Training

School library staff can enjoy a wide variety of training opportunities—from half-day workshops to conferences and semester-long classes. SCOE’s Library/Media staff plan many short workshops during the school year and coordinate large vendor events twice a year. The California School Library Association offers regional trainings and an annual statewide conference. For more intense study, college and university classes and degree programs are available via distance learning.

Library/Media Training

California School Library Association: Annual Conference
CSLA’s annual conference is a phenomenal statewide event. Training sessions, special interest meetings, users groups, keynote speakers, and other special events fill the four-day schedule and hundreds of publishers and other vendors have booths in the exhibit hall. The professional development, purchasing, and networking that can be packed into this conference make it one of the most worthwhile events for school library staff. CSLA also offers regional workshops and maintains calendars of library related events and conferences.

SCOE Workshops
SCOE offers a variety of staff development opportunities throughout the school year to support school library staff and programs. Half-day trainings address library skills and procedures, library program development, book selection, or collection development for a specific section of the collection. At the beginning and end of the year, SCOE brings library publishers and vendors to the county. General meetings, scheduled as each school year begins and ends, also provide an overview of library media topics, issues, funding, and local library and literacy events. Browse the listings for workshop descriptions, then register online.

Programs for Paraprofessionals

Library/Information Technology Programs at Cuesta College
Several of California’s community colleges offer certificate or degree programs for library technicians. Santa Rosa Junior College offers some library science classes, although it does not offer library science certification or a degree. Both certificate and Associate degree programs are available through Cuesta College (the community college in San Luis Obispo), with required classes and electives available in online formats. The program is designed to enhance individual skills and provide a sound knowledge base for paraprofessionals in a public, school, academic, or special library with coursework that includes general library practices and skills as well as specific electives about school libraries and literature for children.

Programs for Professionals

California Library Media Teacher Services Credential
Library Media teachers in California have both a teaching credential and a Library Media Teacher Services Credential. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) provides credential information and requirements and clarifies the duties and requirements for California’s Library Media Teacher credential. Also take a look here for the Title 5 regulations pertaining to authorization for service as a Library Media Teacher that were recently updated to clarify the different roles and duties appropriate for credentialed or classified library staff.

California Library Media Teacher Credential Programs
Several college and university programs in California offer LMT service credential programs. The listing briefly describes the program and includes information on distance learning opportunities and a link directly to each program. In order to serve people from a wide geographic area, all of these programs have adapted their offerings to include classes that may be partially or fully online, available on weekends or in the summer, offered as intense short-term classes over winter break, taught at other sites, or provided via satellite to several sites. Note: Only San José State offers both the California credential program and an ALA accredited Master’s Program in Library & Information Studies.

• San José State University
• California State University, Chico
• California State University, Long Beach
• California State University, Sacramento
• Azusa Pacific University
• Fresno Pacific University

ALA: School Librarianship as a Career
Interested in being a school librarian? Have a few questions? The School Librarianship as a Career site from the American Library Association identifies roles and responsibilities of school librarians, shares recruitment brochures, links to accredited library training programs, and offers tips for choosing a master’s program.