Library Technical Assistant

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This certificate recognizes the need for skilled paraprofessional workers in today’s libraries and offers students the opportunity to acquire, develop or update their job skills. By providing a comprehensive overview of all facets of library work, students are trained for a modern information career where they are an integral part of a library team.

What Will I Learn?

Become a skilled and trained information specialist by earning your Library Technical Assistant (LTA) Certificate. The program consists of 9 courses, 8 of which are fully online, for a total of 26 credit hours. Online courses offer both synchronous and asynchronous learning. The final capstone course is an in-person practicum at a library local to you.

You will learn to acquire, prepare and organize materials and also teach and assist library patrons in finding and using those materials. In addition, you’ll learn to develop, market and provide programming ranging from storytimes to computer classes. LTA duties are expanding and evolving as libraries increasingly use the internet and other technologies (such as chat reference, virtual collections and online databases) to share information, and you will be trained to support these services. You will become information literate and acquire an understanding of the guidelines, standards, ethics and core principles of the profession.

What is Unique About Our Program?

•    Courses are taught by degreed librarians who are working in the field
•    A practicum experience offers hands-on learning
•    Guest speakers help you gain new perspectives on specialized library work
•    Online courses combine synchronous and asynchronous learning to give you opportunities to interact with your professor and peers in real-time, but also to attend class at your convenience 
•    Online course components are accessed through iCampus, the College’s Learning Management System, offer a high-tech communication and paper-free educational experience
•    Students in this program have the opportunity to apply for the Barry Levine Scholarship Award, which is exclusively available to LTA students, and the Snider Family LTA Scholarship, which is available to non-traditional students pursuing the certificate 

What Are My Career Opportunities?

Employment of library technicians and assistants is projected to grow 9% from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the national average for all occupations, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. LTAs work in settings such as public, school, business, law firm, university, college, not-for-profit and government repositories, archives, media centers and libraries. 

What Degree/Certificate will I receive?

Certificate

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Job titles include, but are not limited to:

• Youth Services Assistant
• Reference Services Associate
• IT Service Desk Specialist
• Adult Programming Assistant
• Book Discussion Facilitator
• School Media Associate
• Technical Services Paraprofessional
• Computer Class Instructor
• Digital Repository Assistant
• Research Specialist
• Associate Archivist
• Teen Services Assistant
• InterLibrary Loan Specialist
• MakerSpace Coordinator