Library Media Centers
Librarians wishing to apply for DESE’s 2024-25 Exemplary School Library Program recognition may receive an application and instructions by emailing Lisa Scroggs, Director of Literacy for Secondary Schools, at Lisa.Scroggs@dese.mo.gov.
Congratulations to the 2024 Exemplary School Library Program Recognition Recipients
- Eureka High School (Rockwood School District)
- Francis Howell Central High School (Francis Howell School District)
- Glendale High School (Springfield Public Schools)
- Lee's Summit North High School (Lee's Summit R-7 Schools)
- Liberty High School (Liberty Public Schools)
- Long Elementary School (Lindbergh Schools)
- Lucy Wortham James Elementary School (St. James R-1 School District)
- Rockwood Summit High School (Rockwood School District)
- Walden Middle School (Park Hill School District)
Opportunities to Learn
School librarians from across Missouri attended the Missouri Association of School Librarians Summer PD Day on July 26 at Jefferson City High School. Breakout sessions covered topics such as artificial intelligence in education, grant opportunities, library space makeovers, and student/staff engagement.
Library Media Centers - Communications
We will be using your Core Data - Screen 3 Library Media contact email for all Library Media Center communication. Please ensure this information is accurate.
- Resources
These resources contain material that is relevant to the work of Missouri’s library media specialists.
Resources Description Resources Librarian Standards Description Delineation of performance expectations for professional 21st century school librarians in Missouri. Resources Librarian Standards Continuum Description Detailed descriptors for the Missouri Standards for School Librarians at the levels of Candidate, New, Developing, Proficient, and Distinguished. Resources ESSA and School Libraries Description Overview of AASL’s work with ESSA. Resources Libraries Transform: Year One Report Description Report covers notable accomplishments of ALA’s Libraries Transform project from October 2015-August 2016, including MASL’s billboard campaign. Resources Show Me Connection: How School Library Media Center Services Affect Student Achievement Description Study commissioned by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Missouri State Library. Resources ELA Expectations Relevant to Library Media Specialists Description Guide to specific expectations in the newly adopted ELA Missouri Learning Standards that pertain to finding literacy-building resources for teachers, conducting research, and integrating technology. Resources ELA Priority Standards Description ELA K-12 priority standards adopted in 2021 as big ideas crucial to mastery of the Missouri Learning Standards. Resources Description ELA expectations adopted by the Missouri State Board of Education in April 2016. Resources Vertical Progressions ELA 6-12 Description Chart of each new ELA MLS expectation by grade level. Resources MLS Expectations Terminology ELA 6-12 Description Explanations and examples for selected terms in the ELA 6-12 MLS Expectations. The PDF version of the ELA 6-12 MLS Expectations contains hyperlinks from the terms to this document. Resources Text Complexity Rubric-Literary Description, Description, Description Tools to assist educators in determining qualitative and quantitative complexity of literary and informational texts. Resources Text Complexity Rubric-Informational Resources Text Analysis Form - Professional Development
Missouri Association of School Librarians Spring Conference
April 13-15, 2025
Tan-Tar-A Conference Center, Osage Beach, Missouri
American Association of School Librarians National Conference
October 16-18, 2025
America’s Center – St. Louis Convention Center, St. Louis, Missouri
- Exemplary School Library Program
To receive an application and instructions, please email Lisa Scroggs, School Libraries Consultant to DESE, at Lisa.Scroggs@dese.mo.gov.
- LMS Certification
Library Media Specialist (LMS) certification can be added to an existing Missouri teaching certificate in two ways:
- Take all of the LMS required courses found on page 38, column 2 at this link. LMS courses are available through Lindenwood University, Missouri Baptist University, University of Central Missouri, Missouri State University, and University of Missouri-Columbia.
- Take and pass ETS's School Librarian 5312 assessment. In addition to passing this test, certification requires successful completion of the following courses:
- Foundations of Librarianship
- Library Media Administration
- Developing and Managing Collections
- Organizing Information
When either of these routes has been completed, you may submit the application to add LMS to an existing certificate.
Provisional certification can be granted if you are within 12 credits of completion of the full certification route, or if you have passed the School Librarian 5312 assessment but need to take the four required courses listed above.
LMS certification is for grades K-12, allowing you to work as an elementary, middle, or high school librarian.
The full list of requirements (7) can be found on page 38, column 2 at this link.
The add-by-test piece for LMS can be found in the same document (10A and 10 C) on page 27.
For more information specific to the certification process, please contact DESE Certification at Certification@dese.mo.gov or 573-751-0051. For questions specific to library content, please contact Lisa Scroggs, Director of Secondary Literacy, at Lisa.Scroggs@dese.mo.gov.