For more information, please contact Mike Schulz | 406/683-7492 | m_schulz@umwestern.edu.
The primary objective of the K-12 Library Media Program is to help candidates become highly qualified and effective teacher librarians. The program jointly operated by The University of Montana - Missoula (UMM) and The University of Montana Western (UMW) is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Montana Board of Public Education. Both UMM and UMW maintain standards of excellence in preparing library media specialists with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for becoming accomplished professionals.
Discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities
Demonstrate planning, implementing, teaching, and evaluating an integrated instructional program in information literacy; (LIB 461)
Demonstrate working collaboratively with students and certified and support staff in the development of K-12 curriculum that promotes information literacy to prepare independent lifelong learners, including the implementation of Indian Education for All; (LIB 461)
Demonstrate the ability to manage the library facility to meet school district goals and exhibit professional best practices through policy development, budgeting, needs assessment, market analysis, technical skills, and collaboration with students, faculty, and administrators; (C&I 484)
Demonstrate administrative strategic planning skills including public relations, budgeting , funding, and facility and equipment management; (C&I 484)
Manage library collections through evaluation, selection, acquisition, and organization of library materials for staff, faculty, and diverse learners, including American Indian learners; (C&I 480, LIB 464)
Demonstrate knowledge of acquisitions and technical services and the policies and procedures that govern these services; (C&I 483) Use emerging information technologies and explain their impact on the K-12 library media program; (C&I 488)
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of literature for children and young adults; (ED 360, ENG 360)
Practice and model the ethical, legal, and social responsibilities of librarianship. (C&I 480, 488, LIB 461)
Evaluate a SLMC collection; create a curriculum map (C&I 480)
Create complete MARC record worksheets using AACR2, LCSH subject headings and DDC numbers; interviews with SLMSs allow the students to elarn how different process,catalog and shelve materials (C&I 483)
Prepare a budget for your library; writea a poices and prcedures manual for your slmc (C&I 484)
Choose and manage library automation system; Use integrated software application suite, (e.g., Microsoft Office) in the administation of their library (C&I 484)
Communication skills
Demonstrate working collaboratively with students and certified and support staff in the development of K-12 curriculum that promotes information literacy to prepare independent lifelong learners, including the implementation of Indian Education for All; (LIB 461, C&I/LIB 469/485)
Demonstrate planning, implementing, teaching, and evaluating an integrated instructional program in information literacy; (LIB 461)
Demonstrate administrative strategic planning skills including public relations, budgeting , funding, and facility and equipment management; (C&I 484)
Report findings of collection analysis to principal; Asynchronous and synchronous discussions; write a rationale for keeping a book that has been challenged in your library.(C&I 480)
Asynchronous and synchronous discussions (C&I 483)
Create a publicity campaign for your library for National Library Week; develop a bulletin board (C&I 484)
Create and maintain school library media center website; use wikis to collaborate on a group project (C&I 488)
Problem-solving skills
Manage library collections through evaluation, selection, acquisition, and organization of library materials for staff, faculty, and diverse learners, including American Indian learners; (C&I 480, LIB 464)
Demonstrate the ability to manage the library facility to meet school district goals and exhibit professional best practices through policy development, budgeting, needs assessment, market analysis, technical skills, and collaboration with students, faculty, and administrators; (C&I 480,484)
Determine the age of a library collection; select materials that support curriculum and are age appropriate for students (C&I 480)
MARC record worksheets using AACR2, LCSH subject headings and DDC numbers (C&I 483)
Write a procedure for dealing with challenged materials for your library; create a form that the challenger would have to fill out to initiate the process (C&I 484)
Evaluation of information found on the Internet; choose the right library automation system and justifying it (C&I 488)
Discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities
Library Media professors assess students' discpline-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities via exams, written research reports and internship reports.
Specific courses and assessment activities:
ED 360, Creation of annotated bibliographies, reports, group projects, curriculum presentations.
ENG 360, Creation of annotated bibliographies, reports, group projects, curriculum presentations.
LIB 461, Creation of a multi-disciplinary research process for information literacy instruction with specific focus on the Native American population, Evaluate the K-12 library media center and its impact on learning and teaching
LIB 464, Evaluate Curriculum/Demographics in developing print and nonprint reference collections, Evaluate Search Engines and their strengths for various subjects and searches, Focus on multicultural, gender differences for collection development.
C&I 480: Evaluate a SLMC collection using several different evaluation tools, such as Excel and their library automation system’s report feature. Create a subject bibliography of new materials which will strenghten one weak area of the collection.
C&I 483: Create MARC record worksheets using AACR2, LCSH subject headings and DDC numbers; Interview SLMSs to learn how different libraries process, catalog and shelve materials
C&I 484: Prepare a budget for your library; write a policies and procedures manual for your SLMC
C&I 488: Evaluate a library automation system; Create a budget using Excel. Write a bibliography using Word.
C&I 485 OR LIB 469, Library Media Practicum: Six to Ten Personal Learning Objectives, Midpoint and Final Site Supervisor Evaluation, Midpoint and Final Student Self Evaluation, and Student and Site Supervisor Practicum Evaluation
Communication skills
All courses in the Library Media K-12 minor contain a field based component or mentorship in which students must use both oral and written communication skills.
Specific courses and assessment activities:
ED 360, Conduct presentations of indiviudal student and group projects.
ENG 360, Conduct presentations of individual student and group projects.
LIB 461, Conduct certificated librarian interviews regarding information literacy, Conduct a survey of K-12 information literacy regionally and nationally
LIB 464, Conduct certificated librarian Interviews on reference collection development, and practice reference interview.
C&I 480: Write a letter to your principal which outlines the findings of your collection analysis. Write a rationale for keeping a book that has been challenged in your library.
C&I 483: Discuss different processing procedures on a threaded discussion.
C&I 484: Create a publicity campaign for your library for National Library Week; develop a bulletin board
C&I 488: Develop a plan for your school library media center website; use wikis to collaborate on a group project
C&I 485 OR LIB 469, Library Media Practicum: Daily Practicum Log, Weekly Synchronus Chat
Problem-solving skills
The assignments in all courses of the Library Media K-12 minor are synthesis activities.
Specific courses and assessment activities:
ED 360, Evaluate children's literature by genre and how it can enhance the curriculum.
ENG 360, Evaluate young adult literature by genre and how it can enhance curriculum.
LIB 461, Create an information literarcy curriculum infused with the ALA/AECT Information Literacy and Montana Library Standards curriculum development, Conduct eacher/library collaboration literature research.
LIB 464, Compare and contrast print and digital Sources information resources and explore reference ethics and issues. Write a Reference policy and procedure manual.
C&I 480: Determine the age of a library collection; select materials that support curriculum and are age appropriate for students;
C&I 483: Create MARC record worksheets using AACR2, LCSH subject headings and DDC numbers
C&I 484: Write a procedure for dealing with challenged materials for your library; Create a form that the challenger would have to fill out to initiate the process
C&I 488: Evaluate information found on the Internet; Choose the right library automation system and justify your decision.
C&I 485 OR LIB 469, Library Media Practicum: Descriptions of the Community and Region Library Serves in relation to policies/procedures, collection development, and services.
Feedback from current students
UMW Library Media faculty receive program feedback from current UMW students via the following venues:
Library Media specific evaluations (surveys) of the program, mid-point and conclusion.
Capstone assessment: journal and log reports in C&I 485/LIB 469, Library Media Practicum (Summer Session 2008) and C&I 485, Library Media Practicum (Summer Session 2007).
Feedback from outside constituencies
Feedback from practicum mentors using a program-specific survey (evaluation)
Survey feedback from graduates one year after graduation (implemented AY 2006-07, feedback from 2004-05 program graduates)
Survey feedback from employers of 2004-05 graduates (implemented AY 2006-07)
The UMW Library Media faculty collaborated with personnel in the Career Services Office to build graduate and employer surveys. The surveys were distributed by and returned to the Career Services Office. The Career Services Office compilesthe data and provids it to the UMW Library Media faculty to review and to assist with making program/curriculum decisions.
Evaluation of teaching
During fall semester, the UMW VCAA chooses the UMW faculty member's course to be evaluated. Each UMW Library Media faculty member chooses a course during spring semester that s/he wants evaluated by students. Feedback is compiled and shared with the faculty member and UMW VCAA. In addition, each faculty member also has at least one peer evaluation per year.
Curriculum Review
The jointly-developed curriculum for the Library Media K-12 minor is reviewed extensively through the collaborative effort of UMM and UMW Library Media faculty. The entire program is offered online and each course includes a collaborative fieldbased component.
The UMW Library Media faculty also reviews the results of employer and alumni surveys provided by Career Services and considers making adjustments to the Library Media minor as necessary.
The department also uses information from the capstone course (C&I 488 or LIB 469) to make adjustments to the Library Media minor as needed.
Criteria and procedures for admission and retention of students
Currently, criteria and procedures for admission and retention of Library Media students parallel the criteria and procedures of admission to UMW and UMM.
Appraisal of annual program goals and assessment of their success:
Potential modification of curriculum based upon feedback from recent graduates, alumni following one year of employment or graduate/professional school, employers, collected exhibits/artifacts, student self-assessment survey results, evaluations by site supervisors, and a Library Media specific survey sent to graduates within one year of completing the program.
Self-study or reports from external reviews
As part of UMW's joint accreditation by NCATE and the Board of Public Education/Office of Public Instruction (BPE/OPI), the Library Media K-12 minor will be reviewed in fall 2008.
Description of program-specific curriculum development bodies and advisory groups
The Teacher Education Advisory Board meets annually and consists of teachers, school administrators, university faculty, OPI representatives, and other representatives of the community.
The Western campus based libary and technology committee made up of faculty, staff and students also provides feedback on the K-12 Library Media Program at its annual meetings.