Clarion University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Science in Library Science program – one of the nation’s largest programs for the preparation of library and information professionals – has been reaccredited by the American Library Association (ALA) for seven years, the longest period of accreditation issued by the Association. The decision was made on January 9, 2011, in San Diego, during ALA’s Midwinter Conference.
The department has been continuously accredited by ALA since 1974/75, when it achieved initial accreditation while under the administration of Elizabeth Rupert, former dean of the College of Library Science. As an indication of the rigor of ALA accrediting standards, only 58 programs throughout the United States and Canada have ALA accreditation. The former College of Library Science is now a unit within the College of Education and Human Services.
Clarion MSLS graduates have a strong track record of success in the profession and are employed in libraries and other information institutions around the globe. While the department maintains a traditional classroom environment on campus, the majority of its approximately 400 graduate students study online.
The process leading to accreditation involved two years of self-study, including surveys of students, alumni, employers of alumni, and other stakeholders in the MSLS program. The result was the production of 100+ page Program Presentation which served as the basis for a visit to the department in September 2010 by a six-member External Review Panel representing the ALA Committee on Accreditation. The Committee on Accreditation’s decision was based on the Panel’s report, the department’s Program Presentation, and a presentation before the committee in San Diego by Dr. John Groves, Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, and Dr. Janice Krueger, chair of the library science department.
The MSLS is a 36-credit (12 courses) program, which can be completed in one calendar year by students attending full time, although the majority of Clarion’s online students are working adults who attend as part-time students. In addition to the MSLS program, the department also offers a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in library science, a fully online Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a Concentration in Library Science, and a post-masters Certificate of Advanced Studies.
Persons interested in additional information on the department and its programs may contact the department at 814.393.2271, 866-272-5612 (toll-free), or [log in to unmask]
Dr. William Buchanan
Professor
Department of Library Science
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
840 Wood Street
Clarion, PA 16214
814.393.2447 (office)
814.393.2150 (fax)
