(originally posted by Betha Gutsche on the CLENERT listserv, 10/6/09)
This news item has just been released from the Library Support Staff Certificate Program (LSSC). Please spread the word to anyone who might be developing or offering courses to meet their needs.
ALA-APA is 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.
Potential providers complete an application, http://ala-apa.org/lsscp/courseapprovalapplication.doc, and submit a course syllabus, a description of the course’s teaching methods and assessment plan, and the instructor’s resume. The application will be evaluated by a committee of American Library Association member volunteers using a rubric, http://ala-apa.org/lsscp/courseevalrubric.doc. 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. The LSSC Program was approved by the American Library Association to be an official certification of ALA in July 2009. More information about the LSSCP is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/lsscp. Please direct questions to Jenifer Grady at jgrady@ala.org or 312-280-2424.