Mary Thompson
Ocean County Library, Island Heights, NJ
Thompson_M@oceancounty.lib.nj.us
Syracuse University

     The program I went through was provided by Syracuse University. I was attracted by their program because of their reputation and the fact that it was a mixture of online and traditional classes (though these are summer classes mostly).
     At the time I started, the entering classes were limited to a little over 70 for the distance course and included a mixture of people from the U.S., Canada, and other countries. Some of us were actually working as librarians without the degree or as support staff like myself; a few came from other professions; very few were under thirty.
     We started with an intense week during the summer, with two required classes that began before we got there with readings and assignments. Very challenging, but worth it. Despite the lack of sleep and many hours of research, I got to know people -- my fellow students, teachers, office staff, the people of ERIC, SU's librarians -- and I got a look around the campus.
     From July 2000 to May 2003, I had classes for several courses called "residencies", in addition to the intro courses and the summer courses. These are used as a way for the teacher to explain and set up the classes; most of the work is done online. Except for summer school, there won't be dorms available, so students need to find housing elsewhere. A motel and hotel are very close by -- easy walking distance for the hotel and 4 or 5 blocks for the motel. If the student has a car, there are less expensive options out of town. There is an airport, and train and bus transportation is available. The last I heard, some residencies are being removed.
     The course work is what you would expect: papers, internship or independent study (not easy to get one of those going, much easier to do an internship), observations and projects. There are core courses and fields of study -- reference, academic, school or children's, special, etc.

Good things about online courses:

• Lectures and bulletin boards were generally used at SU, so you can fit it into your schedule if you are working full time as I did.

• Very few live sessions -- none were required and transcripts were available. Imagine, taking class in your jammies!

• Bulletin boards were very interesting as we learned from other regions of the U.S. and other countries, exposing us to diverse ways of working within the profession.

• SU has great databases that you can use at home.

• Their interlibrary loan is really good; grad students can have materials out for several months.

• Their staff gets the items out quickly, even if coming from another school.

Things to be aware of:

• The systems that SU uses require a knowledge of HTML. Learn a little before you get there, since you will be creating web pages. SU's brief intro to the subject was not enough to help me, but I was able to network, thank goodness.

• SU has a list of tech competencies; the student would be wise to heed that list.

• Since there are no classrooms, all my teachers required at least one posting on the subject being discussed that week; there is no hiding in the back of the classroom for shy folks.

• You have to be disciplined; nobody is around to remind you to get things done.

Bad things:

• When technology fails, it can be very frustrating.

• If you are working hard or a due date is coming up. it's pretty crazy dealing with a glitch or a downed system. SU tries its best during these times, but you can count on at least one problem during a semester.

     I am glad that I got my degree online. It would have been very difficult for me to go to Rutgers because of their limited options for part-time students. The bonus I got was working with an international group of students from near and far that was a true learning experience.

Siobhan Champ-Blackwell Inner City and Minority Services Liaison National Network of Libraries of Medicine - MidContinental Region Creighton University Health Sciences Library siobhan@creighton.edu MSLIS - University of Illinois 2002 - LEEP

     I earned my MSLIS through the University of Illinois' online LEEP program. I worked part time while enrolled at UIUC, and took two and a half years to complete the program. This allowed me the time to soak up a lot of information from each of my classes.

     The program begins with what is fondly referred to as "boot camp". In an 8 day on-campus experience, students receive training in online tools and take a 1.5 credit required class. This time on campus results in cohesive cohort of people. This closeness shows up in the level of commitment students have to the program. The caliber of students enrolled in the LEEP program is very high, but competition is not; a cooperative effort is nurtured that begins with the initial stay.

     I currently am employed at Creighton University's Health Sciences Library on a subcontract with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine - MidContinental Region.(MCR). The MCR is a distributed model; there are eight librarians working and living in six states. We communicate with each other using the same kinds of tools that students in distance learning environments use. The two strong points I had in landing this job (which I love) were my distance degree and a practicum that I did at Creighton during my last semester of studies.

     An online degree requires self discipline and strong time management skills. In a sense, because you take classes from your home, you are always at school! You have to learn techniques to distinguish the two tasks. I loved the LEEP program and highly recommend it.

Susie Pitts
Branch Manager, Mechanicsville Branch Pamunkey Regional Library
Mechanicsville, VA
spitts@pamunkeylibrary.org
MSIS - University of Tennessee at Knoxville

     I earned my MSIS from UTK in May of 2003. I was one of a "pioneer" class who started the totally online program in August of 2000. This program was specifically designed for students working full time, with the basic plan scheduled to cover 3 school years, including both summers. In Virginia there are no Master's programs available for the library field, so we can get in-state rates in Tennessee. We had students from Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee in our group, and we met during our one-week orientation prior to our classes beginning. We got to know our classmates and some of our professors during that week and were ever so grateful for that later on when we were not seeing anyone in person. A quick glance at a group photo helped remind us of the person with whom we were communicating, be it by phone, fax, email or text chat. The course work is what you might expect in any good program. We had five core courses, elective courses, practicums, independent studies, supervised readings, seminars, student teaching, research projects, etc. There was an option of a final thesis or a comprehensive exam. This course is a 42-credit program, which is more than average, but it was well worth it.

Positive things about the program

• Many online "live" classes offered through Centra software (no video feed, though) and scheduled in the evenings (class in your jammies with dinner at your side!) as well as some extra visiting lecturers offered for us distance students through this same format.
• Blackboard software used for each class with good communication between students and faculty.
• Great databases and interlibrary loans available through the UT library system.
• Great support from faculty and staff at UTK, even the billing offices.
• Very few tests, more papers to write with somewhat flexible due dates, depending on the professor.
• A mentoring program was begun during our second year for incoming online classmates. This has been very helpful to the incoming students.
• The night before comps, those of us who were taking them together were all staying in the same hotel in Knoxville and it was a wonderful reunion, in spite of all of our frayed nerves prior to comps.

Things to be aware of:

• Self-discipline is a must. Time management becomes a necessity. No one else will remind you that something is due, with the possible exception of a classmate in your work group. We had a group of 6 Virginia gals, from all over the state, and we spent many nights in Yahoo chat working on things together. Commiserating with each other is an absolute must!
• Computer software familiarity is necessary, but a lot of my classmates learned as we were going. There is a list of tech competencies that is a big help.
• A large capacity email box is vital and you need to know how to file some of them. Some classes generated more email than you could ever imagine.
• A good printer with lots of black ink and inexpensive paper are also very important. You will print more than you might ever dream possible.

Things to be improved:

• Technology glitches are not fun! One of our classmates had a horrible first year, but successfully completed. We all learned that the professors were very understanding if we just explained the problems with the technology. They were, after all, learning it right along with us! Tech support on campus was very helpful to us, too, but sometimes needed to really "listen" better to our problems.
• Communication among classmates, be they online or on campus, is a must and must be encouraged more by the faculty and support staff, along with mentors.

     I am glad that I got my degree online, because I couldn't have done it otherwise. The friends I have made in Tennessee and all over the USA from this program cannot be compared. I feel very lucky to have known every one of them and to have learned alongside them.

Angela R. Zebrowski zebrowski2@optonline.net Drexel University

My Online Graduate School Experience

    After working many years for a Fortune 100 company and enjoying a full career in management and accounting, I decided to seek new challenges and excitement in the information field. Since childhood, my dream had been of becoming a librarian. I applied to graduate school and was accepted at Drexel University into their online program in Library and Information Science. Having been out of the academic scene for a long time, I looked forward to the challenge of school without the aggravation of commuting, but at the same time felt apprehension at the thought of going back to school.

     The online experience turned out to be very diverse. It was hard work, challenging, interesting, and surprisingly social. I had the opportunity to virtually meet many veteran and new hopeful librarians from many states and even from other countries. One student, in particular, was actually stationed in Iraq while he attended the online courses. Distance and war did not stop him from following his dream. He was able to join our discussions even with the time difference.

     At Drexel the online classroom is powered and held in software called "Blackboard". Each course contains an announcement page which notifies the student of any current school topics. From this site the student gets access to a discussion board, course information, course requirements, assignments, student tools, external links, communication (collaboration sessions, email, class roster, etc.), and faculty information. In general, the courses are well structured by week. However, I found that it is very important and necessary to be well organized in order to facilitate the process. Since everything is done online and all the students access the course at their own convenience, it is necessary for each student to visit the site a few times each week in order to keep up with the discussions. For the most part, each student is expected to initiate and respond with thoughtful and constructive comments to multiple discussions each week. This can be stressful at times but it encourages dialog between the students. Sometime the dialog is excessive but for the most part it's very informative.

     From my experience in the Drexel graduate program, I found the professors readily accessible by email or phone. They worked with the students to assist them in any of their course related concerns. However, the workload is as expected in an advanced graduate program and its therefore very important to keep up to date with the assignments. As stated earlier, organization is the key.

     I truly enjoyed my online experience and highly recommend it for those individuals who are interested in advancing their careers but don't have the time to invest in attending conventional on campus classes. I believe that I received an excellent education at Drexel and now I'm ready to seek employment in the field of my choice.

FASTTRACK Testimonial

I had long been interested in earning a Masters in Library Science, but the closest university was more than two hours away. I had three teenagers, a part-time job, was very active in our community, and had a husband who worked 12-hour days. Attending a traditional, campus-based program simply was not feasible. However, at the encouragement of my family and library director, I enrolled in the FASTTRACK program at my undergrad alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, almost thirty years after I matriculated there. It was a huge step for me, but one I'll never regret.

Little did I realize when I did this I was being groomed to take over the position of director at the library where I worked part-time. My director encouraged me to share with her whatever I was learning as I proceeded through the curriculum. Everything I learned online at Pitt, from management to budgeting to reference, could immediately be applied to my work experience. I did a field experience at our District Center Library in Technical Services to better understand cataloging.

Yes, you have to be very disciplined to achieve in the online environment. Yes, you have to be comfortable with changing technologies and computers. Yes, you have to network and learn to work cooperatively with other people. And yes, you do have to be able to write clearly, succinctly, and intelligently. But, aren't those qualities that make a good library director anyhow?

I felt my experience and education at Pitt more than prepared me for my new position. Further, I'm very fortunate to have another highly motivated FASTTRACK grad serve on my current staff as reference librarian and two more finishing their degrees next year right now. Together we are making great strides in creating a vibrant, haven for lifelong learning in our community.

None of this would have been possible without distance learning. I'm grateful to the University of Pittsburgh for being in the forefront in providing this opportunity.

Daniel N. LaValla Director of Library Services Biblical Theological Seminary dlavalla@biblical.edu MLIS - University of Pittsburgh

My entry into the field of library science was perfectly timed with the start of the University of Pittsburgh's first cohort for the FastTrack Program. As I was finishing up dual Master's degrees in counseling and divinity at Biblical Theological Seminary, I was given the opportunity to become the Director of Library Services at Biblical with the condition that I earn my Master's from an ALA approved program as soon as possible. FastTrack enabled me to complete my MLIS degree within two years while working full-time and being available to my wife and two sons.

While the FastTrack program has the typical demands of graduate work and the extra challenges of the online environment, I can not say enough good things about Pitt's FastTrack Program. The online experience provided me with exposure to and proficiency with many types of hardware and software issues that are applicable as a professional librarian. The program required development of time management, organizational skills, and assertiveness to overcome technical challenges that normally occur within today's digital environment. While FastTrack emphasizes present and future digital technologies, the foundational principles of librarianship are still strongly in place; i.e., organizing information in all types of formats so that customers can get to the information they need as efficiently as possible.

I found the faculty extremely responsive to my personal needs. On several occasions, there was a willingness by professors to adapt assignments to the needs of the library I direct as long as the original objectives and workload of the assignments were fulfilled. They demonstrated a personal interest in my professional development and more than three years after completing the program, they continue to be available as a source of professional mentoring. My experience with Blackboard as a FastTrack student has also helped me augment my current on-campus teaching at Biblical with online assignments.

The fact that Pitt requires an on-campus experience is a great asset of the program! While I have taken online courses without on-campus requirements and realize community can be experienced online, the one weekend per semester required to be on-campus emphasized the importance of teamwork and strengthened the friendships and professional relationships that I developed with faculty and the other students from our cohort. There is also flexibility with respect to opportunities for internships, independent studies, taking other on-campus courses. Since I have graduated I have recommended four other students to Pitt, one at the doctoral level and three to the FastTrack program and all have communicated great experiences.

In short, the FastTrack program teaches you to value forward-thinking and adaptability while remaining currently relevant; and fosters an awareness that to remain a professionally viable librarian, you must continually invest in your skills and in the relationships you share with your colleagues and customers!

The University of Pittsburgh Fast Track program fit my need for a graduate program in Library and Information Science perfectly. The marriage of online classes with on site instruction proved to be the successful mixture of modern technology and personal interaction that I needed to succeed. I was drawn to University of Pittsburgh because of its fine reputation in the field of Library Science and its focus on Information Technology.

Completing my graduate program on line was a challenging and exciting experience. The technical skills that I used to navigate my course work has proven invaluable to my everyday work as a librarian. To be successful in contemporary libraries, librarians need to be at ease with emerging technology and constant change. I feel that going to school online really aided me in becoming comfortable with new technology and problem solving through complicated information systems.

One of the most interesting aspects of the University of Pittsburgh MLIS Fast Track program was the utilization of a cohort in which we, as students, relied on each other to negotiate our classes. This set up very closely mirrors how our professional work gets done in that in most library staff people work in close collaboration to achieve results.

The course that was of most benefit to me from the MLIS Fast Track program was Library Marketing taught by Susan Alman. Before working in libraries I worked for a long time in the museum world and this love of art fueled my ideas about marketing in libraries. Years before I took this course I coordinated many marketing events at American University in Washington, DC but this course allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge to strategically plan and execute large marketing projects. Soon after graduating I became the project manager for the Marketing Team at American University and we succeeded in winning the ACRL 2005 Best Practices in Marketing Academic and Research Libraries @your library® Award. This love of marketing also led me to co-found Fearless Future a marketing consulting firm that specializes in creating visual identities for libraries and non-profits.

In all of my course work though the University of Pittsburgh MLIS Fast Track Program, collaboration with colleagues from all types of libraries and location in the U.S.A was a great benefit. This advantage was especially evident in our marketing class when students shared local examples and exposed us all to a wide variety of techniques, applications and visuals. I have recommended the University of Pittsburgh MLIS Fast Track program many times to aspiring librarians and I will continue to do so.

More coming soon...