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Public Library Accreditation

Introduction:

Library Accreditation is valid for three years. Every three years the library must re-apply for Accreditation. Accreditation of public libraries is a cyclical process, with approximately one-third of all libraries scheduled to apply for re-accreditation each year.  The library director will be contacted several months before the Accreditation application is due with instructions on how to apply. The Accreditation application uses several statistical measures from the Public Libraries Survey, so the library director must have submitted the statistical report in in the year preceding the Accreditation application.

The purpose of public library accreditation is to encourage excellent library service in Nebraska communities.

Accreditation:

  • establishes minimum standards for library service
  • ensures that libraries adhere to certain standards
  • offers libraries benchmarks
  • offers libraries evidence that certain expenditures, services, and practices are needed and expected

The Accreditation Application is organized into five categories:

  • Governance/Planning
  • Resources
  • Services
  • Cooperation/Collaboration
  • Communications

The new Nebraska Guidelines for Public Library Accreditation will be used for the first time for 2013 accreditation/re-accreditation. That process will begin in July when letters are sent to the public libraries up for reaccreditation and to libraries that have not been previously accredited but that have submitted the Public Libraries Survey for the preceding year. Completed Accreditation Applications will be due in October.

 

Changes in the Guidelines:

  • Accreditation and levels of accreditation are based on a point system. Instead of having to meet each requirement in a list, a library simply needs to accrue points. A total of 275 points may be earned.
  • Instead of Essential, Enhanced, and Excellent levels, the three levels of accreditation are:
    • Bronze (175 points)
    • Silver (200 points)
    • Gold (250 points)
  • The new guidelines are community-based, so that each library determines its own priorities based on community needs. This requires each library to have or to create a strategic plan that addresses the unique needs of its community. A separate set of planning templates and guides has been developed to aid libraries in planning, if they wish to use them. The Strategic Plan must include at least these 5 elements: community profile, community needs assessment, library assessment, goals, and evaluation. If your library does not have a plan then you may use the planning process below (Strategic Planning Templates and Guides) to create a plan for your library.
  • Statistics that have been reported by the library in the Public Libraries Survey will automatically be filled in on the online accreditation application form, so the library will not have to double-report statistical measures.
  • Each library will login with the password it used to submit its annual statistics via Bibliostat Collect for the preceding library statistics report.
  • Peer comparisons will be used for nine of the guidelines – that is, each library will be compared with libraries of similar size rather than being slotted into a predetermined population group as in past guidelines. This procedure will be used for the following guidelines: 2.01 (local income), 2.02.01 (open hours), 2.03.01 (staff expenditures), 2.03.04 (staff FTE), 2.05.04 (materials expenditure), 2.05.05 (circulation), 2.05.06 (collection turnover), and 2.05.07 (collection size, items per capita), and 3.05 (attendance per capita). Libraries will have an opportunity to meet either the average figure for each guideline, or the median figure (i.e., the value lying at the midpoint of the statistics from peer libraries; in other words, the applying library’s figure will be right in the middle of those of its peer libraries). In cases in which there is not a sufficient number of libraries larger and smaller than the applying library, we may expand the sample for comparison.
  • The library will be asked to list the section(s) of its strategic plan that is related to each accreditation guideline.

 

Preview the Accreditation Application here.
You must use the live form (see Start Here link below) to submit your application.


Requirements for Accreditation:

  1. Public Libraries Survey: You must have submitted your survey for the preceding year.
  2. Strategic Plan: You must have created an up-to-date Strategic Plan (see below).
  3. Application: The process consists of completing two online forms. The first form verifies that your library meets 12 minimum qualifications. If you meet these qualifications, you will be directed to the online Accreditation Application. If you wish to save a partially-completed form click the Save and Resume Later button at the bottom of the form. (Please have available: your Bibliostat username/password and your Strategic Plan.) Start Here.


Strategic Planning Templates and Guides :

Fill out the 6 worksheets below, and then condense the results onto the Strategic Plan summary. These seven documents should be submitted with your Accreditation application. The video and how-to guides are meant to provide assistance. Please use them as you wish.
 

6 Worksheets to fill out:

Explanatory Video

How-To Guides

 

Introduction: The New Accreditation Guidelines

 

Worksheet 1: Plan to Plan

Why Plan? 

Get Ready: Form a planning team 

Get Set:  Plan to plan

 Why Plan?

The Planning Team

 

Worksheet 2: Community Profile

Plan:  Profile the Community

 

Worksheet 3: Community Needs

Assess Community Needs

 Assess Community Needs

Running a Focus Group

Worksheet 4 Take Stock

Take stock

 Take stock

Worksheet 5: Develop Goals & Objectives

Set priorities
and
Develop goals & objectives

 Set Priorities

Develop goals & objectives

 

Perform:  Execute the plan

 Project Management

Worksheet 6: Evaluate Programs & Projects

Appraise:  Evaluate

 


Accreditation Program History

 Accreditation Application sample

List of all Nebraska Public Libraries with their accreditation standing


For more information, contact Richard Miller.