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Arizona Department of Education
Requirements for Arizona School Librarians

Effective December 3, 1998, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), revised the requirements for endorsement as a School Library Media Specialist. The requirements, directly quoting from the ADE web page, are as follows:

Library Media Specialist Endorsement -- grades K-8 or 7-12 1. The Library-Media Specialist Endorsement is optional. 2. The requirements are: a. A valid Arizona elementary, secondary, or special education certificate b. Passing score on the library/media specialist portion of the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment. A Master’s degree in library science may substitute for passing the proficiency assessment. c. One year of verified teaching experience (verified by letter from District Superintendent or Personnel Director)

By "optional" they mean the endorsement is optional for teachers. It is not optional for those wishing to be school library media specialists.

The School of Information Resources & Library Science is currently reviewing the question of possible curriculum requirements for students intending to be School Library Media Specialists. Our best advice on obtaining endorsement is to enroll in the MA program here or at another ALA-accredited school of library and information science, and then take the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Exam for School Librarians upon completion, or in the last semester for the degree.

ALA-Accredited Library Schools
Arizona Department of Education Certification Requirements

The School can only answer general inquiries about endorsement. If you have certification problems, please contact the Arizona Department of Education's Certification Unit.

For more information:
ALA - AASL Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning