Norman Oder, Library Journal: 12/4/2008

A support staff certification program planned by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) should be able to launch in early 2010, a year ahead of schedule, ALA executive director Keith Fiels said at an Executive Board conference call November 17.  The program grows out of a grant from the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services to develop competences and standards for support staff and to test a model certification program. The timetable change is “[d]ue to the speed of progress in developing the standards and the many expressions of interest from support staff,” said ALA president Jim Rettig in a message to the ALA Council electronic mailing list.