In 1992, the New York State Library Assistants' Association (NYSLAA) conducted a membership survey which included questions about certification for library assistants. Seventy-eight percent of those responding indicated that they favored a voluntary program. As the professional association of library assistants in New York State, NYSLAA is the appropriate body to administer such a program.
In 1993, a majority of library assistants attending the NYSLAA Annual Conference indicated that NYSLAA should work on a voluntary program similar to the one developed by the Utah Library Association. A draft of the program was presented to focus groups of library assistants and library administrators for their input. A two-year pilot program was approved by the NYSLAA Executive Council and implemented in January 1995. The first eight applicants received their certificates at the 1995 NYSLAA Annual Conference held in Buffalo, New York.
In 1999, NYLA (New York Library Association) endorsed the Certificate of Achievement Program. In 2000, Level IV was implemented. To date, 62 participants have received their certificates.
The New York State Library Assistants' Association would like to thank the Utah Library Association for their assistance in the development of this program.
Printable Certificate of Achievement Guidelines (PDF)
Copyright © 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 New York State Library Assistants' Association. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this guide provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies.
Table of Contents | |
Statement of Purpose | Go |
Achievement Levels | Go |
Review Board | Go |
Issuance of Certificate | Go |
Amendments | Go |
Table of Appendices | |
A. Registering for the Program | Go |
B. Primary Requirements | Go |
C. Levels of Achievement | Go |
D. Sources of Expertise | Go |
E. Library Service Area Definitions | Go |
F. Submitting Claims for Points | Go |
G. Conversion Guidelines for Estimation of Points | Go |
- Definitions of Achievement Activities | Go |
H. Requirements for Competency Statements | Go |
I. Review Board | Go |
J. Issuance & Upgrade of a Certificate | Go |
K. Procedure for Appeals | Go |
Forms (Clicking on Form Go links will take you to the Cert Tools page.) | |
Registration Forms | Go |
Claim for Points Submission Form | Go |
Request for Issuance of Certificate Form | Go |
- Public Services
- Technical Services
- Automation
- Administration/Management
- NYSLAA member . . . $20.00
- Non-member. . . . . . . $40.00
- Public Services
- Technical Services
- Automation
- Administration/Management
- Experience: accumulated progressive library related experience assessed by Full Time Equivalency (FTE)
- Education: accredited higher education course work assessed by credit hours
- Other: activities of the participant which are demonstrably library related or supportive of the library profession assessed by evaluated contact hours and/or competency statements.
- Each level requires an increased breadth of knowledge, demonstrated by earning points in the library service areas. Level I requires two areas; Level II requires three areas; Level III and Level IV requires four areas. Choosing to specialize in a library service area does not exempt the participant from showing the required breadth of knowledge.
- The total points required for a level cannot be earned from only one Source of Expertise. For example, Experience cannot be used for all the points needed for a certificate.
- All points from Experience must be library-related and at least half the points from Education or Other must also be library related to the satisfaction of the Review Board.
- At least half the points needed for any level must have been earned within the last five years immediately preceding the awarding of the certificate.
The 120 library-related points must be spread as follows:
- 72 points MINIMUM earned in the selected area of specialization.
- 30 points MINIMUM earned in one or more of the other areas to demonstrate breadth of knowledge.
The 120 library-related points must include at least TWO of the four library service areas or general. Of these, 20 points MINIMUM must be earned in each of the two areas to demonstrate breadth of knowledge.
The 210 library-related points must be spread as follows:
- 126 points MINIMUM earned in the selected area of specialization.
- 53 points MINIMUM earned which are spread in at least TWO of the other areas to demonstrate breadth of knowledge. Of these, at least 10 points must be shown in an area.
The 210 library-related points must include at least THREE of the four library service areas. Of these, 25 points MINIMUM must be in each area to demonstrate breadth of knowledge.
The 300 library-related points must be spread as follows.
- 180 points MINIMUM earned in the selected area of specialization.
- 75 points MINIMUM earned which are spread among the THREE remaining service areas to demonstrate breadth of knowledge. Of these, at least 15 points MINIMUM must be shown in each area.
The 300 library-related points must include 15 points MINIMUM in each of the four library service areas to demonstrate breadth of knowledge.
The 390 library-related points must be spread as follows:
- 234 points MINIMUM earned in the selected area of specialization
- 96 points MINIMUM earned which are spread among the FOUR remaining service areas to demonstrate breath of knowledge. Of these, at least 20 points MINIMUM must be shown in each area.
The 390 library-related points must include 35 points MINIMUM in each of the five library service areas to demonstrate breath of knowledge.
To upgrade a certificate from one level to the next, the participant must earn the difference in points between the two. The points must have been earned since the issuance of the first certificate. See Appendix J.
Points for experience are based on Full Time Equivalency (FTE) as defined by your institution, 12 months per year, paid employment or volunteer work. Related library experience includes work in media centers, special libraries, and other areas which the Review Board may allow. It does not refer to experience in which an individual may use a library as a patron.
Points awarded are based on higher education credit hours received. Credits do not need to be part of a matriculated program. Credits are verified by transcripts from the institution or by official grade notification slips with the participant's name on the form. Credits transferred from one institution to another may be accepted on the transcript from the latter institution. Official transcripts are not required. If transcripts are not available, official letterhead signed by the appropriate administrator with course name and credit hours granted will be accepted.
This Source allows identification of expertise areas which do not fit into the other two Sources. Within this Source fall involvements in professional activities, expertise gained from special assignments beyond the job duties, and other experiences which broaden the participant's skills and knowledge.
Public Services | |
Reference On-line Interlibrary loan Children's services Government documents |
Collection Development Book talks AV use Young Adult services Circulation services |
Technical Services | |
Cataloging skills Authority files Data Entry Acquisitions Periodicals/Serials Processing |
Selection Circulation functions Standing Orders Government documents |
Automation | |
Computer skills Word processing Data processing Computer electronics |
Programming Computer use Systems analysis Library automation systems |
Administration / Management | |
Personnel Fund-raising Inventory control Supervision Association officer |
Accounting/Bookkeeping Public Relations Decision-making Committee chair Training |
General | |
Public speaking Interpersonal relations Book reviews |
Assertiveness Technical writing Personal computer use |
- Public Services (PS)
- Technical Services (TS)
- Automation (AT)
- Administration/Management (AM)
- General (GN)
- Not Library Related (NL)
Category/Type of Activity | Unit of Measure | Points | |
I. | Library Experience (FTE) | ||
6 months | 25 | ||
12 months | 50 | ||
II. | Education | ||
These courses may be taken on-campus, through extended campus, by independent study, by correspondence or through continuing education units. |
1 Semester Credit 1 Trimester Credit 1 Quarter Credit |
2.5 2.4 2.0 |
|
III. | Other | ||
A. Workshops and Programs Institutes, seminars, workshops, NYSLAA conference programs | 1 hour | 1 | |
B. Non-Credit Courses Short courses, adult education classes | 3 hours | 1 | |
C. Presentations and Teaching Teaching courses, workshops, seminars, etc., given first time | 1 hour | 6 | |
D. Publications, Research articles, first publications | |||
Single Author | 1 article | 10 | |
Senior Author | 1 article | 8 | |
Co-author | 1 article | 5 | |
Book review in recognized serial | 1 review | 5 | |
Short Article | 1 article | 1 | |
E. Participation in Library Activities | |||
Officer/Director/President of an Association | 1 year of service | 8 | |
Journal Editor | 1 year of service | 8 | |
Committee Chair | 1 year of service | 6 | |
National/Regional delegate | 1 year of service | 4 | |
Committee Member | 1 year of service | 4 | |
Member of Library Association | 1 year membership | 2 | |
F. Merit/Performance Award | 1 award | 5 | |
G. Competency Statement for other experience or library related activies. Each competency statement is considered on an individual basis. The point value awarded will be determined by the Review Board. |
- Library Experience
- On-the-Job Experience
Points for experience are based on Full Time Equivalency (FTE) as defined by your institution, 12 months per year, paid employment or volunteer work. Library-related experience comes from work in media centers, special libraries, and other areas which the Review Board may allow. It does not generally refer to experience in which an individual may need to use a library as a patron.With the claim for points must come information showing the number of hours per week worked and the length of time the participant was employed. If the work was not on a 12-month basis, that difference must also be reported.The participant must provide letters from employers which fully verify employment claimed. Points are granted for time on the job and do not consider the level of difficulty of the job nor activities beyond the job requirements. Points for the latter are described in Appendix H. - Experience Earned Beyond the Job Parameters
This is credit earned for learning gained through experience beyond regular job duties. The number of points granted will depend on the competency statement submitted, with each claim considered on an individual basis. The participant must verify to the satisfaction of the Review Board that the claimed experience is truly beyond her/his required job duties. Further detail is available in Appendix H.
- On-the-Job Experience
- EducationThese are higher education classes or courses in which academic credit is awarded. Classes may be either on campus or off campus. They may also include institutes, seminars, workshops, and lecture series which are planned, coordinated, administered and evaluated in terms of learning objectives and for which academic credit is awarded.Credits are verified by transcripts or official statement from the institution or by official grade notification slips with the participant's name on the form. Official transcripts are not required.
- Other
- Workshops and Programs
These are activities planned, coordinated, administered, and evaluated in terms of learning objectives for which academic credit is not offered. Instructional programs which bring library workers together for intensive training in current library techniques given under the auspices of a professional library organization, accredited college or university, or a state agency fall in this category. These activities may also include instruction on an audio-visual format.To claim contact hours for this activity, the participant should summarize the important points of the presentation and identify the type of learning gained. A copy of the program description, including length, should also be submitted. A copy of any certificate of completion should be submitted. - Non-Credit Courses
Non-credit courses are offered to adults by local school districts, agencies, and colleges and do not lead to a degree.To claim contact hours for this activity, the participant should summarize the important points of the course and identify the type of learning gained. A copy of the course description, including length, should also be submitted. A copy of any certificate of completion should be submitted. - Presentations and Teaching
Credit is given for first time presentations, exhibits or teaching in library, media-related, or educational programs. Each presentation must be for at least one hour. Credit may not be claimed by instructors for classes which are part of their regular required duties. For repeat presentations, the instructor will receive no credit unless it can be demonstrated that the subject matter involved was changed to require additional study or research.Verification may include materials handed out to students, samples of concepts covered, examples of AV support used, etc. Verification that the class or workshop was held is necessary. - Publications
Verification for publications include a print copy of the published piece with demonstration of when and in what publication it was published. If the participant wishes to claim points for a type of publication not identified here, (s)he is encouraged to discuss verification needs with the Review Board prior to formal submission.- Research Articles - Points may be claimed for an information, library, or media related article that is published in a recognized information, library, or media publication.
- Book Reviews - Credit may be claimed for a review which is published in a recognized serial publication.
- Short Articles - Points may be claimed for short publications (i.e. meeting and seminar reviews published in newsletters).
For all publications, credit may be claimed only for the first publication of the article, regardless of the format of the first or latter publications. - Participation or Membership in Library Activities
Credit may be claimed for holding elected association office, for serving as committee member or chair, or as a delegate to a regional or national activity.To qualify for the points for the offices held, the individual should verify the position held.Credit may be granted for membership within a library association upon verification of membership (i.e. photocopy of membership card). - Merit/Performance Awards
Merit/Performance Awards generally are given to recognize exemplary service and/or performance above and beyond the basic requirements of an employee's job description.Verification of a Merit/Performance Award is a competency statement. See Appendix H for further details. - Competency Statements
Competency statements allow the participant to claim points for learning gained through experience beyond the participant's required job parameters. They may also be used to justify a claim that learning is library related when it is not readily apparent to the Review Board. Read Appendix H for more details on what is required.
- Workshops and Programs
- Participant's name, address, library, library address
- Library service area(s) to which the activity applies
- Narrative
- Verification
Upon submission of the necessary forms, the Review Board will meet and approve or reject the statements, forms, and/or documents. Once the necessary requirements have been met for the participant's achievement level, the applicant requests that the Review Board issue a certificate. If the Board agrees that the requirements have been met, the participant is issued a certificate signed by the current President and Certificate of Achievement Review Board Coordinator of the New York State Library Assistants' Association and the New York Library Association. Certificates are awarded to the participant by, the Certificate of Achievement Review Board Coordinator, or a designee at the NYSLAA Annual Conference. Certificates will be mailed if requested. All recipients will be listed in the NYSLAA Annual Conference awards booklet.
To earn a certificate of a higher level, the participant must register for the new level certificate and pay the full registration fee. The participant uses points earned since submission of Form C (Request for Issuance of Certificate) for her/his latest certificate. The participant must demonstrate an increase in knowledge and skills appropriate to both the Level and any Library Service Area specialty chosen. Points earned and criteria met previously will be applied toward the higher level.
Last Modified 2004