Library Information Technology
Program Description
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Minneapolis College's Library Information Technology (LIT) Program will equip you with the practical and conceptual skills needed to work in highly automated libraries and information agencies. Whether you seek your A.A.S. Degree in order to become a paraprofessional or transfer to a 4-year college, or if you would like to earn a certificate, Minneapolis College’s LIT program will train you in the ethical, legal and professional frameworks for delivering library and information resources to communities. Both the degree and the certificates are offered in a fully online environment.
Advantages
- All required program courses are offered fully online, with the exception of LIBT 1100, which is offered as a hybrid/blended course. However, a long-distance option will be made available for any student unable to physically get to campus (or alternative site location), including a live virtual participation option whenever possible. Electives and general education courses are offered in online, hybrid, and face-to-face formats.
- Periodic special events are planned so students can have an opportunity to meet face to face.
- Professional-level engagement with the broader community is encouraged through service-learning opportunities and project options to write papers for suitable submission to professional journals.
- Program courses continually respond to changing dynamics in the field.
- A capstone internship experience for students completing the A.A.S. degree provides valuable practical knowledge and connections to the professional community.
- Courses are aligned with the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (APA-ALA) Library Support Staff Certification Program competencies. There may be benefits to attaining this certification, however students in our program are not required to pay for the certification or submit portfolios to this body.
Program Details
Award Requirements and Course Descriptions & Outlines
Please select the award below to view the degree options and requirements in the college catalog.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the social and ethical frameworks in which information is created, organized, distributed, used, and contested.
- Critically engage the content of the discipline, which includes: analyzing information and knowledge as it relates to the demands of the profession; identifying relationships between learning elements and integrate them effectively; and building a sense of integrity and commitment to quality in how they regard information in personal and professional settings.
- Conduct effective reference interviews, helping users define their information needs; instruct users in basic research procedures, including use of the library’s catalog, databases and web searching and locating materials in the library; use locally devel.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the general trends and developments in library/information technology and be able to apply this knowledge to specific functions within a library and information environment.
- Use bibliographic utilities effectively; use the cataloging functions of integrated library systems; perform basic copy cataloging, including reviewing and editing cataloging records.
What You Will Learn
- Minneapolis College’s Library Information Technology program will equip you with the practical and conceptual skills needed to work in highly automated libraries and information agencies.
- The program will introduce you to integrated library systems, including library circulation, acquisitions, serials and information management systems and other computer applications unique to the industry.
- You will learn to efficiently search online databases and the Internet and provide effective user services, as well as build exposure to the various services and outreach that libraries of all types provide to their communities.
- You will also learn about ethical and legal issues related to information use and production and develop skills for critical thinking and moral reasoning.
- As part of the A.A.S. degree, you will have the opportunity to take special courses dealing with alternative media and other coursework, allowing you the flexibility to customize your degree to build expertise.
- As a capstone, you will participate in a semester-long internship.
- The A.A.S. degree is designed for those seeking a new career as a paraprofessional—and for anyone wishing to transfer elsewhere for a bachelor’s degree. The certificate awards are designed for individuals already working in libraries and information agencies who seek additional education and training.
Beyond-the-Classroom Opportunities
While studying at Minneapolis College’s LIT program, you will have an opportunity to do an internship. Past students have done internships at the University of Minnesota’s Mintex, Minnesota Digital Library and Wilson Library, Macalester College, the University of St. Thomas, Hennepin County Library, Albert Lea Public Library, St. Paul Public Library, Quatrefoil Library and the Ohio Literacy Resource Center. There are also opportunities to participate in service learning projects.
Occupational Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of librarians is expected to grow by 10 percent through 2020. One potential job growth area lies outside traditional settings; nontraditional librarian jobs include working as information brokers and working for private corporations, nonprofits and consulting firms. The BLS also notes that businesses are turning to librarians for their research and organizational skills and knowledge of computer databases and library automation systems. See the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for the most current information on the national occupational outlook.
Potential Job Titles
- Paralibrarian
- Library Technician
- Library Assistant
- Library Associate
- Assistant Librarian
- Library Specialist
- Library Technical Assistant (LTA)
- Public Records Specialist
- Document Manager
- Indexer/Abstractor
- Market Researcher
- Content Manager
- Data Services Specialist
Where You Could Work
- Libraries of all types
- Corporate and other special libraries
- Public libraries
- School media centers
- Academic libraries
- Private companies
- Bookstores
- Nonprofit organizations
- Database and indexing companies
- Freelance work