GEN: Re: Course Requirements-- Children's Literature

["S. Riza" <riza@SUMTER.NET>]

Hi!
        My name is Ann Riza and I am brand new to this list.  I read in the
archives the postings about the lack of Children's Lit. courses being
offered for LIS students.  I am currently a student at the University of
South Carolina working on an MLIS degree in School Library Media.  As part
of our program, we are required to have 2 materials classes (one of which
can have been taken as an undergrad if recent enough).  We are fortunate to
have choices- Materials for Early Childhood, Intermediate Children's
Materials, and Young Adult Materials (note that these are Materials
courses, so are not just focused on literature, though that is the prime
focus).  This fall there is a course being offered on Materials for
Disabled Children, though I am unsure if that can be counted as one of the
2 for the Master's.  I had such a hard time deciding which to take that I
am adding a Certificate of Graduate Study beyond my Master's so that I can
take them all!
        We are also fortunate at USC that our college is the home of a preview
center for Children's Literature.  As a graduate assistant there, I am
surrounded daily by the newest books being published for primary grades up
through young adults.
        I hope that library schools are not going to phase out their requirements
for these courses.  There is certainly a lot of junk out there, and I for
one am glad to have some practice in evaluating things that I may be using
in the future.

Ann Riza, MLIS student at USC-Columbia
Shaw AFB, SC
riza@sumter.net