Public Services for Information Professionals Graduate Certificate
While many important aspects of information work are not public facing, those professionals who interact regularly with patrons or clients bear the responsibility of representing their organization and its services. A graduate certificate in Public Services for Information Professionals can give you the skills, knowledge, and competence necessary to confidently serve the public in an information setting.
Program overview
The graduate certificate in Public Services for Information Professionals is designed for information sciences graduate students and information professionals to earn a credential reflecting enhanced knowledge and skills in the areas of information services, instruction, programming and outreach, and reader’s advisory services in a variety of information agencies.
Earning a Graduate Certificate in Public Services for Information Professionals is beneficial to students already enrolled in an American Library Association-accredited graduate program who want to gain knowledge and skills related to public-facing aspects of the information professions, as well as for those information professionals already in possession of a graduate degree who would like to learn more about public services in support of their professional development.
Why study Public Services for Information Professionals?
Whether you aspire to work in a public services position or are already in one, this certificate provides a customizable course selection to give you a deeper understanding of how to support adult users in academic, public, or special library settings, or young adults and children in public library settings.
The required courses will enhance your knowledge and skills in:
Reader advisory services
Develop an in-depth knowledge of how to guide people to literature that best fits their needs and interests.
Information services
Connect clients and patrons with information, technology, and literature.
Programming and outreach
Gain an understanding of how to plan, host, and evaluate events, workshops, and reoccurring programs that promote community engagement.
Instruction
Learn best practices to conduct workshops, build educational programs, and create training materials to help people develop digital and/or information literacy.
What can you do with a graduate certificate in Public Services for Information Professionals?
There are many positions within libraries, museums, and other information organizations where public services are the main part of the job, including:
- Digital literacy instructor: creates and implements programs to teach populations affected by the digital divide how to navigate digital platforms and the internet.
- Educational programs coordinator: Designs and coordinates educational programs and workshops that support learning and community engagement within libraries, museums, or other information organizations that interact with the public.
- Community program manager: Develops and manages programs and events that connect organizations with their communities and promote engagement and access to resources.
- Community relations specialist: Focuses on building and maintaining relationships with community partners, promoting services, and supporting outreach and engagement initiatives.
- Information specialist: Provides research support, answers information needs, and connects users with relevant resources across a variety of platforms.
- Reference librarian: Assists patrons, delivers reference and instructional services, and enhances user access to library resources and programs.
Featured Courses
Students may customize the Public Services for Information Professionals Graduate Certificate coursework to reflect their interests and needs.
Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Public Services for Information Professionals are required to complete INSC 531: Introduction to Information Sources and Services, which provides foundational skills for addressing users’ information needs.
Beyond that course, students may select three additional courses from categories designed to provide a deeper understanding of topics that are related to their specialization and information settings of choice.
View the Public Services for Information Professionals Graduate Certificate in the catalog to see requirements, as well as a wide variety of courses students can select from, including but not limited to these courses below:
INSC 553 – Special Libraries and Information Centers
Overview of specialized information agencies and services, with emphasis on client-centered systems in the profit and not-for-profit sectors. The evolving role of special librarians. Strategies for associating information services with the specific requirements of organizations.
INSC 534 – Government Information Sources
Selection, acquisition, organization, and utilization of government information and data in variety of formats from legislative, judicial, and executive branches of federal, state, local, and international government and intergovernmental agencies.
INSC 574 – Resources and Services for Adults
Strategies and procedures for public service librarians to create, evaluate, and improve programs for adult users, with some emphasis on reader’s advisory.
INSC 577 – Picture Books Across the Curriculum
Guidance for selecting and using quality picture books, wordless books, graphic novels and other media. Focus is on cross-curricular uses of these materials in traditional and nontraditional ways to enhance student learning for grades K-12.
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