School Library Media Licenses

The UW-Whitewater library media program offers the two licensure programs for school library media specialists in Wisconsin that result in three different licenses:

• 902 Initial Level (formerly 901 license): The initial license required in Wisconsin that is valid for five years and nonrenewable. This requires the person be eligible for a teaching license in Wisconsin.
• 902 Professional Level with Stipulations (formerly 901 license): This license is the same as the 902 initial level license but is awarded to those who already hold a professional teaching license in another area. It is valid for five years and nonrenewable.
• 902 Professional (fomerly 902 license): The permanent license that is granted upon completiion of a master's degree or equivalent program after the 902 Initial or Professional with Stipulations. This can be renewed with a completed professional development plan every five years. For those who held a Wisconsin teaching license before August 2004, this can be renewed by taking 6 credits every five years.

The 903 Instructional Technology Coordinator license will no longer be awarded in Wisconsin. There is no av coordinator license.

Other administrative licenses related to library and information technology but not currently available through UW-Whitewater. Each is awarded first at the nonrenewable initial level and converted to a professional level through a Professional Development Plan.

• 91 Instructional Library Media Supervisor: This is an administrator license that will require some additional administration courses beyond the 902 Professional license. It qualifies an individual to supervise other professional library media staff.
• 92 Instructional Technology Coordinator: This is an administrator license that will require some additional administration courses, several additional technology courses, as well as many of the same courses as the 902 professional license.   New licensure rules took effect in August 2004 can be found at the DPI's PI 34 website.  

Additional information about the old 900, 901, 902, 903, 904 and other licenses is available on the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Library Media and Technology Licensure page.

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Public Library Certification

The minor in public librarianship prepares students for Grade 2 certification in Wisconsin. This is for library directors in communities up to 5,999 people. It requires a bachelor's degree and the following courses:

• Adolescent Literature
• Children’s Literature
• Finding and Using Information (formerly Reference and Bibliography)
• Information Literacy (formerly Developing Library Media Skills)
• Digital Tools for Learning (formerly Instructional Technology)
• Organizing Information (formerly Classification and Cataloging)
• Library Administration (formerly Library and Media Center Administration)
• Public Library Administration Practicum (formerly Public Library Practicum)

• As of spring 2011, Building Library Media Collections will no longer be required in the minor.

To be a library administrator in a larger public library, Wisconsin requires a bachelor’s degree and a master's degree from a library school program accredited by the American Library Association. For more information on certification in Wisconsin, see the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Public page.

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