Preparing school librarians in rural areas through distance education and communities of practice

Abstract

As distance education and online learning continue to redefine higher education, graduate programs in library and information science remain a popular course of study for this type of instructional delivery method. Programs that target the unique needs of adult students, focused on constructivist learning, can provide increased levels of access to higher education for students in rural communities. As a recipient of an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant, one institution is providing distributed, community-based instruction to rural areas and encouraging a community of practice to support pre-service school library candidates.