Preparation of School Library Media Specialists in the United States
Recruiting and preparing the next generation of school library media specialists (SLMSs) is a growing concern nationwide. School library media preparation programs are critical to meeting the current shortage of SLMSs in the United States. To determine the status of professional preparation programs for SLMSs, surveys were sent to forty-eight American Library Association (ALA)-accredited library education programs and 155 programs that prepare SLMSs but are not accredited by the ALA. Specifics related to the percentages of students and faculty in this specialization, the fulland part-time status of students, and the numbers of students enrolled were addressed in this survey. The survey further sought to determine the status of distance education opportunities, the internship as part of the school-media curriculum, and recruitment efforts of school library media preparation programs, school districts, state departments of education, and professional organizations.
School Library Media Preparation Programs in ALA-Accredited Schools.
This study was undertaken to discover the current availability of school library media preparation programs in schools with American Library Association (ALA) accreditation, percentages of students and faculty involved in this specialization, and the nature of courses required and recommended in this field. In addition, course coverage of general competency areas identified by joint guidelines of the ALA, American Association of School Librarians (AASL), and the National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) were explored. The survey results of forty-three schools are tabulated and summarized in this article
Library Education and Research in Librarianship. Some Current Problems and Trends in the United States
In a period of rapid expansion and deep dissatisfaction with education everywhere it is hazardous to make brief general pronouncements to such an assembly. Accordingly, when Preben Kirkegaard and I first began to talk about today's program I asked him how he thought I might best deal with this topic. Our exchange of notes led to the conclusion that I should group my observations äs answers to four questions: