When I opted to pursue my MLIS, I was already removed from college and working full-time. I knew it was not financially feasible for me to stop working or to dramatically reduce my hours. The nearest on-site MLIS program to me did not offer many of the classes I wanted to focus on, and it was not realistic for me to relocate out of state. Having met several colleagues who had pursued their degrees online, I felt that was my best option as well.

The program I eventually settled on was a hybrid: not entirely online, and not entirely on-campus. It required a trip to campus one weekend a semester to meet with our classmates and professors. Additionally, each online course had an on-campus counterpart. Those lectures were recorded live and made available for asynchronous viewing. Each class also incorporated discussion boards, and some had weekly synchronous chats. Since I had never taken an online class before, I felt more comfortable with this approach than attending solely online.

I was happy with my program and would make the same choice again if given the chance. The hybrid approach allowed me to feel connected to my classmates and the LIS faculty, and the online nature allowed me to work around my professional life. I felt that I received the best of both worlds, and I am very grateful that I took the time to consider the merits of different types of online programs.

Cusick’s findings, however, were not quite as positive. She noted feeling disconnected from her classmates, especially in terms of communication. Her class utilized a virtual hand-raising function through Blackboard Collaborate for those who wished to speak during a lecture. This, she found, disrupted the flow of discussion and made it harder to pay attention.

Clearly every school takes a somewhat different approach to online education, and some work better than others. Additionally, MLIS students’ needs vary depending on their own unique situations. My biggest piece of advice to prospective students considering getting their degree online would be to look at the different options and see which best meets their criteria and learning styles. Not every approach will work for everyone; however, it is not realistic to completely condemn online learning as being bad. Rather, it is all about finding the style that’s best for you and your lifestyle.

Did you receive your MLIS online? How would you rate your experience?

REFERENCES

^[1] Cusick, Rachael. “An Online Education Disconnect.” Slate. September 12, 2016. Accessed September 24, 2016. 

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A message by ALA President Sari Feldman in the October, 2015 issue of “American Libraries” addresses this conundrum. Ms. Feldman acknowledges that technology’s ever-changing nature makes it difficult to keep related skills and knowledge current without regular on-the-job professional development. Recent MLIS graduates frequently lament about the poor state of the current library job market, which also raises questions about the future of the degree. In her article, Feldman cites conversations with several industry leaders who weigh in on the current state of higher education. Although there are many schools of thought on the topic, it is clear that the structures of MLIS programs must change. This means both the increase of online education and the actual focuses and curricula of the programs.

To further this cause, ALA has launched two task forces specializing in accreditation of LIS programs. One, the Task Force on Accreditation Process and Communication, focuses on internal and external communication concerning the value of LIS education and its place in higher education. The other, the Task Force on the Context of Future Accreditation, will develop a white paper concerning the specifics, contexts, and values of accreditation and, based on the findings, a new framework for accreditation.

Although I was fortunate enough to receive a librarian position several months before completing my degree three years ago, enough of my peers have struggled in finding work that I am very sympathetic to the difficulties surrounding the LIS job market. Additionally, now that I am employed in library administration, I find myself saying more and more often that my degree did not prepare me for certain situations of the job. These sentiments, both of which I believe are shared by many in our field, help illustrate Feldman’s point. If our educational structure does not continue to evolve with the profession, we are ultimately doing ourselves as librarians a disservice.

There’s certainly no easy answer to this, even as the cost of higher education continues to rise. However, the development of the ALA task forces should help provide more formal and accessible research on the topic that can then be turned into policies and best practice.

What are your feelings on the MLIS?

Sources

Borman,Laurie D. “Task Forces on LIS Accreditation Announced.” American Libraries Magazine, October 30, 2015. Web. http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/task-forces-on-lis-accreditation-announced/. Accessed January 5, 2016.

Feldman, Sari. “The Future of the MLIS.” American Libraries Magazine, October 30, 2015. Web. http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/10/30/future-of-mlis/. Accessed January 5, 2016.

ALA Executive Board Document #12.38 presented at ALA Midwinter Meeting (Chicago, IL). 28 June 2015. http://bit.ly/1kJ8fOV. Accessed January 5, 2016.

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“Career Online High School is committed to preparing students for careers and post-secondary career education by delivering high-quality, supportive, and career-based online education and have the objectives:

• To offer students an affordable, flexible opportunity to earn their high school diplomas
• To prepare students for careers and employment based on employer-driven academic requirements
• To create a positive academic environment that facilitates all students reaching their maximum potential
• To be at the forefront of providing online, career-based academics in the United States
• To maintain a dedicated team of certified academic coaches and certified teachers” (Career Online High School 2013)

The library setting may perfectly minister to those who aspire to get their diploma. Many students left high school for a wealth of reasons and may feel that going back to a traditional high school is not the best alternative for them. Attending classes in a space that has more positive connotations for them, like the public library, offers a more appealing option. in a . In addition, the library provides a space where these students can not only take the online classes, but also meet with other students to discuss their schoolwork Plus, they can use the library’s resources for additional assistance with their assignments.

Earning your high school diploma is not the only thing these classes will do for the student. The program is hoping to tailor its studies to inspire students to continue their education after graduation. Upon enrolling in the program, students will be required to choose a career path. Career Online High School then individualizes the participant’s curriculum geared toward an identifiable conduit that each student can continue on after acquiring the diploma.

For the Los Angeles Public Library and any library in the future that will follow their lead, this means one thing—planning. A plan will have to be made to educate the staff, to realign the space of the library to accommodate these new students who may need additional private study rooms, and to purchase and develop software to work with the program. But what may be the most important plan, and the one that John Szabo, the Los Angeles Public Library director, is most excited about is how to plan for the graduation ceremonies for these students. (Watson 2014)

References

Career Online High School. 2013.
Watson, Julie. “ABC News.go.” ABC News. January 09, 2014. (accessed January 19, 2014).

The post High School Diplomas with your Public Library Card first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

As a former university professor, I was one of the first to teach distance education. At first I was surprised at how little has changed. As the first few weeks of my course progressed I was impressed with several factors. First, the quality of the education, which I had presumed would be superficial and the academics light, were not. Second, I realized that unlike a more conventional class with twenty to forty students, this class had easily a hundred of us. That was the vocal ones! The meet and greet sharing indicated career changers, curious souls, and persons nearing or beyond retirement age.

While this raises lots of issues for me regarding education, it also raised questions about this new format and the public library. I found no online library affiliated with the site of my course or others. Thus, it stands to reason that the people taking these courses will use the public library.  What does this mean for us?

First, there is the obvious; people may wish to access their class through the public library computer system. Aside from perhaps affecting our statistics, I suspected this would have little impact.

But what about more ‘traditional’ librarian functions. Will this educational opportunity place a renewed demand on the public librarian for reference assistance? Might it change the nature of the public library question? Could it bring the public library closer to the academic library?

The librarian in me is intrigued by these questions. It might assist the public library in presenting a positive image in the eyes of the public. I hope it might bring new users to the library.  All positive things.

The academic in me, however, bristled. Are these faculty getting paid for their services, I wondered. And how accessible is the faculty, really? How much can they possible support student questions, provide further explanation or read discussion? much can they possibly be with hundreds of students?  [k1] This then begged the question; would the student’s local librarian become the de facto go to for help person?  Not only did the academic in me scowl at this, but the librarian thought this demand to be highly unfair to librarians.

The public librarian may not be trained in the academic resources and skills needed. The collection not suited to the information needed. Certainly in the case of small and rural libraries, the subset that I would suspect might have a population inclined to seek out this form of educational opportunity, they don’t have the time to support this student.

I am still curious… are librarians being sought out for assistance with such classes? Will this be a welcome addition or a problem for the public library?

Curious about this free, high-level,  online education? Check out these courses:  https://www.coursera.org/,  Edx  https://www.edx.org/, or  Udacity  https://www.udacity.com/ .

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