Maryland School Librarian Certification Guide - 2024

Initial Librarian Certification Process:

“Library Media Specialist” refers to someone who has gained knowledge, understanding, and proficiency in a wide range of library media services, with a focus on those skills related to the creation and management of a comprehensive school library media program.

Education and Experience Requirements

Individuals seeking accreditation as a School Library Media Specialist must finish an ALA/CAEP certified program in that field, according to the Maryland Department of Education.

There are two options in terms of education requirements.

Option 1

The first option requires a master’s degree in library and information science from a Maryland-approved program that leads to accreditation as a librarian or library media specialist.

Field experiences, practical training, a theoretical and research-based basis in information studies, and supervisory support from colleges, universities, and cooperating media specialists are all part of Maryland-approved programs.

Candidates seeking a Library Media Specialist certification should examine each program to see which one is the best fit for their needs. While some programs offer a traditional classroom setting, others are entirely online, and yet others are a combination of the two. Here are some of the possible programs to take, all of which lead to Maryland Department of Education accreditation as a School Library Media Specialist: Maryland Library and Information Science schools.

The following are some of the topics these programs include:

• Children’s and young adult literature
• Education and library technology
• Information literacy skills
• Instructional collaboration
• Selecting quality materials that suit the needs of various learners
• School library administration
• In-depth practicum experience

Option 2

For the second option, you must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree or higher is required.
• A full-time school library media practicum, one year of full-time teaching experience, or full-time school library media-related experience are required.
• Thirty-six semester hours of post-baccalaureate or graduate credits with 15 semester hours completed at one institution. Graduate credits in the course work indicated below must account for a minimum of 24 semester hours of the credits.
  • History and philosophy of education
  • Student developmental levels, learning theory, and strategies for identifying student information and learning needs.
  • Theory, principles, and methods of instructional design and delivery
  • Inclusion of special needs student populations.
  • Administration of library media programs, including an understanding of State and national library media standards and technology standards.
  • Materials for children in all formats, including concepts related to the teaching and learning of reading.
  • Materials for young adults in all formats, including concepts related to the teaching and learning of reading.
  • Selection, evaluation, and use of materials in all formats to meet student curriculum and instructional needs.
  • Access and delivery of information, including reference and bibliographic systems in all formats.
  • Organization of knowledge, including cataloging and classification, and information retrieval in all formats.
  • Principles of communication, including dissemination and use of information in all formats.
  • The design, creation, and implementation of library media in all formats for instructional use.

Find all library and information science degree programs in Maryland.

Furthermore, a candidate must finish a school library media practicum, one year of full-time teaching experience, or one year of full-time school library media-related experience satisfactorily. For workers who work with complicated technology and children, prior expertise is a suitable need.

Testing Requirements

Maryland’s certification requirements currently do not have an examination requirement for the library media specialist certification.

Background Checks

Provisions in the Federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 protect the health and safety of children in child care. Many new requirements occurred with the re-authorization, one connected to criminal background checks, sex offender registry checks, and child protective services checks for those dealing with children in child care facilities.

Part of the certification process for school library media specialists includes a background check for felonies or other concerns that could be detrimental to children. To complete a background check, residents of Maryland can go to any location that offers fingerprinting services. An applicant must provide the reasoning for acquiring the background check. In this case, it would be to acquire a Library Media Specialist Certification. An applicant must also bring a valid form of government-issued photo identification, a completed Livescan Pre-registration Application, and a method of payment for the background check.

Anyone residing outside the state of Maryland must request a fingerprint card. An applicant can request a fingerprint card by mail to the Criminal Justice Information System addressed to P.O. Box 32708, Pikesville, Maryland 21282-2708. Alternatively, an applicant can call the Criminal Justice Information System in Baltimore City at 410-764-4501 or toll-free at 1-888-795-0011.

Once a fingerprint card is acquired, the fingerprint card and associated fee, which is $18.00 as of 2021 for a state background check, should be mailed to:

Application Process

Upon completing all requirements for the School Librarian Media Specialist certification, an applicant must send all documentation to the Maryland State Department of Education. Prior to submitting any documentation, Maryland requires applicants to create a Maryland Department of Education Certification Branch portal account. Any documents the Maryland State Department of Education received prior to the creation of a portal account will be discarded.

After completing a portal account, you can mail all documentation in a single packet to:

Alternatively, you can submit documentation electronically by emailing it to certdocuments.msde@maryland.gov.

Alternative School Librarian Certification Process

The term “Alternative” with regard to career certification typically implies a pathway toward certification that poses fewer requirements than usual. The pathway is usually available due to shortages of professionals in the field. For school librarians in Maryland, the only two options are those stated above. However, if you are interested in becoming employed in the field of education as quickly as possible, you can follow the alternative methods toward teaching certification. This, in turn, will prepare you for a quick transition into school librarian certification.

The information below will help you understand the alternative pathway toward certification for a teacher.

Alternative teacher certification is available in Maryland for individuals with a bachelor’s degree but has not completed a teacher preparation program through the standard route to school library media license or certification. These pathways, which gear toward job changers with a bachelor’s degree, can help you get into the classroom without having to get a second bachelor’s degree.

Education and Experience Requirements

Candidates for alternative teacher certification in Maryland must have a bachelor’s degree. Candidates can take one of the numerous paths depending on their educational background and expertise. These alternative paths may allow you to teach while also completing certification requirements, perhaps cutting down on the time it takes to obtain a standard teaching certificate.

Testing Requirements

Furthermore, to become fully licensed to teach in Maryland, all educators must complete the same set of exams. Candidates must first pass a basic skills examination. The Praxis Core meets this prerequisite. Notably, exceptional SAT, ACT, or GRE scores may get used to waive the basic skills exam requirement.

Following that, candidates must complete the Praxis content area examinations for the library media area they seek endorsement. 

Background Checks

A background check for felonies or other concerns that could be harmful to children is part of the licensing procedure for school library media specialists. Furthermore, certification assists school librarians by preventing the general public from entering the profession, which would otherwise result in a more competitive job market. Ultimately, background checks in certification, especially for those taking alternate routes, helps to raise and maintain school librarian pay and benefits.

Application Process

Alternative teacher certification programs in Maryland often result in a master’s degree as well as license eligibility. Highly trained educators can also acquire certification by portfolio, albeit this is a rare option available in only a few states. On the other hand, most applicants will be obliged to undergo formal teacher preparation to obtain a teaching license and a library media specialist certification.

Applicants may opt to choose among the following certifications:

Resident Teacher Certificate (RTC)

Candidates with the Resident Teacher Certificate (RTC) can teach while enrolled in an alternative teacher preparation program. School districts and collaborating colleges and universities run RTC alternative preparation programs, resulting in a post-graduate credential award.

Conditional Certificate (COND)

At the request of a local school system, the Maryland State Department of Education will grant a Conditional Certificate to a candidate who is not already certified to teach. This certificate is normally only requested by the local school system if no certified instructors are available for an open job. This sort of certificate has a two-year expiration date.

The universities listed below offer programs that fulfill the Maryland Department of Education certification requirements for School Library Media Specialists.

• Catholic University
• McDaniel College
• Notre Dame of Maryland University
• Towson University
• University of Maryland