Library Media Specialist

Please be prepared to submit documentation verifying that you have met the requirements from one of the options below:


Option I

A master's (or higher) degree and completion of a Maryland-approved program leading to licensure as a library media specialist, including three semester hours of special education coursework.


Option II

A master's (or higher) degree, completion of a program leading to licensure as a library media specialist in another state, and three semester hours of special education coursework.


Option III

A master's (or higher) degree, a valid professional library media license from another state, three semester hours of special education coursework, and three years of satisfactory full-time experience as a library media specialist.


Option IV

A master's (or higher) degree, a National Board Certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Library Media, and three semester hours of special education coursework.


Option V

  1. A bachelor's or higher degree; and

  2. A school library media practicum, 1 year of full-time teaching experience, or 1 year of full-time school library media-related experience; and

  3. Three semester hours of special education coursework; and

  4. 36 semester hours of post-baccalaureate credit with 15 semester hours completed at one institution and a minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate-level credit in the coursework listed below*:

    1. History and philosophy of education

    2. Student developmental levels, learning theory, and strategies for identifying student information and learning needs

    3. Theory, principles, and methods of instructional design and delivery

    4. Inclusion of special needs student populations.

    5. Administration of library media programs, including an understanding of State and national library media standards and technology standards

    6. Materials for children in all formats, including concepts related to the teaching and learning of reading

    7. Materials for young adults in all formats, including concepts related to the teaching and learning of reading;

    8. Selection, evaluation, and use of materials in all formats to meet student curriculum and instructional needs;

    9. Access and delivery of information, including reference and bibliographic systems in all formats;

    10. Organization of knowledge, including cataloging and classification, and information retrieval in all formats;

    11. Principles of communication, including dissemination and use of information in all formats; and

    12. The design, creation, and implementation of library media in all formats for instructional use.


*Additional post-baccalaureate or graduate courses may be substituted if some of the coursework described above has been acquired as part of the undergraduate degree program.