Course Schedule | Recommended Course Path | Required Texts
| LSC 5500 | Introductory Seminar | |
| LSC 5501 | Instructional Collaboration | |
| LSC 5505 | Core Resources for the School Library | |
| LSC 5510 | Electronic Delivery Systems | |
| LSC 5515 | Collection Management in the Electronic Age | |
| LSC 5520 | Cataloging and Classification in an Electronic Environment | |
| LSC 5525 | Strategic Library Management | |
| LSC 5530 | School Library Advocacy | |
| LSC 5535 | Information Literacy & Academic Standards | |
| LSC 5540 | Information Searching, Retrieval, and Presentation Strategies | |
| LSC 5545 | Access and Legal Issues in the Information Age | |
| LSC 5564 | Seminar in School Librarianship (eliminated after Spring 2010) | |
| LSC 5562 | Practicum in School Librarianship (LSC 5565 in Fall 2010) | |
| LSC 6600 | Leveraging School Libraries to Improve Student Learning | |
LSC 5500 - Introductory Seminar
New students will develop core skills and dispositions necessary to progress through the online graduate program. The 10-week, one-credit course will begin with a tutorial on Blackboard, the course management system used for SL&IT courses, and proceed to exercises in which to practice basic skills with essential software applications.
As needed, the instructor will provide coaching to improve technical proficiency. Students will also examine dispositions of successful school librarians; strategies for online learning; student and faculty responsibilities; responsive discourse, self-directedness; and the theme of MU’s graduate education programs, Teacher as Reflective Educational Leader, as it relates to school librarians. Students will also create a program completion plan to plot progression from orientation to graduation and an electronic portfolio using the web-based program College Live Text. The Intro class is required for all new degree-seeking students.
LSC 5501 - Instructional Collaboration
Skills necessary to implement a collaborative and integrated library information curriculum will be developed. Students will recognize the role of the librarian as a leader in curriculum planning and professional development. They will identify resources and instructional tools necessary to support the instructional program.
LSC 5505 - Core Resources for the School Library
Students will investigate the development of children’s and young adult literature as genres. Special attention to increasing the breadth and depth of experience with fiction, nonfiction, and poetry award winning titles forms the central focus of the course as students evaluate, compare, and research many books and authors. Selection tools will be used to locate works for curriculum support, for multicultural collections, and for multiple characteristics of readers. Picture book studies, an author study, a genre study, and a study of alternate formats will be carried out in the context of current practices in reading instruction and resource provision. Book talks and principles of recommending books for teacher and student needs will be practiced. Students will also undertake a major curriculum support project emphasizing children’s and young adult literature.
LSC 5510 - Electronic Delivery Systems
This course presents an overview of typical network components and protocols with an emphasis on understanding basic networking and the associated electronic delivery of instructional resources and services. The course will cover the basics of networking including Local Area Networks, Wide Area Networks, Wireless Technologies, and basic web technologies in conjunction with ADA and W3C accessibility compliance. Assistive technologies for students with disabilities, consideration of classroom and physical space issues as they relate to technology, and the systematic renewal / planning for technology will also be covered. The primary objective for this class is to develop an understanding of the concepts and terminology of computing networks to assist you in working with technology coordinators and other school administrators in the use and acquisition of computer networks and the ability to envision (if not implement) ways of using various technologies in a classroom type setting.
LSC 5515 - Collection Management in the Electronic Age
This course outlines a process for developing an in-house, available library collection and an external, accessible collection of learning resources, focusing on the needs and requirements of the school learning community. Students will learn the necessary skills and background knowledge to implement a collection development process: profiling the needs of the learners, assessing existing collections, establishing selection criteria for various formats of resources, making acquisitions decisions, and promoting the use of the resources. Students will also review and use various selection tools and learn the parts and importance of a written collection development policy.
LSC 5520 - Cataloging and Classification in an Electronic Environment
Reviewing the purpose and structure of various alternatives for organizing library collections; applying the principles and strategies of the Dewey Decimal Classification and the Library of Congress systems to the library collection; creating and using the MARC cataloging practices for describing print, media, and electronic collections; using efficient and accurate practices for organizing, processing, and accessing the library collection.
LSC 5525 - Strategic Library Management
The students in this course will develop a master plan for the total management of a school library. There are many parts to this plan and each will be described, discussed, researched and developed in projects within this course. Students will become familiar with the role of the school library program within the school setting. The final project developed by the students will be the School Library Management Procedures manual.
LSC 5530 - School Library Advocacy
Students will learn ways to position the school library program as an essential force in preparing 21st century learners. Key concepts will include using research and evidence-based practices to develop influence and build relationships within the school and community. Skills and knowledge necessary to identify alternative sources of funding and to write grant proposals will be emphasized. Students will also develop a multi-year school library advocacy plan designed to implement the library's mission while strengthening personal leadership skills and advancing professional growth.
LSC 5535 - Information Literacy & Academic Standards
At the heart of learning and student achievement is information literacy, the ability to efficiently locate, evaluate and use information. This course focuses on preparing prospective library media specialist to understand many important aspects of providing quality, student centered, information literacy instruction. This will be accomplished by examining the underlying structure of state and national, information literacy and academic standards. Creating literature appreciation experiences, studying recent school reform, developing curriculum and skills lessons, understanding statewide assessment, and planning staff development programs will enable students to function as the information professional in the school.
LSC 5540 - Information Searching, Retrieval, and Presentation Strategies
This course will prepare the school library information specialist with a well-stocked searching toolkit and the strategies necessary to navigate the rich electronic information landscape. Students will focus on understanding database structure; utilizing professional search strategies; understanding, utilizing and evaluating the unique feature of the various Web search tools and proprietary databases; and developing strategies for resource evaluation. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of inquiry-driven research and develop skills in organizing and communicating research results in presentation programs and web pages.
LSC 5545 - Access and Legal Issues in the Information Age
This course will provide you with an overview of the access and legal issues school librarians must know in order to operate a school library media center in this digital age. Five major topics will be explored: 1) copyright, 2) product licensing, 3) patron privacy, 4) intellectual freedom including the First Amendment, filtering and censorship, and 5) access to libraries. Ethics as it applies to libraries will also be discussed.
LSC 5564 - Seminar in School Librarianship (formerly LSC 5561)
This two credit course allows time for the student to reflect, to assess his or her professional growth, and to create an electronic portfolio that represents their educational progress and their plans for professional development. Registration for this course is done by the Instructor only. It will consist of modules that span nine-weeks that include readings, research, and threaded discussions.
Each student will create a professional portfolio, revise a resume for career opportunities, and assess his or her professional growth utilizing the current Pennsylvania Library and Science Standards (PDE, 2001).
Students will also conduct a job search, and review professional organizations and continuing education opportunities. All students are required to complete Seminar in School Librarianship, including those students who already hold certification as a school library media specialist.
Note: The Seminar course will be eliminated after Spring 2010. All students will be required to take either a one or three credit Practicum starting Fall 2010.
LSC 5562 - Practicum in School Librarianship
This two (2) credit course will occur during the spring and fall semesters only. Students who seek certification must complete a 100-hour practicum in a local school library. Non-Pennsylvania students are responsible for checking with their own state department of education to determine whether there are other requirements that must be met in order to transfer certification via reciprocity. All students must contact their advisor to determine whether they have the appropriate credits and courses to earn certification in their own state.
Students will be required to identify a mentor who meets specified criteria. The student will be required to teach and video tape a lesson for K-12 students on an information literacy skill. The lesson must be developed in collaboration with a classroom teacher and documentation of the collaboration is required. The student must keep a log that includes the dates, times and a summary of the activities performed. The practicum allows students to demonstrate that they have developed the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become an effective efficient school library media specialist.
Note: starting Fall 2010 a new Practicum course (LSC 5565) will be required of all degree-seeking students. The one or three credit course combines the previous LSC 5564, Seminar in School Librarianship, and LSC 5562, Practicum in School Librarianship.
Students who are already certified school library media specialists and have worked for at least one year as a school librarian prior to their final semester, can take the one-credit course option for LSC 5565. To pass the one credit Practicum students will complete several assignments and finalize their electronic portfolio.
Students without certification and/or work experience will need to complete a 100-hour field experience in a school library under the mentorship of a certified SLMS, in addition to submitting assignments and an e-portfolio. The 100-hour experience will result in the three-credit option for LSC 5565.
LSC 6600 - Leveraging School Libraries to Improve Student Learning
LSC 6600 is a short, one-credit graduate course for principals, curriculum and technology coordinators and other school administrators available online, usually in July. It is designed to build leadership and advocacy skills in how to maximize a school library program to increase student achievement. School leaders learn the research correlating school libraries with improved test scores, how to integrate information literacy skills with classroom curriculum and state academic standards, how to improve access to libraries and collections, and are provided with some basic guideline and evaluation tools. Click the Show Details button below for the syllabus, or view the course Homepage.
