The following pages provide a brief look at the coursework completed
towards the requirements of a Master of Information and Library Science degree at Southern Connecticut State University. The
direction of study is College and University libraries. The links on the left lead to pages detailing professional competencies,
various fieldwork, completed courses and a comprehensive resume.
Graduating a masters degree program in library science requires a knowledge of and competence in
specific skills. Several library related organizations have created lists of recommended competencies. Three types of professional
librarian competencies are explored here including: eight librarian core competencies, five research library competencies
and six core technology skills. These are skills specifically prescribed by the American Library Association (ALA), the Association
of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) and Webjunction respectively as necessary for a novice librarian who has specialized
in research librarianship. Each section under the competencies link describes how courses taken towards this degree addressed
the stated necessary skills and competencies.
Twelve courses were taken in total with a total of thirty-six credit hours
completed in a five year period through online courses, one per semester. The five required foundation courses for the degree
included: "Introduction to Information Science and Technology", "Foundations of Librarianship", "Information Analysis and
Organization", "Reference Resources" and "Evaluation and Research". Electives included "Digital Libraries", "Collection Development",
"Materials and Services for Adults" "College and University Libraries" and "Library Management. Two special courses were taken
as well: "Field Work" and "Independent Study".
Field experience was fourfold. This included a short, month long internship
for the foundation course "Foundations of Librarianship". Two courses, "Field Work" and "Independent Study" contributed to
hands on experience along with writing an article and preparing presentations for professional meetings. The yearlong graduate
assistantship was the fourth field experience and helped to develop teaching skills and course promotion, while also affording
the opportunity to present study information in a professional setting.
The
final project applied towards the degree requirements was a paper originally prepared for the "College and University Libraries"
course, under the direction of Dr. Kusack. This study gauged the use of the library webpage and liaison librarian at women's
college libraries to provide information for faculty members. (Please see Final Project Page for details).
This
is my second Masters degree, my first degree being in costume and textiles from the Fashion Institute of Technology, in New
York. I chose the "College and University Libraries" direction because I would like to ultimately combine the two degrees
at a college or university that has a costume and textile department and a collection of books and other materials in this
subject. Based on my exposure to proposing books for a special collection, as part of my coursework I chose to prepare a collection
of textile books for a local college collection.
The entire experience at Southern Connecticut State University in the Information
and Library Science Department has been very positive. It was a time of great development in terms of new skills acquired
and intellectual stimulation. As I took each course I was working simultaneously at a university library. Each class greatly
supported and complemented my professional role and provied me with valuable perspective and insight. Working in a library
likewise supported and broadened my understanding of the coursework in which I was taking part providing a mutually supportive
and broadening experience.
