New Online Degree Program in Library Science

The University of North Texas Department of Library and Information Sciences is working to provide residents of Pacific Islands affiliated with the United States access to more educational and computing services. Their strategy to accomplish this task is to offer training for librarians through a distance learning/online degree program that will lead to a master's degree in library and information science.

The Library Education for the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific, or LEAP program received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. Mrs. Bush is herself a librarian and during much of her tenure as first lady promoted libraries as a building block to learning.

The LEAP program begins in August of 2011 when 23 residents of the Pacific Islands will enroll in the program with full scholarships to earn their library science degrees online. Students will be required to complete 36 hours of online college credits and attend several professional development workshops. August 2013 is when the group is scheduled to graduate.

Only one college in the region currently offers formal library science training at the associate degree level. The University of North Texas has offered an online degree program for a master's degree in library science for several years which has been meeting the educational needs of numerous students throughout the United States. The LEAP program will provide a unique opportunity for a region where inter-island travel can be time-consuming and costly and which currently has few highly trained professional librarians.