The Department of Library Science is charged with applying the University's mission specifically to the field of Library and Information Science. The goals of the Department of Library Science are to:

1) prepare competent professionals for school librarianship;
2) encourage and support scholarly research and publications;
3) promote and participate in faculty growth and development;
4) offer educational services to schools, libraries, and the community; and
5) plan, implement, and evaluate the academic curriculum, teaching effectiveness, physical resources, program policies, and the learning environment.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

   Students who wish to pursue the Learning Resources Endorsement, the MLS degree or the Specialist Certification should request an application for admission to the Master of Library Science Program from the Department of Library Science, Sam Houston State University, P.O. Box 2236, Huntsville, Texas 77341. This form is in addition to the Graduate Application for Admission which must be completed and filed with the Dean, College of Education and Applied Science.

   Minimum requirements for regular admission include a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average and a score of 800 (verbal plus quantitative) on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Students may obtain conditional admission for up to 6 semester hours.

   This is the credential required for school library media specialists for employment in Texas schools including the Windham School System of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division.

   This credential may be issued to one who has a Bachelor's Degree, a valid Texas teacher's certificate, 21 approved semester hours, 3 semester hours of practicum working in a Learning Resources Center or 3 additional semester hours directly related to learning resources course work and one year of successful experience on a permit as a full-time public school librarian. A passing score on the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) is required.

   Six of the seven courses necessary for the Library Learning Resources Endorsement are LS 530, LS 532, LS 534, LS 537, LS 570, and LS 585. The final course is LS 566, Library Internship. LS 585 satisfies the state of Texas multi-ethnic course requirement. LS 560 is a Department of Library Science requirement for the Learning Resources Endorsement (LRE). No Library Science course which is over six (6) years old is acceptable towards a Learning Resources Endorsement. Application for this Endorsement is made through the Teacher Certification Officer, College of Education and Applied Science. Note prerequisites under individual courses.

This 36-hour degree provides for the principles and procedures common to libraries and information centers. The primary mission of the Department of Library Science is the preparation of school library media specialists for grades pre-K-12.

Required courses include:

LS 530, LS 532, LS 534, LS 537, LS 560, LS 566, LS 567, LS 570, LS 585, LS 591, LS 596, 1 elective.

This professional certificate is issued to one who has a Bachelor's Degree, a valid Texas teacher certificate, three years teaching experience, basic understanding of multicultural and multiethnic elements in society, 36 Library Science semester hours and a passing score on the ExCET test. The 36 hours includes LS 530, LS 532, LS 534, LS 537, LS 560, LS 566, LS 567, LS 570, LS 585, LS 591 and LS 596 plus 1 elective. In addition to these requirements, two professional education courses must be taken at the graduate level. These six hours are subject to the approval of the Teacher Certification Officer, College of Education and Applied Science.

LIBRARY SCIENCE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:

LS 530 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT. Principles of selection of library materials and procedures involved in building library collections. Latest trends and evaluation of research. Required for LRE and MLS.

LS 532 ORGANIZATION OF COLLECTIONS I. Introduction to the principles of descriptive cataloging and classification and subject analysis. The Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd ed. rev., Dewey Decimal Classification, 20th ed., the Sears List of Subject Headings, 14th ed., and ALA Filing Rules and an overview of technical services, processing centers, bibliographic control, and commercial cataloging utilities. Required for LRE and MLS.

LS 533 FOUNDATIONS OF LIBRARIANSHIP. The purpose of the course is to give students a thorough grounding in the concepts, behaviors, and issues inherent in librarianship and in particular, concerning school library media specialists. Elective.

LS 534 INFORMATION SERVICES AND RESOURCES I. Skills, techniques, and philosophy of the reference process with emphasis on the interview and strategy. Examination and discussion of basic reference tools using specific evaluative criteria. Analysis of library systems, networks, automated data bases, latest trends and research in the field of reference. Required for the LRE and MLS.

LS 537 SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER ADMINISTRATION. Planning, organizing, policy making, staffing, budgeting, facilities planning, decision making and services. Study of standards and trends and evaluation of research. Required for the LRE and MLS. Prerequisites: LS 530, 532, 534.

LS 560 LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN. Acquaints students with the selection, critical analysis, and historical development of literature for children. Emphasis will be placed on selecting recreational and informational materials for children reflecting our multicultural society; identifying techniques, activities, and strategies which motivate children to read and respond to literature; and developing critical abilities for evaluating literature for children. Required for LRE and MLS.

LS 561 CURRENT TRENDS IN MATERIALS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. Introduction to recent trends in materials for children and young adults with emphasis on multicultural understanding. Elective. Prerequisites: LS 560, 585

LS 563 ORGANIZATION OF COLLECTIONS II. Concentrated and advanced study of the principles of cataloging, classification, and subject analysis. Focuses on The Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd ed., rev., and emphasizes the special problems of nonbook materials, including films, video cassettes, video discs, sound recordings, compact discs, kits, and computer software. Evaluation of the latest trends and research in cataloging, classification, subject analysis, and technical services management. Elective. Prerequisite: LS 532.

LS 564 INFORMATION SERVICES AND RESOURCES II. Surveys the new technological developments having an impact on reference and information services including on-line communications, CD-ROMs, laser discs, and multimedia packages. Covers information highways fostering networking (i.e., Internet, RESNET, and NREN) as well as vendors such as DIALOG, BRS, Wilsonline, and First Search. Issues related to reference automation, proposals, budgetary considerations, and ethics are covered. Elective.

LS 566 LIBRARY INTERNSHIP. Supervised practice in a school library, incorporating seminars, conferences, journal, and evaluation. Required for the LRE and MLS. Prerequisites: LS 530, 532, 534, 537, 560, 570, 585.

LS 567 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY. A study of research techniques, identification of problems, research designs, and data-gathering procedures pertinent to the field of library science. Planning, production and evaluation of proposals. Survey of the application of research findings for the improvement of library management and services. Required for MLS. Prerequisite: LS 537.

LS 568 LIBRARY SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. Programming of children and young adult services, including promotional activities, storytelling, book talks, reading guidance, library skills and instruction, innovative projects and informal library use. Study of trends and evaluation of research in the area. Elective. Prerequisite: LS 560.

LS 570 INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND LIBRARY MEDIA PRODUCTION. Design and development of curriculum which utilizes the systematic approach to instruction. Emphasis on explicitly stated objectives, appropriate teaching strategies, and production of materials to facilitate achievement of goals using the latest in instructional technologies, including multimedia. Required for LRE and MLS.

LS 575 DIRECTED INDIVIDUAL STUDY IN LIBRARY SCIENCE. Independent research based on submitted research proposal. Elective. Prerequisite: Requires approval of Department Chair.

LS 580 MASTER'S SEMINAR.
In-depth study of specialized subjects. May be repeated as topics vary. Examples of topics:

Integrated On-line Library Systems
Nonfiction Literature for Children and Young Adults
Selecting and Evaluating Multicultural Materials for Youth
Teacher/Librarian Cooperation Emphasizing Creative Thinking
Update for School Library Learning Resources Specialists
Elective. Prerequisites: Appropriate required courses and approval of the Department Chair.

LS 585 LITERATURE FOR YOUNG ADULTS. A study of materials based upon personal and curriculum-related needs of young adults in a multicultural society. The preparation of reviews, oral and written reports, critical evaluations of print and nonprint literature-based media, booktalking, strategies for reading motivation, and the sharing of reading experiences are included. Required for LRE and MLS.

LS 591 THE INTERNET FOR SCHOOL MEDIA SPECIALISTS. An introduction to the telecommunications and the Internet for school library media specialists. Some of the topics to be covered include e-mail, listservs, telnet, ftp, Netscape and various information search tools, such as gopher and Veronica. In addition ethical issues related to responsible use of the Internet and a wide variety of curriculum connections will be explored. Required for MLS.

593 THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN. Examination of the historical development of a separate literature for children. Traces the history from the earliest books for children to current trends and issues in the field. Elective. Prerequisite: LS 560.

LS 596 COMPUTER SCIENCE APPLICATIONS TO LIBRARIANSHIP.History and current status of automated library services. Examination of the international standards, hardware, and software commercially available to support cataloging, circulation, on-line catalogs, reference services, and administrative tasks. Required for MLS. Prerequisites: LS 530, 532, 534, 570.