CCB Reference Services | Youth Services | Professional Development | People to Know
CCB Reference Services
Here at the CCB, we’re happy to help you with virtually any children’s book query. Whether you want books about bears, books for a certain age group, or books in different languages (or perhaps even all of the above!), we’re happy to help you with your search. Stop by the front desk, send us an email at ccb@illinois.edu, or call us at (217) 244-9331 to get started. Interested in long-term research? Contact CCB Director Deborah Stevenson to learn more.
Youth Services Librarianship at the iSchool
Consistently top-ranked in youth services among national programs, the School of Information Sciences is the place to be for youth services librarianship whether you’re studying in person or online. In addition to a range of youth services courses, the School of Information Sciences also offers a youth services certification as well as K-12 licensure for those interested in school librarianship.
Youth Services Certification and K-12 Licensure
Certificate in Youth Services Program
This fourteen-credit certificate is designed for librarians interested in working with youth ages 0 to 18 in a public library setting. In addition to the two required courses for the MS (501 and 502), this certificate requires the 4-credit IS 506 Youth Services Librarianship course, 8 additional credits of youth services coursework, and a 2-credit youth services practicum.
K-12 Library Information Specialist Licensure Program
For those interested in working in public schools, this program is designed to prepare students for licensure as a “Library Information Specialist” in the state of Illinois. Coursework consists of 24 credit hours through the School of Information Sciences, the Department of Education, and the Department of Special Education.
Youth Services Courses
For a list of recommended youth services and related courses, check out this handy PDF or pick up a hard copy from the CCB. Current students can also view past syllabi and other information by looking through All Courses on the iSchool Moodle, while anybody can peruse the full IS course catalog here.
Professional Development
Library Associations
AASL (American Association of School Librarians)
ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children)
YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association)
ILA (Illinois Library Association)
ISLMA (Illinois School Library Media Association)
Professional Listservs
CHILD_LIT
Run by Rutgers University, this listserv focuses on theory and literary criticism for children and young adults.
ISLAMANET-L
This is the discussion listserv for the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA) and the Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative (ECAP), designed to promote collaborative problem-solving and the sharing of resources.
PUBYAC
Named for an amalgam of PUBlic libraries, Young Adults, and Children, PUBYAC fosters discussion about the practical side of children’s and young adult services in a public library setting.
YALSA-BK
Subscribe here for YALSA Book Discussions, encompassing both specific titles and general issues surrounding young adult reading and literature.
People to Know
Take a look at our helpful People to Know page for an introduction to the many youth services instructors, advisors, and others who are happy to help you pursue your academic and professional goals. Here you’ll find plenty of wonderful people around the School of Information Sciences who would be thrilled to discuss their research interests and your own. Also take a look at iSchool’s list of doctoral students to learn more about other current research in the field.
