Welcome to the official blog of the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP). This project, started in July 2007, is developing a voluntary certification program for all of those who work in positions in libraries that do not require a Master's in Library Science. The LSSCP staff and Advisory Committee are excited about the project's progress and plan to use this blog to provide you with information, answer your questions and respond to your comments. We hope that the blog also stimulates discussion among its readers. We plan to post important documents to the blog, beginning with a full LSSCP Briefing Document for ALA Midwinter. However, to avoid information overload, we will keep these documents to a minimum. For more detailed information on LSSCP, follow the link to http://www.ala-apa.org/lsscp/. We're first time bloggers so if you have any suggestions for our blog, please let us know!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Welcome to the LSSCP Blog!
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12 comments:
I am looking over the document for the LLSSCP and am wondering what the difference will be between this program and the LTA programs offered at a Community College. Would there be an advantage to this program over the other for support staff. Also, could the curriculum be changed so that there are other elective competency sets specific for K-12 schools? So many rural schools have libraries manned by non-profession library staff. Larger public school libraries would also benefit by having educated support staff.
Why were K-12 schools not included in this program?
I have the same questions. I also wonder if this will eventually be required for support staff, and how does this "equivilate" to a Mastered Librarian or does it?
Is this for all support staff, or those who are managing or working in libraries supervising one or two staff members, or is that up to the discretion of the librarian or director of that library?
I would have liked to have seen this be a live chat with direct answers, that would be cool. My director asked me to get as much information as I can, so I hope to get results and answers soon
How will previous work experience and knowledge play into this. I have a AAS Library Technician Degree from the Community College here and the Western Council Library Practitioner certificate. I take on line classes consistently and have transcripts, etc, clock hours from my previous years a a library media tech in a public school. Can all of this be applied to the LSSCP program?
Sorry, I have a lot of questions.
I am looking through the document, and under fees it says that for enrolling it will cost $350 (steep for the economy right now) paid upon application to be a candidate, does that mean that someone could be turned down for this or does it just mean that you are now a candidate for the certificate that maybe not everyone will be able to earn?
I'm a little confused by the requrements for completion. Does the candidate have to take all of the elective's or just the ones that might apply to their job requrements, such as supervision or cataloging. Does the applicant have to know all of it if they don't work in certain areas?
4 years to complete the competancies seems like a long time. How detailed are they, and where will the applicants be able to find the courses?
Is it possible, with a certain amount of hours, the 1,820 that are required, and with previous course completions and attendances at conferences, and chairing conferences, etc, that the applicant might be able to finish before the four years, as those will count to the competancies won't they?
Two more questions
Is this only for those with the title Library Technician, and when will this be happening. I know it is in the test market now, but I also know that some library techs may not be in the field if it takes too much time to earn this certificate, because during that four years of training, they may not be advancing in their careers.
I know that I would probably take it, though my boss is not sure that I need too with all my other qualifications, but I want it for me, but the person who heads my ILL department, and the Processing department, are not library technicians and are old enough that they will be leaving us with in the next several years and would not be willing to wait to take it and then spend four years on earning the certificate. We need to get this option out there to everyone as soon as possible, so that libraries can decide if their techs need this certificate or if the "untrained" staff are the ones that need it.
I'm also concerned about the amount of money this is going to cost. For course providers Library Tech programs, Library and Information Science programs, etc, these are expensive on top of the 350.00 and then if they are going to be taking those particilar programs to earn therier degrees, are they going to need this certificate. I think you are asking a lot from people who now have to give two to four years to training and then have to submit for the application and renew in five years, what will the renewal consits of and will the classes on say Web Junction suffice since they offer them, or do they now have to pay again amd rearrage schedules to go back to school for training to renew
In 2002 I took a 12 hour CE on-line tutorial program from Texas State Library and Archives Commission and another 12 hours in 2004 and received a Certificate of Workshop Participation for each one of the 12 sections. My supervisor accepted these CE's certificates along with my experience and promoted me to the position of Lead Library Technician in our medical library. How would your progam differ from the on-line tutorial and will there be more than one level of certification? Is this program geared more toward the new library technician instead of someone like myself who has 11 years experience?
I'm curious too about that, but also, I have to take classes to recertify from the Western Council and I took Clock Hours classes when I worked for the school district, plus all my previous classes, will those be accepted for the ALA certification. I know if will be difficult to do a portfolio, but I have copies of all of my classes and my Library Tech degree
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