Washington Library Science Degrees

The exclusive Master's degree in library science with American Library Association (ALA) accreditation is offered through the University of Washington. Students can pursue their education at the Spokane campus or conveniently online with minimal residency requirements. Only Western Washington University is the other institution with recognition from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Spokane is the second-largest city in the state of Washington with over 227,000 people. It has an equivalent population to Tacoma, which is near the state capital of Seattle. Seattle provides the most opportunities for librarians in the state as the largest city with over 776,000 residents.

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Washington Library Science Degrees

The University of Washington holding ALA accreditation means the Master's degree has been validated by the established organization. Its curriculum meets the goals that have been set by the association and faculty members have many years of experience in the librarian field. Universities must continue to review and improve their education based on technological innovations and new available resources.

Are There Online Library Science Degrees?

The University of Washington offers the Master's degree in library science online. Most of the coursework is completed online through an asynchronous format. This means students have the ability to view lectures and complete homework when it is convenient for them.

Students are required to take part in a three-day on-campus residency at the Spokane campus. This takes place at the beginning of the program and serves as an orientation process to get students familiar with faculty members and the tools they can use online. They are responsible for travel and hotel costs in this process.

List of the best campus-based and online ALA-Accredited library science degrees in Washington

Typical Curriculum

Curriculum requirements for the on-campus and online formats are identical, but not all elective courses are available. Students do not have the ability to blend both on-campus or online studies, sticking to just one format throughout their pursuit to a library science degree. The online format allows for part-time study, but this is not possible for the on-campus experience.

The Canvas learning management system is utilized by the university to distribute coursework. This requires a compatible operating system and web browser to access all course materials. While optimized for a desktop or laptop computer, there is some mobile capability for course content.

University of Washington's Master of Library and Information Science

The Information School provides the Master of Library and Information Science with an on-campus and online experience. 63 total quarter credits are needed across core topics, elective options, and a final capstone project. Students may consider an alternative law librarianship pathway with altering requirements at an accelerated pace.

Students will pursue coursework in the topics of information management and organization, and librarianship design. At least one course is needed in the topics of information technology and ethical and social issues. Specializations include Data Science, Information Architecture, and Information and Cyber Security.

The law librarianship program offers a similar curriculum at an accelerated pace on campus. Students complete their studies in the course of one year with full-time study with few admitted annually. All students must partake in an annual meeting with the American Association of Law Libraries and a three-week internship away from Seattle.

Career Options in Library Media

Around 3,000 librarians and media collections professionals are recognized by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the largest state for librarian positions in the Pacific Northwest and only exceeded by California when looking at the Western half of the country. The Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area accounts for approximately half of these librarian positions.

Job opportunities are available throughout many public and academic libraries in the state. The Seattle Public Library system is the largest in Washington with 27 different branches in various neighborhoods. Librarian jobs can be found in institutions such as the University of Washington and Washington State University.

The Seattle Public Library was founded in 1890 and currently maintains around 2.3 million items within their system. Job opportunities consist of maintaining and enhancing offerings for members. There are also digitization efforts in place to preserve historical information and photography of Seattle and Washington state history.

Licensure Requirements in Washington

In order to gain the Washington Library Certification for certain public librarian positions, individuals must have an accredited Master’s degree in library science. This is easily accomplished by holding a degree that is accredited by the ALA. Alternatives include degrees recognized by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

Certification for school librarians is distributed by the Washington State Department of Education. Completion of the basic version of the Washington Educator Skills Test (WEST-B) is needed to qualify for certification. Even if certified in a different state, professionals must go through Washington’s process to receive licensure.

Washington Library Association

Goals of the Washington Library Association (WLA) is to improve the educational services and leadership in various libraries across the state. They promote diversity and maintaining intellectual freedom to advance knowledge and development. Annual events include a statewide conference and career lab for those looking at working in a different industry.

Various pieces of work and established professionals are awarded by the association each year. Over 1,500 individual and 49 institutional members are part of the association. They are an established chapter of the ALA and headquartered in Seattle.

Salary Estimates in Washington

Washington is one of the top-paying states for professional librarians, be it in academics or a specialty position in law. According to PayScale, the average base salary for jobs in Seattle is at $61,346 annually. This can increase to around $76,000 when looking at the top 10 percent of earners in the area.

PayScale estimates that pay for librarian peaks when individuals have five to nine years of experience. Further than this, professionals may take managerial or director roles in a library setting. For example, they may take a bigger role in collection management or take part in implementing a new service for their members.

Careers, Top Employers, Salary Information

Recent job postings for Library Science degree holders in Washington:

• Workforce and Economic Development Coordinators (Customer Experience Coordinators) for Pierce County Library – salary ranges from $65,960.58 to $91,304.90 per year
• Learning Coordinator for Whatcom County Library System – salary $4989 per month
• Public Records Specialist for City of Olympia, WA – salary ranges from $61,152 to $74,339 per year
• Adjunct Reference Librarian – salary $728 per Instructional Unit
• Public Services Librarian – Associate Faculty (pool posting) – salary $48.84 per hour
• University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian for Greater New York Metropolitan Area Chapter – no salary listed
• Librarian/Technology Integration Specialist 1.0 FTE for Kent School District – no salary listed
• Data Services Specialist II for University of Washington – no salary listed
• Learning Coordinator for Whatcom County Library System – salary $4989 per month
• Assistant Director of Information Technology for University of Washington – no salary listed