NATURE AND PROFILE OF PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS AND AUDIOVISUAL SPECIALISTS

Scope of Study. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of state-approved preparation programs in Oklahoma and to develop a profile of programs designed to prepare school librarians and audiovisual specialists. Separate questionnaires were mailed to Deans and Directors of Teacher Education and faculty members in the seven universities having State-approved programs for preparation of school librarians and/or audiovisual specialists to generate data that could be used to answer the following five research questions: (1) What is the nature of existing preparation programs for librarians, audiovisual specialists, and library/audiovisual specialist combinations? (2) What is the job market for graduates of library and audiovisual education preparation programs? (3) What was the certification status of persons holding school library and audiovisual specialist positions in Oklahoma elementary and secondary schools during 1979-80? (4) What relative demographic characteristics described the faculties offering the programs of school library science and audiovisual education in Oklahoma? (5) What are the preferred titles for the various school librarians and audiovisual education specialists?;The job market for graduates of school library and audiovisual education preparation programs was tight. Graduates of school library science programs found employment primarily in public schools as librarians. Nearly 70 percent of the audiovisual education graduates at the doctoral level entered positions in higher education.;The certification status of persons holding school library and audiovisual specialist positions consisted of school librarians more often than not holding a standard certificate with an endorsement in language arts or elementary education. Too few certificated audiovisual specialists were employed to establish a certification profile.;It was revealed in a profile of the characteristics of higher education faculty that approximately 50 to 75 percent of the effort of higher education faculty in school library science and audiovisual education was spent teaching on campus. Not much time was devoted to teaching off campus. Many higher education faculty devoted considerable time to non-teaching activities such as directing a media center. Faculty, particularly those in doctoral granting institutions, contributed to the literature.;Findings and Conclusions. It was revealed through a profile concerning the nature of existing preparation programs for school librarians and audiovisual specialists that seven institutions were approved to prepare school librarians and four were approved to prepare audiovisual specialists and another one offered dual master's degrees with emphasis in school library science and audiovisual education. One reported a unified plan for the preparation of school library and audiovisual specialists. The school library science programs were at the baccalaureate and master's degree levels. The audiovisual programs were at the master's and doctoral degree levels.;The preferred title for print only oriented school librarians was librarian. For those with print and nonprint orientations and those persons holding certification in both library science and audiovisual education it was library media specialist. The titles preferred for audiovisual personnel were audiovisual specialist, media specialist, or instructional specialist.