NEW!
Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Accepts Candidates
ALA-APA is currently accepting applications from potential candidates interested in achieving the Library Support Staff Certification.(LSSC). The LSSC Program is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff. Over forty candidates have applied since the program opened January 25, 2010.
This new certification program will help library support staff achieve recognition for current and new skills and abilities, and increase access to continuing education opportunities. ALA and ALA-APA President Camila Alire affirms, “This certification program was much needed for support staff in multi-type libraries across the country. Along with support staff, I am excited that it has finally come to fruition. I encourage library administrators and support staff to take advantage of this program.”
ALA-APA will award the LSSC to candidates who demonstrate achievement in six sets of competencies by completing approved courses or submitting portfolios that demonstrate their achievement. Candidates have four years from acceptance to complete the program.
The LSSC is open to any library support staff person with a high-school diploma or its equivalent and the equivalent of at least one year of full-time experience in a library with the last five years. Applicants do not have to be a member of ALA. The application fee is $325 for ALA members and $350 for non-ALA members.
A certification program was sought for many years by library support staff. In 2003, the ALA Congress on Professional Education III asked ALA to study LSS certification, ALA responded by including planning for a certification program in ALA’s strategic plan, ALA2010. Funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, ALA developed the LSSC over the past three years.
More information about the LSSCP is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/lssc. Direct questions to lssc@ala.org or call 312-280-2424.
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The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers.
Fee waiver for approved course applications
The LSSC program has a goal of a minimum of two approved courses in each competency set by January 25, when open application begins for the LSSC Program. To encourage this, LSSC is offering the waiver of course approval application fees for the first two courses in each competency set. The current status of each compentency set is:
| Competency Set | Number Approved |
|---|---|
| Foundations of Library Service | 1 |
| Technology | 0 |
| Communication and Teamwork | 1 pending |
| Access Services | 0 |
| Adult Readers' Advisory | 0 |
| Cataloging and Classification | 1 pending |
| Collection Management | 1 |
| Reference and Information Service | 1, with 1 approval pending |
| Supervision and Management | 1 |
| Youth Services | 0 |
Course approval application forms are on the LSSC website at www.ala-apa.org/lssc
ALA-APA Now Accepting Course Proposals for Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSC)
On October 1, 2009, ALA-APA will begin accepting applications from education providers interested in offering courses for candidates in the Library Support Staff Certificate Program, (LSSC). The LSSC is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff. Course providers may be organizations or individuals with the expertise, training, and resources to offer courses online or face-to-face. The ten competency sets for which courses are needed are in the areas of foundations of library services, technology, communication and teamwork, access services, adult readers advisory, cataloging and classification, collection management, reference, supervision and management, and youth services.
Potential providers complete an application, http://ala-apa.org/LSSC/courseapprovalapplication.doc, and submit a course syllabus, a description of the course’s teaching methods and assessment plan, and the instructor’s resume. The course must cover all the competencies in a competency set. The fee to be considered for approval is $100 each of the first and second courses submitted, and $50 per class for each additional course.
Candidates will have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, and have worked in a public or academic library for at least one year. Candidates have the option of completing approved courses or submitting online portfolios that demonstrate their achievement in six of ten competency sets.
The application will be evaluated by a committee of American Library Association member volunteers using a rubric, http://ala-apa.org/LSSC/courseevalrubric.doc. Reviews will be held periodically throughout the year and ALA-APA will notify applicants of their status. Approved courses will be publicized and available to all LSSC candidates. Courses that are approved will maintain that status, barring major changes, for four years.
Funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the LSSC Program is in a testing phase in five library organizations across the United States. The program will begin accepting candidates in January 2010. Based on survey information and other expressions of interest, project staff estimates that at least 300 library support staff will participate in the LSSC program in the next three years.
The LSSC Program was approved by the American Library Association to be an official certification of ALA in July 2009. More information about the LSSC is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/LSSC. Please direct questions to Jenifer Grady at jgrady@ala.org or 312-280-2424. The program will be managed by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association.
ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers.
Questions? Contact LSSC.
