Certificate and Associate Degree Education for Library Paraprofessionals: Distance Makes it Possible

摘要

Distance education makes library paraprofessional education possible and desirable to meet needs in library staffing. Lexington Community College (LCC) developed online certificate and associate degree programs to meet the legal requirements for Kentucky paraprofessional library staff. In collaboration with the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET), in Spring Semester 2004, the LCC courses were offered to SOLINET member library staff at the in-state tuition rate. The enrollment and completion rates of students in the online LCC courses show a high degree of interest in library science education at the undergraduate level. Furthermore, formal education for library paraprofessionals is taking on a new significance with the “professionalization” of paraprofessional employees. The American Library Association (ALA) has begun to explore the desirability and possibility of accreditation of paraprofessional programs, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has funded projects for undergraduate library science education.