HIT: Getting an MLS or a Cert/Endors and recommended places

[Denell Hilgendorf <dhilgendorf@SISF.MINOH.OSAKA.JP>]

Well, here it is. The hit list......(in no particular order).Thanks for all
your suggestions. I can see the benefits of getting a certification and the
benefits to getting a masters. Once I get all of this in one place I'll
print it out and take it home and start planning. You're a wonderful
resource. Pat yourselves on the back-or get someone to do it! In the
interests of privacy-I've only listed your names. You can assume that all
of you are librarians or media specialists or both! There are 2 grad
students, and I've kept their "titles".  Have a great weekend. Mine starts
in 15 minutes!
Denell Hilgendorf dhilgendorf@sisf.minoh.osaka.jp
Osaka Int'l School
Japan
Grade teacher looking for a new focus next year!

--------------------------
The University of Hawaii at Manoa (Honolulu) has a very good library
program.  Write to:
School of Library and Information Studies
Hamilton Library - The Mall
Honolulu, HI 96822


Kathleen LoBuglio
-------------------------

In Texas, if you take 27 hours in library science, this is an endorsement.
 Similar to an added teaching field. If you get an MLS then you have a
master's degree in whatever that school calls it!  The important to
remember is that if your credentials are from an ALA certified program, you
can work in school or public libraries.  If you attend a program that is
not certified by ALA, you may need to take more classes in some states.
 Our public library requires a degree from an accredited program.  I'm not
sure about other states!
Sandy Scroggs
-------------------------
I believe the difference in the certificate and the MLS is that the MLS
translates to other library positions and the certificate is only for
school media.
GREAT program in NC is UNC-Greensboro.  Small, dedicated, caring staff of
professors.  Department chairperson is the greatest too.  I'm 1/2 the way
through.  I'm taking classes at UNC-Charlotte as a UNC-Greensboro MLS
student through distance learning (teacher appears via satellite from
Greensboro) or teacher comes to UNC-Charlotte campus.  Charlotte public
schools needs school librarians desperately!  Come on over! Good luck!
Kathy Cadden, K-5 Media Specialist
Nathaniel Alexander Elementary
----------------
An endorsement does not required a MLS - twenty+ years ago, I majored rec'd
a BS in Library Science (K-12).  Even tho over the years, I have probably
taken enough graduate classes for a master's, I don't have one.  I did,
however, earn a technology certificate through the program at UVA two years
ago.
----------------
I attended Emporia State University to get my MLS.  It was an excellent
program I think and much more progressive than MU's.  I was certified as a
school librarian through CMSU in Warrensburg, Mo.  Usually  to obtain
certification you only have to complete a certain number of hours and a
list of required classes.  It may be  one-half or two-thirds of the hours
needed for the MLS.  There were many people who were obtaining just
certification at Emporia, most would go on to get their MLS after starting
the program.  I know that Warrensburg (CMSU) does have a great program for
School Media Specialists, the only problem is it is not ALA accredited so
if you ever decided to leave the education arena you are stuck.
Johnnie Frisbie
---------------
Here in Florida, the difference is an MLS means you have a Masters in
Library and Information Science, allowing you professionalism in a public
or academic library; however, you must be "certified" as a school media
specialist to be in the public schools.  An MLS requires 36 graduate credit
hours in ANY library and information science course; certification requires
only 30 hours in a prescribed curriculum of grad courses, covering major
areas, with little variance.  Most people take the "certifiable" courses,
pass a state exam, and then, if they don't already have a masters degree,
complete two more courses to receive a Masters degree.  A lot of state
schools no longer have an undergrad program in library science, so a
post-graduate course of study is required.
Deborah A. Monck, Media Specialist

I'm not sure how it works internationally, but I'll explain how it works in
California-maybe it will help.  In Cal., it's called the "Library Media
Teacher Service Credential" and you receive it if you earn an MLS and also
have a teaching credential.  I only went back to school for the
credential-I want to stay in schools; I would only need the MLS if I wanted
to work in a non-K-12 library.
--
Nina Jackson
Franklin MS, Long Beach, CA
----------------------
I am currently working on my MLS (and my media certification) at the
University of Illinois.  Here's my opinion regarding your questions!
Most certification requires 18 to 24 graduate credits.  Most MLS programs
require 40 or more credits.  The MLS obviously represents a bigger time and
money investment.  Some choose to get their certification as quickly as
possible and then finish their MLS during the summers.  I'm doing my MLS
program in one year (12 months) so that I will be more marketable.
 Depedning on the area you will be looking for work in, you may have a lot
of competition for jobs.  I feel better knowing I will have my MLS and can
also go to a public or academic library if the school media jobs are
scarce.
I looked into several graduate programs before choosing Illinois.  I
completed my bachelor's degree at Missouri-Columbia and considered their
program.  Let me warn you: Columbia's got a "provisional" accreditation
right now and they are being reviewed by ALA.  There have been a lot of
changes recently within the school and it doesn't seem very stable.
Many schools require you to do the program in two years (MLS) . . .
 Illinois' program is very "doable" in one year and they are currently
ranked #1 in the country in Library Science Grad. Programs.  Wisconsin and
Michigan are also good schools, but require two years for the MLS.  Iowa
has a media program, but the school is very small and I don't know much
else about it except someone warned me not to go there!
Hope this helps!
% Jenni Wright                                %
/ Graduate Assistant

Hi, you've probably gotten an answer, but the difference in most states
between an MLS degree and the endorsement is number of credit hours.  At
University of Washington (which I would recommend to you), the MLS is 63
quarter credits, but the state only requires 24 quarter credits in 6
specific areas  to add a learning resources endorsement to a teaching
certificate.  Not only does the MLS move you up on the salary schedule, it
also gives you more tools to be a librarian!
Good luck,
Julie Anderson
-------------------
In the state of Washington you can be endorsed for the library with a
certain amount of coursework which I suppose would be a certificate. An MLS
is a master's program which enables you to be in a public or academic
library.  I have an MLIS from the University of Texas (excellent program
and school!!) which means I have the flexibility to work in all library
settings.  I already had my teaching certificate when I went to library
school so I can also be in a school library.  I really recommend a master's
program from an ALA accredited school. (The advantage I found to the
University of Texas was that courses toward the degree were offered during
the summer.)  Hope this helps!
Paula Hughart
________________________________________________________________________
______


Certificates and endorsements are aimed at meeting a particular state's
certification requirements, usually for people who are already certified as
teachers.  They're often offered by schools of education instead of library
schools, so you may have a narrower range of courses to choose from.  If
you work in an area where the pay scale increases as your education level
increases (like S.C.), the MLS can mean a pay increase.  If you ever want
to switch to public libraries, the MLS may be required.  I have a strong
preference for the MLS, but depends on your goals.
Virginia Kay Williams

The MLS gives you more breadth and depth....and in my school district a
higher salary!
David A. Lindsey
---------------------------
>> You have probably gotten lots of replies to your question by now.  I am
enrolled in an endorsement program.  This will allow meto teach in a school
library.  I had to have my teaching certificate before I started this
program.  THis program does not give me a masters degree.  It is equivilent
to 18 semester credits.  I have Included the link to the program.  If that
doesn't work let me know and I will send the address.
Darla Grediagin
lms student

<A
HREF="http://www.edoutreach.washington.edu/dl/certprog/slms/default.htm">UW
Distance Learning - School Library Media S...</A>
The University of Pittsburgh has a very good MLIS (Masters of Library and
Information Science) program.  Check the ALA webpage   http://www.ala.org
 they should list the accredited  schools.  Most public schools elem. thru
high school, do not require an MLS, but do require certification in the
area that you are teaching.  In Pennsylvania, you can be certified in elem
K-8 or have K-12 certification.  Hope that this helps.
Clete Schirra
************************************************************************
******


There is a big difference between the two.  One deals only with school
libraries.  The other, a Master of Library Science, is recognized by
colleges, universities, and large public libraries as being the degree that
actually makes you a professional librarian.  It is an advanced degree,
beyond the bachelor's.  I attended Texas Woman's University in Denton for
both of my degrees, and they offer a great program that is also friendly to
commuters, especially since I travelled 200 miles one way to attend
graduate school.
Enjoy your studies!
Beverly Mathis-22 years in the library!
Most public libraries and academic libraries will not recognize a school
librarian endorsement especially if the institution you are attending is
not ALA certified.  If you want to work in any library other than a school
library, you should make sure you get a MLS from an ALA accredited
university.
The draw back to that is the focus is not on preparing you to work in a
K-12 school environment.  I have just an endorsement which works fine for
me, but I have many school  librarian friends who got their MLS at ALA
certified universities and they have told me that they were not nearly as
prepared to work in school libraries as I was.  Good Luck.
Carol McKay
I have a MLS, but in order to be certified in my state I have to have a
teaching certificate and 28 hours of specific courses, which has meant
practically redoing my whole MLS degree.  It is another 12 hours for
students
to do on and get their masters above the certification hours so a lot will
chose to go that route.  Certification is different in each state and it is
pretty well controlled by the institutions of higher learning who must
recommend you for it.  I believe School Library Journal had a state by
state
analysis not too long ago and the citation has been mentioned several times
recently.  Good luck.  Marsha Lytle
An MLS approved by ALA is the only degree recognized by public and academic
libraries. Most school librarians have a degree in education with hours in
library science to consitute an certificate or endorsement.
I have a MLS and it has been great because due to frequent moves I have
been able to work in public, academic and school libraries.
--
Bonnie Harrison
--------------------------
I think the biggest difference in what we do is the in schools we spend a
lot of time on staff development, curriculum development etc compared to
MLS, public library work which is more tuned into jut working with "stuff."
I think there is a vat difference in our roles. Have you read information
Power 1998?  It gives a good overview of the role of a school media
specialist.  Good luck!
Mary Alice Anderson
I have a BS in School Media Services, all grade,k-12 and an MA in
Educational Media.  I am a high school media specialist. My BS was 36 hours
Library Science and 24 hours education courses including a 90 hour student
teaching position in a high school media center.  In Indiana you have to
have the 24 hrs education including student teaching in order to be
certified.  I have a teaching license.  I lived in Missouri 20 yeaars ago
and at thaat time, you had to have an MLS to be in a school library. I know
because in 83 I wanted to move back to Mo. and didn't want to get my MLS.
 I am sure it differs from one state to the next.
Jan Weeks
     ******************************************************

I suppose it depends on which state you are in (I notice your email address
is from Japan).  I can speak only of Texas.  Here, you can be a
fully-certified school librarian with the "Learning Resources Endorsement",
which you get only after you have a regular teaching certificate.  I can't
really say how many college hours that entails because I had my MLS before
I went for the endorsement.  The Learning Resources Endorsement is only for
school libraries, and does not require a master's.  However, if you are
interested in working in any other library environment (public, academic,
special) you really need an ALA-accredited MLS.  It was something of a
surprise for me to end up in school libraries, so I had an MLS first, then
I had to go back to school for a teaching certificate, then my Learning
Resources Endorsement in order to be able to work in a Texas school
library.  There are any number of excellent schools, but be sure, if you
want the MLS, to go to one that is ALA accredited.  For instance, in Texas,
you can get an MLS from Sam Houston State University, which isn't worth the
paper it's written on if you want to work in a place other than a school
(although they have some really excellent people there).  I went to the
University of North Texas, myself.
Good luck in your career.
Lawrence Newton
Things keep changing and change from state to state. An MLS is a general
library degree. It applies to all libraries.  A  certificate of some sort
for school libraries/media is a teaching certificate, something separate
from the MLS and is usually needed before you are fully qualified to teach
in the schools.
For example, I have an MLS and am certified as a School Library Media
Specialist in New Jersey (k-12).  But the MLS is not the only route to
school library certification. Many states will issue full certification to
college graduates who have a major in school libraries and the required
hours working in a school library under the supervision of a fully
certified librarian.  Every state has different rules and certifications.
Dan Robinson
I attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan for my Master's in
Library and Information Science.  They have a very good program that
integrates theory and practice (a little more tipped towards practice, in
my opinion).  To become a school librarian in Michigan one must have a
valid teaching certificate and endorsement from the State of Michigan.  To
receive endorsement from the State of Michigan one must take a special
test.  When passed, the state issues the endorsement in library and
information science.  One can also get an Associates Degree in Library
Technology from Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, Michigan.  Upon
completion of this, one is "certified" by the State of Michigan to be a
library tech.  Many districts are hiring people with this type of degree
and certification to fill positions in their schools.  Then they only need
one person with the Master's Degree and the endorsement to be over the
entire district and still comply with Michigan's standards.  So - if I
understand the difference - an endorsement in Michigan is something for
teachers to include on their teaching certificates and requires a Master's
Degree (more hours of work on a higher level than a certificate).  Isn't it
something that I could go all the way through a program and still not
understand it myself.  All I know is that I now have the proper credentials
to be a Library Media Specialist/Librarian in any school in Michigan.  Hope
this helps in your search.
Kathy Hayes
May I recommend the program I'm finishing- rhe distance learning program
at Syracuse University. CHeck it out at http://istweb.syr.edu
-- Jennifer M. Lyons
************************************************************************

The MLS is the terminal degree recognized as "the" degree for "librarians".
  MLS librarians can hold a post in any library - public, academic,
special.   In many states, the "Educational Media Specialist " (or whatever
the different states call it) is the teaching certificate required by
school librarians/media specialists.   In NJ, in order to hold the EMS
certificate, you must A) first hold a valid teaching certificate and B)
obtain the MLS from an ALA-accredited program.    (I went to Rutgers, which
had a separate track for the media specialist folks.)  I know several
school library/media specialists who have their teaching certificate, but
have only the Associate EMS certificate; these folks have either an
undergrad minor in library science or an MA in another field (generally
education).   An MLS without the EMS certificate can't hold a job in a
public school library (unless there's an emergency certification involved).
So, the MLS is the degree - the EMS (by whatever name) is the state
teaching certificate.  I played it safe - I have both.
Barbara
Barbara R. Herbert

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