Mass Misinformation

“State of the Nation” (June 2006) was a very interesting article. The researching of state regulations must be extremely time consuming and confusing. I have been involved in the education of school librarians for over 15 years. The program at Salem State College is NCATE approved as we offer a master’s of education in library media studies. Your article stated that Massachusetts does not require a master’s degree. This statement is not correct.

A candidate seeking the initial license as a library teacher must follow route two of the Massachusetts regulations, which requires “candidates who receive their preparation in approved post-baccalaureate programs.” Route one defines the candidates who receive their preparation in “approved undergraduates programs,” and Massachusetts regulations state that “route one cannot be used for a license as a library teacher.”

Massachusetts presently has three post-baccalaureate programs offering education for the initial license as a library teacher. The only college holding ALA accreditation is Simmons College. Salem State College is the only public college offering education of library teachers and is accredited by NCATE, which uses the competencies set by ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Programs for School Library Media Specialist Preparation.

I did note the “Behind the Survey” statement posted in the article. I fear that Massachusetts did not respond and some confusion arose around the regulations. —Elizabeth Dole, Library media studies program coordinator, Salem State College, Salem, MA

Vocab vs. Content

I’ve been catching up on my reading and just finished your January 2006 Censorship Roundup article.

School Superintendent Tom Horne made a common mistake when he believed that Accelerated Reader had labeled Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (MTV, 1999) as “inappropriate reading for fourth graders.”

The 4.8 rating (4th year, 8th month) is based on vocabulary level only. The Accelerated Reader labeling also includes the code “UG,” which stands for “upper grade,” and this applies to content. Other labels are “LG” (lower grade) and “MG” (middle grade). As a middle school librarian, I educate my parents and staff as to the difference between vocabulary and content ratings.

Grisham novels are fourth-grade reading level but upper-grade content. Would I recommend Grisham to a sixth grader? Probably not. Educating parents, administration, and staff as to the difference between vocabulary and content levels is essential to forestalling book challenges. —Mary W. Hooker, librarian, Haughton Middle School, Haughton, LA