IDP_MLS_Students

MLS Students
ECU ALA Student Chapter

On February 5, 2005 ECU’s library science program became the first student chapter to be chartered under a new initiative to permit programs endorsed by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the America Library Association (ALA), to form student chapters.  In 2015 the MLS program added the American Library Association (ALA) accreditation to its AASL endorsement. The student chapter offers a variety of learning and networking opportunities to MLS students interested in academic, public, school, and special libraries. Every matriculated MLS student is a member of the ALA student chapter.

The Chapter is active with online meetings and guest speakers, which enhances students’ total learning experience. These meetings have featured respected professionals such as Ann Martin, the 2008-2009 AASL President, Faye Snodgrass, Executive Director of Kappa Delta Pi, Barbara Stripling, the 2013-2014 ALA President, Karen O’Brien, the Director of the ALA Office for Accreditation, public library directors throughout the state, and school library media consultants at the NC Department of Public Instruction. The chapter also sponsors virtual sessions with current students and alumnae on various topics.

The chapter focuses its efforts on a successful annual “Give the Gift of Reading” Book Drive, a series of online presentations by eminent librarians. The Book Drive is the chapter’s signature event. Since the Book Drive’s inception in 2006 more than 1,400 books have been collected and donated to organizations throughout North Carolina.

Each year, the MLS faculty select a representative to attend ALA Annual in the Student-to-Staff program.  The student must be in the first tier of the program, have exemplary grades,  and show evidence of leadership potential.  The chosen representative becomes the in-coming ECU ALA Student Chapter President.

Click here for a list of past ALA Student Chapter Presidents.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Kawanna Bright
Department of Interdisciplinary Professions
Library Science Program
112 Ragsdale Hall
Greenville, NC 27858
252-737-1150
brightka19@ecu.edu

Advising

Students admitted to the Library Science Program are assigned a member of the MLS Faculty as an advisor. Students can find the name of their advisor in the Banner Self Service area on Pirate Port.

Incomplete
  • An incomplete can only be carried for one academic year, at which time it will convert to an “F”. Incompletes are granted at the discretion of the instructor. At least 50% of the coursework should be completed before consideration of an Incomplete.
  • A student with two or more incompletes will not be allowed to take additional courses until the incompletes are removed. Exceptions due to extenuating circumstances will be viewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will receive notice from the Graduate School that they are on academic probation and have one semester to meet the required 3.0 average.
Important Links
Professional Internship in Library Science

The primary purpose of the professional internship (LIBS 6991 or 6992) is to provide an opportunity for students to work in at least two approved library settings under supervision of an experienced librarian and university supervisor. Of the 110 required hours, 95 hours will be conducted at the main internship site and 15 hours of observation will be conducted a secondary site, that is a different type of library setting.

The 110 hour working experience, both in theory and practice, promotes the social construction of knowledge, intentionally incorporating increased freedom and professional responsibility on the part of the student, leading to actual meaning making of concepts taught in the Library Science program of study. Individuals will become critically conscious of themselves as professional librarians through the integration and application of theory, skills, and knowledge in the totality of the internship experience.

The internship also provides an opportunity to promote a positive and productive relationship among the faculty and students of the Library Science Program and other library professionals at work in public institutions, businesses, and schools.

International Internship:

The MLS program has established a partnership with the American Library in Paris (ALP) for students in either the public or academic concentration to complete their internship at the ALP. Typically, a student lives in Paris for one month and must be able to cover expenses for that period of time. Speaking French is not a requirement for the internship. For more information, contact the MLS Program Director.

Internship Forms:

To apply for the internship course, students need to complete 30 semester hours by the beginning of the semester they plan to take the internship course.

Students who lack an initial teaching license must also take LIBS 6989, Early Internship. This course is to be taken in addition to the 39 s.h. required for the MLS. LIBS 6989 is not an elective for other students and is not the same course as LIBS 6991 that students in the school concentration take near the end of the MLS program.

Technology Support

Technology support for students at ECU is available from Information Technology and Computing Services (ITCS). ITCS provides instructional information via its website and Facebook page. IT Help is available online through email and chat. For details, visit https://itcs.ecu.edu/students/.

Portfolio

Almost every graduate program includes a capstone experience or project that is used to assess whether students have met overall program goals. These capstone experiences can be research papers, theses, dissertations, culminating projects, comprehensive exams, oral exams, interviews, or a combination of these types of activities. The portfolio process requires a student’s participation throughout his or her coursework, and begins in the first course in the sequence (LIBS 6010). Throughout a student’s time in the program, he or she steadily posts to a portfolio and demonstrates mastery of professional skills, abilities, and dispositions required for the practice of the profession. This is done through the use of course artifacts (course projects) along with the student’s reflection upon those skills, abilities, and dispositions as revealed in the artifacts. The reflection essay associated with each artifact helps explain how the artifact demonstrates that the program objective and other professional standards have been met. It also acts as a record of the student’s self-assessment. The MLS portfolio is posted inTaskstream, which is used by all students in the College of Education. Each student undergoes a mid-program and final review of the portfolio. A student must pass the final portfolio review in order to obtain the degree or licensure.

For detailed instructions on creating and maintaining a portfolio account, read Taskstream Instructions.

The following standards may apply to your portfolio artifacts and reflections:

Graduation Guidelines

The Application for Graduation must be completed online. This should be done one semester prior to completion of the degree/certificate. Check Degree Works often to ensure you are fulfilling all graduation requirements. If you are dual-degree or are also graduating with a certificate, you will have to submit a separate online application for each program. Application for graduation can be completed through PiratePort.

Graduation Application Deadlines

Spring Term – February 1
Summer Term – April 1
Fall Term – September 1

For more information, go to the ECU Graduate Catalog. Scroll down toInstructions for How to Apply for Graduation.

Beta Phi Mu

Beta Phi Mu is the national honorary society for the library science profession. The chapter for our program is Beta Beta Omicron. Each year, graduates from the program are nominated by faculty for their scholarship and leadership. No more than 35% of the annual graduating class may be nominated for membership. A minimum GPA of 3.75 is required for consideration.

Library Job Resources

ALA Job List
Includes career advice.

North Carolina Community Colleges Job Board
The 58 Community Colleges plus the System Office in Raleigh contribute to the various job listings.

State Library of North Carolina Current Library Jobs
The State Library posts position announcements as a service to libraries in the state of North Carolina.

Many public libraries in North Carolina post their job openings on a county job board. Search using keywords such as “library” and “librarian” to find the library jobs on these county sites.

School library positions may be posted on Indeed or NC TeacherMatch.

Watch for announcements of job openings throughout the year from the MLS Current Student listserv. Faculty members often receive notifications of opportunities that we share.

Return to MLS Home