CalRBS Professional Certificates of Completion
CalRBS currently offers two Professional Certificates: one in Rare Books and Manuscripts, and another in Critical Librarianship, Activism, and Justice. Certificates are awarded after completion of five courses (25 total instruction days) in CalRBS and/or the Department of Information Studies at UCLA/GSEIS that meet certificate requirements. While certificates require some core offerings, they are designed to allow flexibility through elective courses so that participants can emphasize learning in specific, self-designed concentrations.
Professional Certificate of Completion in Rare Books and Manuscripts
Since 2013 California Rare Book School (CalRBS) has offered a Professional Certificate of Completion in Rare Books and Manuscripts. To receive this certificate, CalRBS and/or Information Studies students are required to take Descriptive Bibliography, a History of the Book course, a Preservation course, and two additional electives. For example, these electives might be Rare Book Cataloguing, Artists’ Books, History of Typography, and/or Special Collections Librarianship: History, Theory, and Practice.
Course Requirements–Professional Certificate of Completion in Rare Books and Manuscripts
Courses may be taken in any order.
Descriptive Bibliography
History of the Book Course (1)
- Books of the Far West, with an Emphasis on California
- History of the African American Book, 1773-1973
- History of the Book, 200-1820 AD
- History of the Book: The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
- History of the Book in East Asia
- History of the Book in Hispanic America, 16th-19th Centuries
- History of the Children’s Book from the Old Babylonian to 1989
- History of Maps
- Vertical Reading: The Contemporary Book in its Historical Context
- Printing at the Margins: A History of Women Printers
- The Book as a Work of Art: the Contemporary Book in its Historical Context
- Introduction to Black Print Culture
- The Renaissance Book, 1400-1650
- Old Books for Young Children
- Global Histories of the Book: Asia/Europe
- Book History and Librarianship through Post- and De-Colonial Lenses
Preservation Course (1)
- Preservation Stewardship of Library Collections
- History, Identification, and Preservation of Motion Picture/Video Materials
- History, Identification, and Preservation of Photographic Materials
Electives (2) — all CalRBS courses are eligible
CalRBS Professional Certificate in Librarianship, Activism, and Justice
Beginning in 2021, California Rare Book School (CalRBS) now offers a Professional Certificate of Completion in Librarianship, Activism, and Justice. This certificate examines librarianship, book history, and archives through the lens of critical theories as they are realized and practiced in professional environments. Within the context of the certificate, a critical approach includes courses that emphasize (non-exclusively) Critical theory and analysis (Frankfurt School, feminist, queer, critical race, indigenous, anti-colonial, postcolonial, and decolonial theories); social inclusion and diversity; ethics and justice; community intervention; activism; and sustainability studies. Theories can be applied in any number of domains, including book history, bibliography, preservation and conservation, collections and data management, pedagogy, etc. To receive this certificate, CalRBS and/or Information Studies students are required to take three critical courses: Librarianship, one of a selection of pedagogy/applied courses, and one of a selection of History of the Book courses, as well as two additional electives. For example, these electives might be Feminist Bibliography, Developing and Administering Ethnic and Cultural Heritage Collections, Global Histories of the Book: Asia/Europe, Book History and Librarianship through Post- and De-Colonial Lenses, Critical Approaches, Zines, and Maker Spaces, or Feminist and Queer Archives. Course listings indicate which courses qualify for the Librarianship, Activism, and Justice Certificate. Courses completed in Summer 2021 retroactively qualify as credit toward this certificate.
Certificates are conceived of as professional certificates and are not an academic degree from UCLA.
Completion of the five courses for each Certificate (25 total instruction days), usually within a 5-6 year period, is the only requirement for the Certificates. Courses used as credit for one certificate may not be used as credit for another. The certificate program is subject to the oversight of an Information Studies faculty committee.
Course Requirements–CalRBS Professional Certificate in Librarianship, Activism, and Justice
Courses may be taken in any order. You must take three critical courses: Librarianship, one of a selection of pedagogy/applied courses, and one of a selection of History of the Book courses.
Critical Librarianship in Praxis or Critical Book History and Bibliography
Pedagogy or Applied Course (1)
- Better Teaching with Rare Materials
- Critical Approaches, Zines, and Maker Spaces
…and more to come in coming years!
History of the Book Course (1)
- History of the African American Book, 1773-1973
- History of the Book in East Asia
- History of the Book in Hispanic America, 16th-19th Centuries
- Introduction to Black Print Culture
- Global Histories of the Book: Asia/Europe
- Book History and Librarianship through Post- and De-Colonial Lenses
Electives (2) — all CalRBS courses are eligible
To apply for the Professional Certificate of Completion in Rare Books and Manuscripts or Librarianship, Activism, and Justice, please fill out the application below, and submit it via email to calrbs [at] gseis.ucla.edu.