NOTE: The title of this GAC was previously "Youth Services in Libraries and Information Agencies". Students who first enrolled in the program in Fall 2022 and beyond should refer to this degree plan. Students who first enrolled in the program prior to Fall 2022 should consult the following page for the degree plan for the Youth Services in Libraries and Information Agencies GAC.

The Graduate Academic Certificate (GAC) in Children's and Young Adult Library and Community Services provides students with core knowledge in programs, literature, and information organization for youth. Graduates will develop skills to effectively design and deliver services for children and young adults in culturally diverse communities. This GAC responds to the ongoing need for people-centered professionals with cutting-edge knowledge and relevant abilities to work with children and young adults, as described in research from the fields of library and information sciences and learning sciences.

This GAC is intended for Bachelor's or Master's degree students from any field, or current library and information science professionals who want to develop expertise and enhance their knowledge of community services to children, teens and their families by taking Master's-level courses to receive a Certificate.

Note: This GAC is not the same as School Librarian Certificate. Teachers seeking state certification for school librarianship should apply to the School Library Certification program.

Apply Today

  • Apply HERE with the UNT GradCAS (Centralized Application System)
  • International students must also review the International Admissions page for additional required documents.
  • Transcripts: Request transcripts from all colleges and universities attended through UNT GradCAS.

For transcript questions, please contact graduateschool@unt.edu

Note: Students who are awarded Graduate Academic Certificates and later apply for admission to the M.S. in Library or Information Science program or the M.S. in Data Science program will be required to submit any additional documents required by the specific program. 

UNT Graduate Students seeking Concurrent Enrollment

Students MUST be admitted to an academic certificate program in order for the certificate to be awarded.

If you are a current UNT student, email: ci-advising@unt.edu with your 8-digit ID number and the advising office will assist you with having the certificate set up.

If you do not complete this process - in having the certificate set up on your academic record, prior to your graduating semester, the Toulouse Graduate School will not accept your request to have the certificate awarded.

Once You Are Admitted

Once admitted, contact the advising office for assistance with enrollment in courses by emailing: ci-advising@unt.edu with your 8-digit ID number.

Coursework

Required Courses - Students will complete the following courses:

  • INFO 5445 History and Culture of Youth Information Services - History of youth services librarianship. Theory and methods of ethnographic evaluation. Community assessment and interviews. Users and designers of youth information services and systems. Current trends.
  • INFO 5421 - Literature for Youth in Public Libraries - Survey of children's and young adult literature, focusing on awards, genre, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic literature. Involves a wide range of reading, evaluation, and development of program skills for public library settings.

 Students will choose ONE course from the following :

  • INFO 5400 - Information Resources Development. Principles and methods of evaluating, selecting, and acquiring different kinds of information resources. Development and maintenance of information collections. Bibliographic tools and online databases. Searching and verification; publishers and publishing; censorship issues; acquisition processes. Representative research, problems, and practice.
  • INFO 5440 - Storytelling for Information Professionals - Storytelling ethnography, history, theory, methods and bibliographic resources. Story research, analysis, selection, adaptation, and preparation. Oral performance development and audience dynamics. Program planning, implementation, evaluation and grant writing for schools, libraries or other information settings.

Students will choose ONE course from the following list:

  • INFO 5208 - Learning Resources Organization. Organization of print and non-print collections, including descriptive cataloging, AACR2, Resource Description and Access (RDA), Dewey Decimal Classification, Library of Congress and Sears Subject Headings and MARC records.
  • INFO 5210 - Introduction to Cataloging and Classification. Descriptive and subject cataloging to represent multiple forms of information resources in bibliographic databases.
  • INFO 5310 - Marketing and Customer Relationships for Information Professionals. Demonstrates marketing and customer relationship management and their importance for libraries and information centers, principles of marketing, public relations, and outreach. Marketing mix, development and implementation of marketing and customer relationship strategy, mission statement.
  • INFO 5320 - Public Libraries. Problems of organization and management of public libraries and urban/rural library systems; their resources, functions and services. Related municipal, regional and state information agencies and services. Federal and state programs; development and trends. Individual investigation of major issues and topics.
  • INFO 5685 - Information Resources and Services in Culturally Diverse Communities. Seminar in information resources, methods and services for diverse communities. Issues in the provision of information services to diverse communities. Study of the needs and cultural milieu of these communities. Materials and methods for serving these groups.

Academic Certificate Completion Form and Request to Receive Your Certificate

Once you complete your course work, please submit the Request for Graduate Academic Certificate of Completion form to receive your certificate.


 

Contact Information:

Title Contact E-mail
Program Coordinator Dr. Sarah Evans Sarah.Evans@unt.edu
Asst. Dir., Student Support Services Rachel Hall CI-Advising@unt.edu
Interim Department Chair Dr. Yunfei Du LIS-Chair@unt.edu

 

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