Overview and Alternative Paths
Overview and Alternative Paths within the School Library Media Program
The School Library Media Program is grounded in Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, the national guidelines of the American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications and Technology; Illinois standards for the Library Information Specialist; and the School of Education’s conceptual framework emphasizing scholarship, leadership, and service.
The Dominican University Master of Library and Information Science Degree with School Library Information Specialist Certification is designed to educate school library media specialists at the elementary, middle and secondary school levels. Completion of the approved entitlement program qualifies students to apply for an Illinois Special (K-12) Certificate (Type 10) in the concentration area of Library Information Specialist.
Students with bachelor’s degrees (some with master’s degrees in other fields) and without teaching certificates earn an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree and an Illinois Type 10 Standard Special Certificate (K-12) as a School Library Information Specialist.
Students with ALA-accredited MLIS degrees may enroll in this program to earn the Type 10 certificate for school library media specialists in Illinois. A minimum of two Dominican University GSLIS courses must be completed prior to participation in the clinical experience. Graduate transcripts and professional work experience will be reviewed with the students to assess the courses required to complete certification requirements. Courses taken previously will be evaluated based on when the course was taken. GSLIS courses that focus primarily on technology or literature and the three required education courses need to have been taken within the previous five years to be applied to the School Library Media Program requirements. Post-MLIS applicants applying to the School Library Media Program may qualify for a waiver of some GSLIS admission requirements. Refer to the Apply section for post-MLIS admission procedures.
Students with valid Illinois teaching certificates interested in earning a Library Information Specialist endorsement should contact their Regional Office of Education for specific requirements based on their certificate status.
The School Library Media Program fulfills all the Illinois State Board of Education requirements for a Special (K-12) Certificate (Type 10) in the concentration area of Library Information Specialist. A candidate may instead choose to split the certificate and obtain an Initial Elementary Certificate (Type 03) and an Initial Secondary Certificate (Type 09), each endorsed in the K-12 concentration area of Library Information Specialist.
For the most current information on Illinois State certification requirements we encourage students to visit www.isbe.net.
Specialized library professionals, such as Youth Services or Children’s Librarians, interested in pursuing a school liaison role may earn a Dominican University Certificate of Special Study in School Libraries by successfully completing five relevant courses. The designation of these courses will be determined collaboratively by the student and the program director. The student has five years within which to complete the five designated courses.
