To be employed as a school librarian in a Pennsylvania
public school, you must hold a valid Instructional I or
Instructional II teaching certificate in Library Science,
K-12. If you want to become a library media specialist
in an elementary or secondary school, the Library and Information
Science Program offers two options, both of which are approved
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education
(PDE).
If you want to become a school library media specialist
in another state, you can visit the PDE Web site for a
list of reciprocal arrangements (http://www.pde.state.pa.us).
Currently, Pennsylvania has a signed interstate reciprocity
agreement with 45 states. If you hold a valid teaching
certificate from another state, you should consult with
Dr. Biagini in planning your program.
Students may enroll as full time (9 – 15 credits)
or part time (3 - 6 credits). Courses for the SLCP are
offered in two formats: on campus and on-line through
the FastTrack MLIS Program. Students applying for the on-campus
program may be admitted in Fall, Spring, or Summer Terms.
Students are admitted to the Fast Track MLIS Program for
the Summer Term; occasionally students are admitted for
the Fall term. If you have already earned the MLIS degree,
you may take courses for certification as a special student
or a CAS student. The SLCP Director will evaluate your
transcript and experience to determine what courses are
needed. Students may choose to take a SLCP course in either
delivery method.
 Endorsement
Option - If you already hold a valid PA Instructional
I or Instructional II certificate in another teaching area
and successfully complete the requirements of the 36-credit
School Library Certification Program and pass the required
Praxis test for Library Media Specialist with a score established
by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, you will have
the teaching area "Library Science, K-12" added
to your teaching certificate as well as earn the MLIS degree.
You should plan on three terms of full-time study or up
to four years of part-time study.
Intern
Option - If you do not hold a valid PA Instructional
I or II teaching certificate, you should enroll in the
Intern Option. Requirements of the Intern Option include
the successful completion of eleven required courses from
the SLCP, an additional five courses from the School of
Education or another approved education program, and a
nine-credit practicum of supervised work in a school library
media center, for a total of up to 57 credits. Each student’s
transcripts will be evaluated for any coursework in education
already completed. There are various options for completing
the courses in education at the University or at other
institutions, and you should consult with the SLCP Director
to structure the program requirements to your individual
needs.
If you successfully complete the course requirements for
the Intern Option, and pass the five required Praxis tests
with scores established by the Pennsylvania Department
of Education, you will earn an Instructional I teaching
certificate in “Library Science, K-12,” from
PDE, as well as earn the MLIS degree. You should plan on
four terms of full-time study or up to five years of part-time
study. If you begin the on-campus program in Fall or Spring
Terms, you can complete the Intern Program in four terms
of full-time study.
Education courses may be taken at other colleges and universities
with the approval of the SLCP Director.
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