The meticulous planning and hard work that goes into a university’s achieving accreditation for a master’s degree in library science was the topic of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Gina K. Logue

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Frank Lambert, an assistant professor in the Womack Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education and director of the MLS program, first aired March 23 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org.

You can listen to their conversation via the Soundcloud link above.

Lambert said the MTSU Master of Library Science Program requires students to pass 36 credit hours. Ten of the 12 classes are totally online; the two remaining classes are hands-on field experiences.

“One of the neat things about our program is that, regardless of where you’re located across the state or anywhere in the United States or quite literally around the world, you take the courses online at times that are convenient for you,” Lambert said.

“Then you set up your field experiences wherever you’re located.”

To gain the American Library Association’s stamp of approval for a master’s degree in library science program, a university must undergo a rigorous procedure of inspection. The latest step was submitting an annual report, which MTSU turned in on Feb. 15.

MTSU’s program has reached pre-candidacy status. The next step would be candidacy. Lambert said the program would remain in candidacy for about two years to generate enough data to inform ALA whether it is ready for accreditation.

Meanwhile, the ALA’s Committee on Accreditation is also considering about 50 other annual reports from institutions across North America.

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about the radio program, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Dr. Frank Lambert, an assistant professor in the Womack Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education and director of the Master of Library Science Program, is the guest on “MTSU On the Record” radio program with host Gina Logue to talk about efforts to achieve accreditation for the university’s MLS program. Lambert’s interview first aired March 23 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5. (Book stacks photo by Engin Akyurt/Pexels)