Certification of Public Librarians in North Carolina
In North Carolina, the standards for certification of public librarians are set by the North Carolina Public Library Certification Commission, as authorized by General Statute 143B-67. The Commission meets quarterly to consider applications from librarians who wish to gain their North Carolina certification as public librarians.
North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Rules
07 NCAC 02J .0101 Purpose of the Commission
(a) The North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Commission sets minimum standards for certification for public librarians to accomplish the following purposes:
(1) Guarantee the best possible public library service for all North Carolinians;
(2) Protect and maintain public library resources;
(3) Assure professional management and administration of library programs; and
(4) Provide certified professionals to meet the Department of Cultural Resources' personnel requirements for State and other aid administered by the State Library of North Carolina.
(b) The Commission shall review applications and certify those librarians who meet the certification requirements enumerated in Rule .0102 of this Section.
07 NCAC 02J .0102 Full Certification
(a) The North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Commission shall issue public librarian certificates to applicants who have received graduate degrees in library and information science from programs accredited by the American Library Association or from regionally-accredited programs of higher education in North Carolina.
(b) Coursework must include the following core courses:
(1) cataloging,
(2) reference,
(3) collection development, and
(4) library management.
(c) Courses specifically designed for school, media center, academic, or special librarianship, must reflect general principles of librarianship.
07 NCAC 02J .0103 Application Procedure for Public Librarian Certification
Applicants shall send a completed application form for public librarian certification, accompanied by an official transcript which contains the date of conferral of the degree, to the Library Development Section of the State Library of North Carolina.
Application for North Carolina Public Library Certification
The application may be printed or submitted from the State Library's Web site. Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view the application.Submit Completed Application and Official Transcripts to:
Public Librarian Certification Commission
c/o Library Development Section
State Library of North Carolina
4640 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4640
Contact:
Laura O’DonoghueConsultant for Public Library Management
Telephone: 919-807-7419
Fax: 919-733-8748
E-mail: NC.Certification.Commission@ncdcr.gov
