification Program have demonstrated leadership in school libraries and enter the program to update and enhance their skills in preparation for a position of additional responsibility in district-level school-library media program management.
The program is currently offered only on-campus and not in a distance-education mode. The SLSP is the only library-science-supervisor program approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the Commonwealth. The SLSP is a area of interest within the Certificate of Advanced Study program. It was first approved by the PDE in the early 1970s.
Qualifications
Applicants must hold a valid Pennsylvania Instructional I or II certificate in Library Science, K-12, and have five years of successful experience working as a school librarian.
Applicants must have earned a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in a MLIS program to be admitted to the CAS program, and the students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 each term to continue in the program.
SLSP candidates complete a 24-credit course of study that focuses on the teaching-learning process and the management of library resources in a district-wide setting. The program includes required courses in both the Library and Information Science Program of the School of Information Sciences and the School Leadership Development area of interest in the School of Education.
Upon completion of the program, graduates are recommended to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the Library Science Supervisor certification and receive the Certificate of Advanced Study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences.
When can I apply?
SLSP applicants may be admitted to the SLSP each term (fall, spring, and summer) upon the decision of the DLIS Admissions and Review Committee. Students may pursue either full-time or part-time study to complete the 24-credit certificate. Upon admission, the student is matched with the SLSP Director as an advisor and together a plan of study is prepared which will lead to the completion of the certificate program.
How long do I have to complete the program?
The faculty of the Library and Information Science Program has set a four-year statute of limitation for the completion of the Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS). This four-year statute of limitation is measured from the time of the first class taken until completion, and it is explained in print and Web-based information for both potential applicants and students. The SLSP requires the successful completion of 24 credits, which can be completed in two terms of full-time study (at 12 credits per term), or up to four years of part-time study (at one course per term).
The SLSP Practicum Experience
The Practicum experience is the capstone experience of the SLSP and constitutes a total of 360 hours or approximately 48 days (@ 7.5 hours per day) of management experience in a district-level library-media program under the guidance of a Cooperating Library Supervisor. This requirement meets the PDE Supervisor of Library Science Guidelines (Single Area), which require 360 hours.
It is expected that students will complete the majority of this practicum experience over a Summer Term when they are not employed; they may, however, arrange to complete at least a portion of the Practicum during the school year depending upon schedules.
Evaluation of student performance during the Practicum is an important component in helping students measure mastery of competencies and evaluate potential for success in a supervisory position at the district level. The Cooperating Library Supervisor evaluates the student twice during the experience, once at midpoint in a formative appraisal and once at the conclusion as a summative appraisal.
The student also completes a formative and summative self-appraisal. The Cooperating Library Supervisor and the student meet in conference to review their appraisals and assess student progress. They determine if and how the student is progressing toward developing competencies. Together they prepare a plan of action for the student to work toward mastery and/or to identify any areas that may need improving or more development. The SLSP Director observes the student in the practicum setting and completes an appraisal based on that observation.
Requirements
To be recommended for the Library Science Supervisor certification by the University, each SLSP candidate must complete the required 21 credits of coursework identified on the "Planning Your Program" advising sheet with an overall GPA of at least 3.0, while maintaining a GPA of at least 3.0 throughout the program. For the additional three required credits, the candidate must also earn a "Satisfactory" grade in LIS 2923: Practicum in School District Library Media Center Programs.
Program of Study
SLSP candidates must successfully complete twenty-one credits of coursework (7 courses) and three credits of Practicum.
Students must successfully complete four courses and a Practicum in the Library and Information Science Program that build specific skills in the areas of management, information-technology deployment, action research, professionalism, and collaboration to improve student learning.
The SLSP offers students a competency-based curriculum, modeled on the PDE Supervisor of Library Science Single Guidelines (Guidelines).
| Course 1 | |
LIS 2110 Action Research: Methods & Applications |
|
| Course 2 | |
|
|
| Course 3 | |
(Choose ONE to fulfill requirement of second management course) |
|
| Course 4 | |
|
|
| PRACTICUM | |
LIS 2923 Practicum in School District Library Media Programs |
|
| Course 5 | |
ADMPS 2101 Pennsylvania School Law |
|
| Course 6 | |
ADMPS 2110 Curricular Development Leadership |
|
| Course 7 | |
ADMPS 3101 Resources Management |
|
