Library Media Specialist

The program emphasizes the development knowledge and skills needed to teach information literacy to the K–12 school community, to foster collaborative partnerships with the school’s faculty and administration, to motivate and guide students in these settings in the use of information and materials, and to evaluate and select materials that promote and support the information needs of this specialized clientele.
Graduates designated as Library Media Specialists are associated with library media centers attached to educational institutions. In this context, they serve the needs of students (K–12) and parents for informational, educational, and recreational materials as well as the needs of teachers, administrators, and other personnel seeking information and materials related to their professional responsibilities. By definition, Library Media Specialists must be competent in matching the most appropriate communication media to instructional, developmental, and recreational needs.
Students who choose this specialization are pursuing teacher certification as Library Media Specialist (certification title). GSLIS has programs both for students who have prior NYS teacher certification and for students who are not yet certified teachers.

Library Media Specialist for Certified Teachers (Program 604)

Applicants to this program (604) will need to first be admitted to GSLIS via the standard application procedure. Students who choose this specialization must have, prior to admission, permanent, provisional, or initial professional New York State teaching certification. Of the 36 credits needed for this degree, 33 are required, thus leaving only three credits (one course) as elective. In addition, New York State requires that students complete workshops including Child Abuse Identification, Violence Prevention, Substance or Alcohol Abuse, and School Safety. At Queens College this is done through the Office of Continuing Education.
Following completion of all courses for graduation, Queens College, through its Office of Certification, will, if the student wishes, forward all required materials to the New York State Department of Education for securing the individual’s certification. Applicants for Library Media Specialist teacher certification in NYS must pass the New York State Content Specialty Test #74/Library Media Specialist.  New York State will not grant certification without a passing score on this examination. Information regarding this examination can be found online at the NYS Office of Teaching Initiatives. 

Course of Study (Program 604)

GSLIS required core courses:

• LBSCI 700 The Technology of Information
• LBSCI 701 Fundamentals of Library and Information Science
• LBSCI 702 Information Sources and Service: General
• LBSCI 703 Introduction to Technical Services
• LBSCI 709 Research in Library and Information Studies (After completion of 21 credits)

GSLIS required LMS courses

• LBSCI 737 Literature for Children and Adolescents
• LBSCI 761 Organization and Management: Media Centers (25 hrs field work) prereq/coreq: 700/706, 701
• LBSCI 764 Instructional Technologies for Information Literacy) (25 hrs field work) prereq: 700/706, 702, 703
• LBSCI 765 Resources for the School Curriculum (25 hrs field work) prereq:  700/706, 702, 703
• LBSCI 767 Reading Motivation Techniques for Children & Adolescents (25 hrs field work) prereq: 700/706, 702, 737 or 739
• LBSCI 795 LBSCI 795 Internship (75 hours elementary, 75 hours secondary supervised by a NYS certified LMS) (After completion of 21 credits)

One elective LBSCI course 
Total: 36 credits

Library Media Specialist (Program 606)

This course of study is designed for students who are not certified teachers who wish to pursue initial NYS teacher certification in the area of Library Media Specialist (LMS). Graduates who successfully complete program requirements as well as other NYS requirements noted below will qualify to teach in NYS K-12 public school libraries.
Applicants to this program will need to first be admitted to GSLIS via the standard application procedure. Upon acceptance to GSLIS, students will be interviewed by the LMS Program Coordinator who will review their prior transcripts to ascertain whether applicants have the Core Liberal Arts and Science background required by NYSED for teachers. Applicants lacking any part of this requirement will need to complete this coursework at an accredited institution of higher education before acceptance to Program 606.

• Core Liberal Arts and Science - 30 credits
• Artistic Expression
• Communication
• Information Retrieval
• Humanities
• Language Other Than English
• Written Analysis and Expression
• History and Social Sciences
• Scientific Processes
• Mathematical Processes

NYSED specifies exactly what type of coursework is acceptable for each of these areas at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ Office of Teaching Initiatives.
In addition, applicants will be required to present:

• Passing score on the NYS Liberal Arts & Science Test (LAST)
• Satisfactory onsite writing sample evaluated by the LMS Program Coordinator

All of these requirements must be fulfilled before students can be accepted to Program 606.
Following completion of all requirements for graduation, Queens College - through its Office of Teacher Certification - will, if the student wishes, forward the student’s institutional material to the NYS Department of Education. Applicants for LMS Teacher Certification in NYS must pass the New York State Content Specialty Test #74/Library Media Specialist.  NYS will not grant certification without a passing score on this examination. Information regarding this examination can be found online at the NYS Office of Teaching Initiatives. 

Course of study (Program 606)

Required courses in Education:

• EECE 702 Social Foundations of Education Or Equivalent
• EECE 711 Ecological Perspectives on Development: The Childhood Years Or Equivalent
• ECPSE 700: Foundations of Special Education Or Equivalent

GSLIS required core courses:

• LBSCI 700 The Technology of Information
• LBSCI 701 Fundamentals of Library and Information Science
• LBSCI 702 Information Sources and Service: General
• LBSCI 703 Introduction to Technical Services
• LBSCI 709 Research in Library and Information Studies (After completion of 21 credits)

GSLIS required LMS courses

• LBSCI 737 Literature for Children and Adolescents
• LBSCI 761 Organization and Management: Media Centers (25 hrs field work) prereq/coreq: 700/706, 701
• LBSCI 764 Instructional Technologies for Information Literacy) (25 hrs field work) prereq: 700/706, 702, 703
• LBSCI 765 Resources for the School Curriculum (25 hrs field work) prereq:  700/706, 702, 703
• LBSCI 767 Reading Motivation Techniques for Children & Adolescents (25 hrs field work) prereq: 700/706, 702, 737 or 739
• LBSCI 795 Internship (20 days elementary, 20 days secondary supervised by a NYS certified LMS) (After completion of 21 credits)

• One elective LBSCI course 
  

Total: 45 credits

Other requiements (Program 606)
NYS examinations:

• Secondary Assessment of Teaching Skills (ATS-W)
• Content Specialty Test (CST) – LMS

Required workshops (at Queens College through the Office of Continuing Education)

• Child Abuse Identification
• School Violence Prevention
• Substance Abuse
• School Safety

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