May 02, 2025  
2020-2021 University Bulletin 
    
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2020-2021 University Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

School Library Media Program

The School Library Media Program is grounded in the national guidelines of the American Association of School Librarians; in the Illinois content area standards for the library information specialist, in the Common Core State Standards, in the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (IPTS) and in the Dominican School of Education’s conceptual framework centered on the core values of scholarship, leadership and service.

Through completing the School Library Media Program, candidates learn the principles of librarianship in general and service to children and youth in particular. Integral topics include:

  • Developmental psychology of the child, pre-adolescent, and adolescent
  • The philosophy of education for the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels
  • Design of inquiry-based curriculum and curriculum integration and development in elementary, middle, and secondary school settings
  • Information literacy
  • Educator collaboration
  • Instructional technology
  • Program administration, communication and professional development

Graduates acquire a firm understanding of the roles of the school librarian and the library media program within the school context and the extended school learning community, and become educational leaders in their schools, districts, and library systems.

Required Courses

The following 11 courses cover the competencies required in the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards for the Library Information Specialist. The core concepts of information access and delivery, teaching, and learning, communication and program administration are addressed within the context of the required courses. Special focus is placed on the philosophies of elementary, middle, and secondary schools, along with the developmental psychology of K-12 students.

Completion of the first three required core courses during the first nine hours of enrollment is highly recommended:

Clinical Practice in School Libraries

Clinical practice enables School Library Media Program students to apply the knowledge gained from coursework in a variety of school library settings.

The field experience coordinator works closely with each student to secure placements in school libraries that will afford effective learning experiences. Many of our placements are in schools staffed by Dominican University alumnae/i.

  • Students Without Valid Illinois Professional Educator Licenses

Students without a valid Illinois professional educator license will visit a variety of school library settings for a total of at least 100 pre-clinical observation hours. School librarians and school library aides may apply a maximum of 25 hours from their current work experience.

Students without a valid Illinois professional license enroll in LIS 820 - Clinical Practice  in order to complete a non-paid, supervised clinical experience in two different school library media settings (elementary, middle, or secondary) for 200 hours (approximately five weeks) each.

MLIS Electives

Electives may be chosen from the following courses: