Maryland Public Librarians & Directors. Certification Process and Requirements

Transcription

1 Maryland Public Librarians & Directors Certification Process and Requirements Produced by the Division of Library Development and Services (DLDS) February

2 Background Public librarian and public library director certificates are areas of certification within the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Certification program The program is governed by the Maryland State Board of Education Title 13A regulation in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) The public librarian and public library director certification areas are administered by two divisions within the Maryland State Department of Education: The Division of Library Development and Services which oversees the program for public libraries at the state level The Division of Educator Effectiveness (formerly the Division of Certification and Accreditation) that oversees the certification process for all the certificate holders in the program and issues the certificates. Consequently, some regulations that govern the program impact the public librarian and public library director certificate area but are not specifically stated in the library regulation at present. Certification makes Maryland public librarians and public library directors eligible to participate in the state retirement system (COMAR ). 2

3 Overview In this webinar, we will cover the following as it pertains to public librarian and public library director certification: Initial certification: Requirements Process Certification Renewal: Requirements Process The responsibilities of the certificate holder The responsibilities of the staff development coordinator The responsibilities of DLDS The responsibilities of the MSDE Certification Branch Questions and Answers Additional Questions 3

4 Initial Certification Requirements If you are a public librarian or a director in a Maryland public library, you are required by Maryland State Law (COMAR 13A ) to have a Professional Public Librarian Certificate or Public Library Director Certificate. It makes the person eligible to participate in the state retirement system. Public Librarian Certificate Applicants must have a master s degree from a library school accredited by ALA or in accordance with the requirements set forth in COMAR 13A Public Library Director Certificate Applicants must have a master s degree from a library school accredited by ALA and 5 years of experience as a professional librarian and at least 2 years of administrative or supervisory work. 4

5 Note: Foreign Degrees The American Library Association (ALA) accredits degrees in the United States and Canada The regulations that govern certification in Maryland require that all non- U.S. degrees be evaluated and authenticated by a third party evaluator for comparability of degree and course work (COMAR 13A B(1)) If an applicant for the public librarian certificate has a Canadian master s degree, the degree will need to go through this process A list of third party evaluators can be found at: on_branch/certification_inf/apply/docs/approved_foreign_evaluation.htm 5

6 Note: Expired Certificates COMAR regulation 13A governs the reinstatement of expired certificates If an applicant wants to apply for public librarian certification but has an expired certificate from another certificate area, he/she must reinstate his/her initial certificate by meeting the renewal requirements for that certificate before a new endorsement could be added Once the initial certification is renewed, new certifications can be added to the original certificate These additions are known as endorsements A person may only hold one certificate at a time but may add endorsements for other certificate areas if they present evidence of their qualifications for those endorsements. 6

7 How to apply for Initial Certification Step One: The Staff Development Coordinator sends the following in the mail to the MSDE Certification Branch: A cover letter with the following information about the applicant: Full name Full date of birth Social security number Address of the applicant Phone number of the applicant for the applicant A copy of the applicant s transcript in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution 7

8 How to apply for Initial Certification (continued) Step Two: The letter and the transcript are received in the Certification Branch and assigned to the staff specialist assigned to public librarian certification Step Three: The staff specialist reviews the transcript, determines the eligibility, and (if eligible) s the applicant requesting that he/she set up an account on the EIS portal 8

9 How to apply for Initial Certification (continued) Step Four: The applicant then creates his/her account on the portal and applies online Please note: The online application form is set up for teachers. This application can be modified for public librarians. A power point presentation that guides you in this modification is available at the maplaonline website. The link is as follows: (scroll down to Library Staff Programs and click on MSDE Online Application for Certification ) Step Five: The MSDE Certification Branch matches the application to the transcript 9

10 How to apply for Initial Certification (continued) Step Six: An goes to the applicant stating that he/she has been approved and needs to pay the fee - $10.00 (an additional $1.50 is charged for online payments) Step Seven: Payment can be made online with a credit card or a check from the library system mailed to the Certification Branch. The check needs to be made out to the Maryland State Department of Education Step Eight: Once payment has been received, the applicant can print out his/her certificate. Note: Certificates are issued with a start date of January 1 or July 1 10

11 Certification Renewal In order to renew certification, librarians and directors are both required to complete 6 semester hours or their equivalent (approximately 90 clock /contact hours) in an accredited institution or in an in-service program every five years. Required training is specified for librarians and directors. Public Librarian Training Management & Supervision Library automation or technology Reference or technical services Other subjects that are relevant to the job of the librarian Public Library Director Training An in-service program in library management or administration Other subjects that are relevant to the professional assignment of a public library director 11

12 Earning Continuing Education Units Continuing Education Unit Awarded based on contact hours What is a CEU? A contact hour is defined as 60 minutes of continuous participation in a learning activity Each full hour is worth.1 CEU Credit is given for full and half contact hours, not including lunch or breaks 12

13 EXAMPLES Earning Continuing Education Units Continuing Education Units (CEUs) can be earned through a combination of the following: Attending academic courses and accumulating semester hours Attending a seminar, library-sponsored, or commercial workshop and earning CEUs through clock/contact hours Participating in an e-learning course and earning CEUs through clock/contact hours or as defined by the e-learning course sponsor Learning Activity # of Clock/Contact Hours Academic Course 1 semester of cataloging Seminar/Workshop Virtual Reference Training E-learning Course Resolving Interpersonal Issues 15 clock/contact hours 3 clock/contact hours (9am 2pm minus lunch and breaks) 12 clock/contact hours (12 hours online and assignments) 13

14 Tracking Your Contact Hours You will need to keep track of your contact hours, and provide documentation that you have completed the required training when applying for certification renewal. Here s how to keep track of your contact hours: Attend a continuing education activity Make sure that you have formal documentation from the sponsoring agency Record the activity on the Full Record of Continuing Education Activities form At end of certification period, turn in all Full Record of Continuing Education Activities forms and formal documentation to your Staff Development Coordinator for review and final approval 14

15 Tracking Your Contact Hours (continued) Two Special Notes: If you do not receive any formal documentation from a learning activity, you can fill out an Official Record of Earned Continuing Education form and have your Staff Development Coordinator sign for documentation of learning. Each Staff Development Coordinator will determine how far in advance you must submit your documentation to them to meet your re-certification deadline. Be sure to know your local systems requirements. 15

16 Renewing Certification 1. Make sure that you have completed 6 semester hours or 90 clock/contact hours. 2. Ninety days before your certificate expires, send: a. A copy of your original certificate b. A copy of your Full Record of Continuing Education Activities signed by your Staff Development Coordinator c. The Certification Branch will review your submission and will notify you by indicating that your certificate can be renewed d. You will access your account on the EIS portal, pay the $10,00 fee, and print out your new certificate. 3. Send renewal packet to: Maryland State Department of Education Attn: Certification Branch 200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD Remember to keep copies for your own records! 16

17 Certification Responsibilities: Each public librarian and public library director is responsible for: Obtaining and maintaining their certification Keeping a complete record of all documentation for their certification Earning and keeping track of all of their required continuing education activities for certification renewal. 17

18 Certification Responsibilities: The Staff Development Coordinator is responsible for: Maintaining the certification records for all public librarians and the public library director of the system Reviewing and approving (if eligible) the continuing education clock hours for each certificated librarian Compiling and submitting all paperwork to the MSDE Certification Branch 18

19 Certification Responsibilities: The Division of Library Development and Services (DLDS) is responsible for: Overseeing the public librarian and public library director certification area within MSDE Providing information and guidance to all librarians who want to apply for public librarian or public library director certification Working with the MSDE Certification Branch to expedite all requests for initial certification and certification renewal 19

20 Certification Responsibilities: The MSDE Certification Branch is responsible for: Reviewing all submissions for public librarian and public library director initial certification and certification renewal Approving the submissions (if complete and accurate) as expeditiously as possible Informing applicants of any problems with their submissions and proposing solutions to those problems 20

21 Question 1: My library system does not have a corporate credit card. Can the fee be paid by check? Yes, the fee can be paid by check issued by the library system (no personal checks). The check needs to reference the name of the person who is receiving the certification. The check is deposited and the MSDE Certification Branch staff specialist handling the initial certification/renewal is notified of the payment An will go to the certificate holder announcing that the fee has been received and he/she can print out their certificate from the online system. 21

22 Question 2: What is the link between public librarian certification, library associate training and education requirements and the retirement system? According to COMAR , there are three classes of public library personnel eligible for membership in the retirement system: Public Librarian or Public Library Director certificate holders Clerical employees of public libraries Public library associates who meet the standards in the library associate regulation (COMAR 13A Once entered into the retirement system, the public librarian certificate holders and the library associates are required to maintain their status to continue to stay in the retirement system When audited by the Maryland State Retirement System (MSRS), library systems may/will be required to submit documentation that these standards have been maintained. Failure to do so can result in the person(s) being removed from the retirement system rolls. 22

23 Question #3: What are the MLS/professional renewal requirements and what are the library associate requirements? Both need to earn 90 clock hours every five years. Both need to document their clock hours and submit them to their staff development coordinator For the MLS/professionals, the list, once approved by the staff development coordinator, is submitted to the MSDE Certification Branch and a new certificate is generated. For the library associates, the list is reviewed and approved by the staff development coordinator who then issues a letter from the library system stating that the continuing education requirements have been met. MLS/professional librarians are certificated through the Maryland State Department of Education; library associates are not. 23

24 Question #4: Must library associates take the Library Associate Training Institute course in order to meet the initial requirements of the program? The regulation governing library associates (COMAR 13A ) states that an applicant shall have: A bachelor s degree from an accredited institution and Completed a minimum of 90 clock hours of approved in-service training or 9 hours of formal academic course work in library science Currently the Library Associate Training Institute is offered twice a year and half of the sessions are online DLDS understands that this is a significant investment of time for the library associate and the library system DLDS is willing to work with the library system to accommodate individuals providing the individual receives equivalent training that will allow them to perform their duties to the benefit of the public, the individual and the library system. If you need this accommodation, please contact Dennis Nangle at dnangle@msde.state.md.us. 24

25 Additional Questions??? 25

26 Resources for your use The following can be found at: (Library Staff Programs) MD Public Librarian and Director Certification Guide (PDF) (to be updated February 2014) MSDE Online Application for Certification (PowerPoint PDF) Official Record Form (Word document) Full Record of Continuing Education Activities Form (Word Document) Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)(to be updated February 2014) To be added in February 2014: Maryland Public Librarians and Directors: Certification Process and Requirements (PowerPoint PDF) 26

27 Contacts For certification questions contact: Susan Paznekas at or For specific questions about the processing of your certificate contact the Certification Branch at: or Go to the Maryland State Department of Education website 27