Teacher-librarian

A teacher-librarian, or library media specialist, is a certified teacher who also has training in librarianship. In the United States, a teacher-librarian must have a baccalaureate degree and a certificate in secondary or elementary education, and must also complete a library media program and gain a state certification. Programs in library science vary between institutions; however, state requirements must be met before a library media specialist is allowed to teach. Some library media speicialists hold the full Masters or Library Science (or Masters of Library Information Science) degree, while others do not. Librarians who have an MLS but do not have the requisite teaching credentials must obtain these teaching credentials and classroom teaching experience first before they are permitted to work as teacher-librarians, and often additional library science graduate coursework is required, focused specifically on issues pertaining to school librarianship.

Teacher-librarians typically work in school library settings, and their jobs include: teaching classes either collaboratively with teachers or on their own; choosing appropriate material to support student growth and school curriculum; processing and cataloging new materials; encouraging reading for all age levels; maintaining library policies and the library budget; planning for the library space, (including remodeling); and maintaining an overall positive atmosphere in the library.