CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Clarion University’s Library Science programs recently received recognition as the top in the nation.
(Pictured: Dr. Rhonda Clark and Dr. Bill Buchanan at the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) annual conference. Courtesy Department of Information and Library Science at Clarion University.)
An extensive review conducted by Study.com named Clarion University’s library science programs are No. 1 in the nation.
ExploreClarion.com spoke to Dr. Linda L. Lillard, Chair of the Library Science Department at Clarion University, about what makes Clarion’s programs so desirable.
“We are very personalized. We have a very personal touch with students, even though our program is online. Students can always reach someone and can always talk to someone,” explained Dr. Lillard.
Clarion University offers a number of different Library Science degrees including a B.S. in Liberal Studies with a Library and Information Studies Concentration; a Master of Science in Library Science in School Library Media; and an M.S.L.S. Information and Library Science; nevertheless, that element is just one key to the success of the program, according to Dr. Lillard.
“We are ALA (American Library Association) accredited, and that’s very, very important in our field. That really makes a difference. I call that having the keys to the city, having an accredited degree,” added Dr. Lillard.
Dr. Lillard noted that Clarion University has some particularly special programs within the Library Science Department.
“We have one fairly unique concentration available in Local and Archival Studies. That’s a different type of program for people who want to work with archives and local histories in small libraries, and it has a genealogy course associated with it, which a lot of schools don’t have.”
Clarion University also offers an accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s program, which allows any student, in any major, who has reached the junior level with at least a 3.0 GPA to take four graduate-level courses, over the next two years, for undergraduate credit, then go on to the Master’s degree program, and also receive graduate credit for those same four classes.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity,” said Dr. Lillard.
“That’s quite a bit to get credit for four free graduate courses. That’s essentially $8,000.00 in freebies, and it’s really about one-third of the graduate degree right there.”
The flexibility of the Library Science degrees, both in having the Master’s degrees available to students with any undergraduate degree and in terms of job opportunities, are another key to what makes the program so successful, according to Dr. Lillard.
“It’s really a good degree for having life options, one of the best Master’s degrees you can get. There are a lot of information jobs you can get, not necessarily just in a library.
“There are librarians everywhere from the movie industry to the FBI. There’s a lot of job varieties available out there.”
According to Study.com, they chose Clarion University’s program as the top in the nation based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, testimonials from students, and statistics from independent sources.
“An impressive 97 percent of Clarion M.S.L.S. grads were working in their field within six months of completing the program. Students also rave about the school’s internships, online programs, and the ways in which coursework prepared them for employment,” the website stated.
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