About

Would you like to serve your community as an expert in how information is developed in a globally connected, technological society? Do you want to make a difference while you make a living?

Through ECU's Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, you can earn a Master in Library Science (MLS) degree completely online. Since 1939, the library science program at ECU has prepared librarians and school media coordinators to meet the information and educational needs of their communities, especially rural and underserved populations in eastern North Carolina. Today, our high-tech/high-touch program emphasizes librarianship in combination with current technologies to provide a web-based course of study. Our program is especially attuned to the needs of nontraditional students seeking to become school library media coordinators, as well as academic and public librarians in a global community.

As a student in the library science graduate program, you can specialize your professional preparation work in academic library, public library or school library concentrations. If you are a service-oriented, intellectually and technically curious person, you will find a great benefit as a student in the MLS program. With an MLS degree, you can be a librarian, a library administrator, an information specialist, a subject/special interest researcher, or one of many other library specialties in the field.

The school library media coordinator concentration leads to the North Carolina licensure and is recognized by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The public library concentration leads to the North Carolina Public Library Certification. The accreditation by American Library Association (ALA) supports needed credentials for public and academic librarians in the United States.

ECU Advantage

The MLS program at East Carolina University was granted full initial ALA accreditation in February 2015. The program offers a school library focused set of courses that meets the requirements of the North Carolina Public Library certification and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for licensure as a school library media coordinator. The public library set of courses meets the requirements for public library certification in North Carolina. The academic library set of courses prepares students to work in college and university libraries in the United States. The MLS program is nationally recognized by the American Association of School Librarians of the American Library Association (NCATE-ALA/AASL). The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Vanessa Irvin (104-C Ragsdale Hall; 252-737-3847; irvinv22@ecu.edu) 

The Library Science, MLS is a 100% online degree program designed for students seeking employment as librarians and information professionals in Pre K-12 schools, universities, community colleges, public libraries, archives, special collections, and related settings. Students in the school and public librarianship concentrations are eligible for NC public library certification upon completion of the MLS degree requirements. Students in other concentrations may take these courses as electives. Three core courses (9 s.h.) are required of all students and an additional 27 s.h. are required for each concentration.

The degree requires a minimum requirement of 36 s.h. as follows:

1. Core - 9 s.h.
  • LIBS 6010 - Foundations of Library and Information Studies
  • LIBS 6014 - Reference and Information Sources and Services
  • LIBS 6031 - Library Administration and Management
2. Concentrations - 27 s.h.

Select one concentration from below:

    a. Academic Librarianship
    • LIBS 6016 - Technology for Library Services
    • LIBS 6019 - Research Literacy in Library Science
    • LIBS 6026 - Organization of Information in Libraries
    • LIBS 6810 - Academic Libraries
    • LIBS 6872 - Research Methods in Library and Information Studies

    • 12 s.h. of approved electives
    b. Public Librarianship
    • LIBS 6026 - Organization of Information in Libraries
    • LIBS 6048 - Collection Development
    • LIBS 6865 - Community Engagement
    • LIBS 7050 - Seminar on Public Libraries

    • Materials and Programming Requirement (Select one course)
    • LIBS 6133 - Library Materials and Programming for Early Childhood OR
    • LIBS 6135 - Library Materials and Programming for Children OR
    • LIBS 6137 - Library Materials and Programming for Young Adults OR
    • LIBS 7160 - Responding to Reading in Libraries

    • 12 s.h. of approved electives
    c. School Librarianship

    The following courses are required for public school licensure:

    • LIBS 6026 - Organization of Information in Libraries
    • LIBS 6048 - Collection Development
    • LIBS 6142 - Instructional Foundations of the School Library Media Program
    • LIBS 6144 - Instructional Strategies and Leadership for School Media Specialists
    • LIBS 6991 - School Library Internship: Seminar

    • Materials and Programming Requirement (Select one course)
    • LIBS 6135 - Library Materials and Programming for Children OR
    • LIBS 6137 - Library Materials and Programming for Young Adults

    • 9 s.h. of approved electives
      • Notes:
      • The 076 Media Coordinator license also requires a satisfactory score on the Media Coordinator Praxis/NTE (National Teacher's exam).  is a prerequisite for students seeking media coordinator licensure and lacking an initial teaching licensure. Prospective school pathway applicants who hold an undergraduate degree or graduate degree in another discipline must complete the full MLS degree requirements, as specified above (39 or 42 s.h.).
      • Applicants holding a graduate degree in library science who are seeking school licensure are required to submit transcripts for evaluation. Upon review, a course of study will be determined to meet the competencies of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the American Association of School Librarians of the American Library Association working with the Council for Educator Preparation.
      d. Archives and Cultural Heritage Informatics
      • LIBS 6860 - Introduction to Archives and Cultural Heritage Informatics
      • LIBS 6863 - Archival Arrangement and Description
      • LIBS 6864 - Research Literacy in Community-Based Archives
      • LIBS 6867 - Preservation Management for Archives and Heritage-Based Collections

      • Digital Records Requirement (Select one course):
      • LIBS 6852 - Stewardship of Digital Collections OR
      • LIBS 6862 - Web Archiving OR
      • LIBS 6868 - Personal Information Management

      • Approved electives - 12 s.h.
    Comprehensive Assessment Requirement

    All ECU graduate programs require students to successfully complete a comprehensive assessment requirement. This program requires that all MLS and licensure students complete a portfolio as the culminating capstone product for their degree. The portfolio includes an artifact from each required LIBS course and a reflection for each artifact. The portfolio is reviewed as a requirement for graduation. Each student posts their course artifacts to a Taskstream portfolio as they complete the core and required concentration courses. The artifacts are designated assignments in each course that demonstrate a mastery of professional skills, abilities, and dispositions required for practice in the profession. A reflection essay associated with each artifact acts as a record of the student's self-assessment, explaining how each artifact demonstrates mastery of the learning objectives and related professional standards for each course. Students must pass the final portfolio to obtain the MLS degree.

      For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
      Request Revision