What's New in Academe
Students can now earn master's degree in library science online
Archived article from Nov 15, 2004
By Ken Branson
Rutgers will tackle a projected shortage of librarians by offering an online master’s degree in library and information science beginning in the fall of 2005. The degree will be available through the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies (SCILS). The program will be funded by a $969,773, three-year grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Rutgers’ graduate library program is rated among the 10 best in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine ranks the program’s school librarian specialization – an area of particular need in New Jersey – as the best in the country. Rutgers offers the only Master in Library and Information Science (MLIS) program in the state accredited by the American Library Association. The online MLIS program will have the same requirements, curriculum and faculty as the on-campus program and is designed for part-time students. Online students will have to come to campus for three days at the beginning of each year.
“About 60 percent of our students attend classes part time,” said Nicholas Belkin, professor and chair of the department of library and information science. “They have families and jobs, and if they don’t live within reasonable driving time of New Brunswick, it’s very hard for them to take part in our master’s program, which has only been offered in New Brunswick.”
Belkin hopes the new program attracts potential students from rural parts of the state and from cities that have been underrepresented among their students, such as Newark, Paterson, Jersey City and Camden. SCILS plans to admit 40 students each fall and 20 each spring to the online program for the next three years.
Norma Blake, New Jersey’s State Librarian, says the initiative couldn’t come at a better time. “We’re about to have a shortage of certified librarians around the state, especially in urban libraries,” said Blake, who runs the New Jersey State Library in Trenton. “Many librarians in New Jersey are getting ready to retire in the next few years. School librarians are in special demand. Rutgers has the only master’s program in New Jersey accredited by the American Library Association, and if a prospective student lives too far away, it’s very difficult for them to pursue their studies.”
Blake noted that becoming a librarian is often a second career. Many people have other jobs and children and can’t study until after their jobs are done and their children in bed. “Making it possible for people to complete their studies at home, on their own schedules, will make it much easier for them to pursue their studies,” she said.
Belkin said admission requirements for the online program will be the same as for those students studying on campus. Prospective students still have to take the Graduate Record Examination and apply for admission to the program.
Karen Novick, director of professional development studies at SCILS, noted that the school has a long history of outreach and has offered a master’s program in library studies since the 1950s. “We’ve got a lot of experience with online programs, as well,” Novick said. “We’ve offered some courses online since 1996. Librarians are very comfortable with doing things online.”
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