Sharing Success: Educating Professional Leaders in School and Public Youth Services Librarianship

The Sharing Success Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) is a program for outstanding and diverse librarians to further their education and training related to youth services librarianship and professional leadership. The Sharing Success program provides institutional support for students to complete GSLIS coursework toward the C.A.S. and develop continuing education workshops for other library professionals. Through these activities, Sharing Success will help broaden the base of youth services librarians who can provide quality continuing education for their practitioner peers in school and public libraries and contribute to best practices and research in this field.

The Sharing Success C.A.S. Program at GSLIS is a 40-credit hour degree program open to professionals who hold a master’s degree in library and information science or a closely related field and desire to update their skills, gain greater specialization in their professional training, or redirect their careers from one area to another. GSLIS courses may be taken either on campus or online via LEEP (the GSLIS distance education program). Students complete 32-credit hours of coursework with the remaining 8-credit hours devoted to an independent final project.

Students selected for Sharing Success C.A.S. will have a masters degree in LIS or a closely related field. They will also have either significant experience in youth services or substantial experience in another area of librarianship and demonstrate a commitment to changing their career focus to the area of youth services.

As part of their C.A.S. work, Sharing Success students will complete a research project that relates to youth services and develop a continuing education workshop based on this research. They will present their research-in-progress or completed workshops to an audience of GSLIS students and faculty as well as to their target audience of youth services practitioners. During each of the two years that students receive tuition funding, Sharing Success students will also receive funding to support travel to professional conferences.

The Sharing Success C.A.S. program is funded by a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

All applicants must fulfill these minimum requirements:

1. A master's degree in library and information science or a closely related field, such as educational technology.
2. Professional experience as a public or school youth services librarian OR professional experience as an LIS professional and a strong desire to become a youth services librarian.
3. A grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in master's-level coursework and in the last two years of undergraduate coursework.
4. Satisfactory letters of reference from three individuals (employers, colleagues, instructors, etc.) who can speak to the applicant's professional work, potential for leadership, academic ability, and other qualities they think would contribute to the applicant’s success in the Sharing Success C.A.S. program.
5. Satisfactory personal statement indicating a commitment to youth services librarianship, reasons for seeking the Sharing Success professional leadership C.A.S. and a (general or specific) description of applicant’s proposed program of study and ideas for a continuing education final project.

Sharing Success C.A.S. Application Process and Deadlines

If you received your M.S. from GSLIS:

1. If you are applying for Fall 2009, the standard application deadline is waived, but we need to receive your application as soon as possible (instruction begins August 24, 2009).
2. If you are applying for Spring 2010 or later, applications are due November 15 (spring admission), March 15 (summer admission); and June 15 (fall admission).
3. Print and fill out the Web-based application form. Do not submit application online or pay application fee. Instead, mail this form along with the following documents to the GSLIS Admissions Office, 501 East Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820:


• A current resume.
• A one- to two-page personal statement indicating a commitment to youth services librarianship, your reasons for seeking the Sharing Success professional leadership C.A.S. and a description of your proposed program of study, including possible youth services continuing education final projects areas.
• Letters of reference from three individuals (employers, colleagues, instructors, etc.) who can speak to your professional work, potential for leadership, academic ability, and other qualities they think would contribute to your success in Sharing Success.
• Transcripts (Contact the GSLIS Admissions Office for transcripts required).


4. If accepted to the Sharing Success C.A.S. program you will be instructed to complete a Graduate Petition for Re-entry and Change of Curriculum Code and a Graduate Student Re-entry Data Form.

If you received your M.S. from an institution other than GSLIS:

1. If you are applying for Fall 2009, the standard application deadline is waived, but we need to receive your application as soon as possible (instruction begins August 24, 2009).
2. If you are applying for Spring 2010 or later, applications are due November 15 (spring), March 15 (summer), and June 15 (fall).
3. Submit the Web-based application form and upload the following documents to the application:


• A current resume.
• A one- to two-page personal statement indicating a commitment to youth services librarianship, your reasons for seeking the Sharing Success professional leadership C.A.S. and a description of your proposed program of study, including possible youth services continuing education final projects areas.
• Letters of reference from three individuals (employers, colleagues, instructors, etc.) who can speak to your professional work, potential for leadership, academic ability, and other qualities they think would contribute to your success in Sharing Success. These can be submitted electronically.
• Transcripts should be mailed directly to GSLIS at 501 East Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820.

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