PRACTICUM OR PRACTICUM WAIVER PROCESS: Students must either do a practicum fieldwork experience or get a waiver of that experience. If you wanted a waiver, if you have not completed the official form for a waiver, if you have not gotten approval from me along with a letter from SLIS confirming you have received a WAIVER for the practicum experience, then you need to take care of that ASAP.  You will fall into one of three categories:

1.  YOU DID A PRACTICUM -- GREAT -- YOU ARE ALL SET!

2.  YOU ARE PLANNING TO DO A PRACTICUM:
You need to complete the proper form and get approval from the Practicum Experience Advisor who is listed on practicum course Webpage. You will register for this and you will be required to pay a fee  for it (you may check on that fee scale with the SLIS office).  You will list the name of the Practicum Experience Advisor as the Instructor (this is not Dr. Figa), and you will get your registration restriction code from the Practicum Experience Advisor (this is not Dr. Figa, either).  Currently, the Practicum Experience Advisor is Dr. Barbara Stein-Martin.   

The Practicum Experience Webpage is located at:

http://web2.unt.edu/children/practicum/index.htm

3.  YOU WANT TO REQUEST A WAIVER FROM THE  PRACTICUM BASED ON FIELD WORK EXPERIENCE:

The Practicum Field Waiver Experience form located at:

http://www.unt.edu/slis/resources/e-forms/Field%20Waiver%20New.htm

Your regular advisor approves your waiver. If you are an advisee of Dr. Figa, then Dr. Figa approves your waiver.  In requesting a waiver, you are providing evidence that you, indeed, have professional-level experience.  I expect the information on the form to reflect this in both content and in appearance.  You will mail this form directly to your advisor (the form says to mail to the "Fieldwork Committee Chair", but if you are an advisee of Dr. Figa, please mail it directly to:

Elizabeth Figa, Ph.D.
School of Library and Information Sciences
Information Sciences Building, Room 205
P.O. Box 311068
Denton, TX 76203-1068

Here are my instructions for complete the form:

a.  Type it so that it looks professional.

b.  Complete every entry on the form and obtain all required signatures.

c.  In the box that asks for description of Major Responsibilities, I recommend you put "See Attachment" in the box and prepare an addendum as a Word document outlining the scope of your work-related responsibilities.  This should be done in a series of categories with narrative descriptions following this type of format: 

• Management Responsibilities:  Do you supervise anyone?  Do you open/close the library or work place?  Do you do work planning and scheduling for other staff?  Do you do training of staff?  Describe and be specific.

• Reference Work:  Do you provide direct service to patrons?  Do you answer reference questions?  Do you do bibliographic instruction?  To you do reader's advisory?  Describe and be specific.

• Collection Development:  Do you help order books?  Do you do weeding?  Do you develop bibliographic finding aides?  Describe and be specific.

• Programming:  Do you plan and do library programs such as storytimes?  Are you involved in the summer reading program?  Do you do library training sessions?  Describe and be specific.

• Project Development: Did you design, implement, evaluation or work on project?  Describe the project and your role.

• Technical Services:  Do you do Interlibrary Loan?  Do you process orders?  Do you work with other local or state library networks?  Do you work at the circulation desk?  Do you work with media?  Describe and be specific.

• Technology:  Do you do computer/network problem solving, installation, repair?  Do you do Website/Webpage development? Describe and be specific.

• Committee Work:  Are you on any committees? Describe and be specific.

• Other activities:  Describe and be specific.