School Library
Media Specialist
K-12 Certification
For individuals holding a valid teaching certificate
General Information
There is a nationwide critical shortage of qualified school librarians.
Estimates are that nearly 25,000 new school librarians will be needed
within the next 10 years. While requirements for certification vary from
state to state, usually these may be met within the curriculum of the
Master’s of Arts with an emphasis in Library Science at the
University of Missouri (MU).
While individuals who hold a valid teaching certificate
may elect to pursue certification only, we strongly urge
you to consider the master’s/certification option. With a
master’s degree from a program accredited by the
American Library Association (ALA), you will find you
have a wider range of career options should the need
present itself or if you change career goals.
Certification courses at MU are designed to be learnercentered and inquiry-based with participatory and practical
learning experiences embedded throughout the course of study.
Through the School of Information Science & Learning
Technologies’ (SISLT) Starburst Initiative, courses are distributed
using a variety of teaching/learning strategies and instructional delivery formats. As co-instructors of
Starburst courses, field-based practitioners perform a coordinated and strategic role in facilitating and
mentoring Regional Learning Cooperatives (RLCs). Within these regional cooperatives, students come
together on a scheduled basis to share their acquired knowledge, test assumptions regarding professional
practice, and receive feedback from practicing professionals. The RLCs are geographically distributed to
support optimum student participation.
It is important that you work closely with Dr. Linda Esser, who advises certification students, to develop a
plan of study that will meet the requirements for certification and concurrently meets your career goals
for the master’s, if applicable. Contact Dr. Esser at EsserL@missouri.edu or toll-free at (877) 747-5868.
1
School of Information Science & Learning Technologies l 303 Townsend Hall l Columbia, MO 65211
Phone (877) 747-5868 l Fax (573) 884-0122 l Email sisltnfo@coe.missouri.edu l http://www.coe.missouri.edu/~sislt
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started
1. Complete the Application for Graduate
Admission available at web.missouri.edu/
~gradschl/prospective/genapp.htm.
2. Request an official copy of your transcript
from the institution where you received your
undergraduate degree.
3. Submit the Application for Graduate
Admission and the official copy of your
transcript to Student Coordinator; School of
Information Science & Learning
Technologies; University of MissouriColumbia; 303 Townsend Hall;
Columbia, MO 65211
By completing this form and submitting an
official transcript, you can be considered a
non-degree-seeking student, allowing you to
take courses for graduate credit. If you
decide that you wish to be admitted to the
Library Science master’s program, contact
the Student Coordinator at (877) 747-5868.
4. Send official copies of all undergraduate and
graduate course work with a cover letter
requesting they be evaluated for certification
as a school librarian to Margery Tanner;
Missouri Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education; P.O. Box 480;
Jefferson City, MO 65102.
You will receive a Deficiency List from Ms.
Tanner listing the requirements for
certification you need to complete.
5. Discuss the Deficiency List with Dr. Esser
to develop a plan of study that meets the
requirements for certification and
concurrently meets your career goals for the
master’s, if applicable. Contact Dr. Esser at
EsserL@missouri.edu or toll-free at
(877) 747-5868 to schedule an advising
appointment or to schedule a telephone
conference. The best way to reach Dr. Esser
is by e-mail.
2
I don’t have a teaching certificate. Can I be certified as a
school librarian?
Recent changes in certification in Missouri make it possible for an
individual who does not hold a teaching certificate to be certified
as a K-12 school librarian. This means you are certified to work
in a school library but are not certified as a classroom teacher.
This is an extensive program requiring both professional
education and content area courses. At MU, this certification
program is offered as a master’s degree program only. You must
be admitted to the Master’s of Arts with an emphasis in Library
Science in order to pursue the K-12 school library certification.
For information about the Master’s with Initial Certification,
contact Dr. Esser at EsserL@missouri.edu or toll-free at
(877) 747-5868.
How many credit hours does the Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) require for
school library certification?
DESE requires a minimum of 30 credit hours in the content area
for the certification. Occasionally, there are additional
requirements you may need to fulfill. These requirements will be
identified on your Deficiency List. Provisional certification
requires the completion of 22 credit hours. Any questions
regarding course waivers must be addressed to Margery Tanner;
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education;
P.O. Box 480; Jefferson City, MO 65102.
I have been working as a school librarian. Do I have to
complete a practicum?
Questions regarding course waiver of practicum for the certification
must be addressed to DESE. Practicum waivers for certification will
be given only upon completion of two years of work as a library
media specialist at the provisional level. Contact Margery Tanner;
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education;
P.O. Box 480; Jefferson City, MO 65102.
If DESE waives the practicum, is it still a requirement for
the master’s?
If DESE waives the practicum, your faculty advisor will waive the
practicum requirement for the master’s program. Complete a
Practicum Waiver form and submit the form along with
documentation that DESE has waived the practicum to
your advisor.
Do I receive the certification from MU or from my state
Department of Education?
MU does not recommend students to state Departments of
Education for certification nor does it issue the certification.
After completing your course work for certification, submit
complete official transcripts to your state’s Department of
Education (see “Departments of Education Contact
Information”).
If I complete the requirements for certification in Missouri,
will I be certified in other states?
Requirements for certification vary from state to state. Most
states want verification from the MU certification officer that you
have completed certification requirements. You must contact the
state Department of Education in the state(s) where you wish to
be certified to determine the specific requirements for
certification in a particular state. Your faculty advisor will work
with you to develop a plan of study that meets the certification
requirements for your state(s).
How long do I have to complete my course work after I
begin taking classes?
There is no specified time limit; however, changes do occur in
certification regulations that may affect the date for completion
of certification. If you are in the process of taking courses
toward certification and changes in requirements occur, you may
come under the revisions if a “grandfather” clause is not included
in the new regulations. If you are planning on completing the
master’s degree, you must complete your course work within
eight years.
Can I complete courses required for certification online?
Not all of the courses required for certification are available
online. Classes are offered in traditional classroom settings in
Columbia, Kansas City, and St. Louis. Some classes are offered
through mixed-mode instructional delivery or a combination of
online and traditional class meetings. Other classes are offered
completely online. Consult course schedules each semester to
determine class meeting times and dates and the mode of
instructional delivery. Course schedules can be found on the
SISLT web site at http://www.coe.missouri.edu/~sislt.
There is a residency requirement for the master’s degree.
Do these classes have to be taken in Columbia?
The residency requirement does not mean that you must drive to
Columbia for classes. The residency requirement (12 credit
hours) can be met by taking 12 credit hours of courses from fulltime faculty. Since many courses are offered either online or as
mixed-mode, this requirement is not difficult to fulfill. The
names of full-time faculty are underlined in the course schedule
each semester so you can identify the courses they are teaching.
I’ve taken other graduate-level courses. Can these courses
apply toward certification and/or my master’s degree?
Courses that fulfill certification requirements are determined by
DESE, not by MU. For details, see “Getting Started”, number 4,
p. 2. If you have graduate course work as part of a master’s
degree program or graduate-level courses that you have taken
prior to being admitted to the master’s program, some of the
courses may be carried into your Library Science program. This
determination is made in consultation with your faculty advisor.
The number of credit hours you can carry into the program is
limited. You may carry in up to six credit hours from an
institution other than MU, or nine credit hours taken at
MU. If you complete all courses required for
certification and then decide to pursue the master’s, a
limit of nine credit hours of the course work you’ve
completed can be carried into the master’s program.
Do I have to take the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE)?
Students seeking admission to the master’s program must
submit scores for the GRE. Admission requires a
minimum of 1500 on the combined scores for the verbal,
quantitative, and analytical sections. Students pursuing
certification only are not required to submit scores for
the GRE.
Departments of Education
Contact Information
Arkansas (501) 682-4475; arkedu.state.ar.us
Colorado (303) 866-6600; www.cde.state.co.us
Illinois (217) 524-1289; www.isbe.state.il.us
Iowa (515) 281-8323; www.state.ia.us/educate
Kansas (785) 296-3201; www.ksbe.state.ks.us
Kentucky (502) 573-4606; www.kysma.org
Missouri (573) 751-4369; services.dese.state.mo.us
Montana (406) 444-3150; www.opi.state.mt.us
Nebraska (402) 471-2367; www.nde.state.ne.us
New York (518) 474-3852; www.nysed.gov
Tennessee (615) 532-3532; www.state.tn.us/sbe
Wyoming (307) 777-7675; www.k12.wy.us
For your state’s professional association, visit the
International Association of School Librarianship’s
web site at www.iasl-slo.org.
3
Guide to Certification Courses at MU
Name
Address
Student Number
Phone (H)
(W)
Email
This guide is designed to assist students in planning and tracking courses required for certification as a library media
specialist K-12 in Missouri. Course schedules for each semester can be found on the SISLT web site at
www.coe.missouri.edu/~sislt. Courses that must be included in the master’s degree plan are identified with an asterisk (*).
MO Certification
Requirement
Course
(cr.hrs. required in parentheses)
Introductory Seminar (1)
Information Technologies (3)
Cataloging (3)
Selection & Acquisition (3)
Reference (3)
Materials Production (3)
Utilization & Integration (3)
Children’s Adolescent
Literature (3)
Library Media
Administration (3)
Practicum (2)
Electives (4)
Term
Grade
Introduction to the Profession
Q304 The School Librarian
Credit
Hours
1
Core Professional Knowledge
Q301 Introduction to Information Technology
Q312 Principles of Cataloging and Classification
Q313 Managing Collections and Access
Q314 Reference Sources and Services
Q360 Introduction to Web Development
or Q361 Introduction to Digital Media
or Q362 Digital Media Production
Q406 Curriculum and the School Library
Q431 Library Materials for Children
or Q434 Library Materials for Teens
Q441 The School Library
3*
3*
3*
3*
3
3
3
3
Integrative Experience
Q380 Practicum in School Libraries
2*
Electives - (see “DESE Approved
Electives” below)
Elective
Elective
Note: DESE may require additional courses for some individuals. These most
frequently include the following:
3
T316 Reading in the Content Areas
(http://cdis.missouri.edu/CourseInfo/
DetailCourseInfo.asp?1797)
Total credit hours:
DESE Approved Electives
Q302 Organization of Information
Q303 Information Services and Society
Q315 Management of Information Agencies
Q360 Introduction to Web Development
Q361 Introduction to Digital Media
Q362 Digital Media Planning and Design
4
Revised 4/2/02
Q366 Technology Leadership in Schools
Q410 Seminar in Information Science
& Learning Technologies (MASL Fall &
Preconference Seminars)
Q412 Information Storage and Retrieval
Q414 Internet Reference
Q431 Library Materials for Children
an equal-opportunity/ADA institution
Q432 Automated Reference Services
Q433 Youth Services in Libraries
Q434 Library Materials for Teens
Q450 Research in Information Science
& Learning Technologies
Q462 Networks and Telecommunications
Q467 Technology to Enhance Learning