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Nebraska Library Commission Website

Public Library Accreditation - Online Form


Guidelines for Public Library Accreditation
As approved and adopted by the Nebraska Library Commissioners, May 14, 2004
Updated July 6, 2011

Introduction
Nebraskans deserve and expect high quality service from their public libraries. The purpose of statewide guidelines is to establish a consistent level of basic library and information service that can be expected to be available in every public library across the state. For many years, the Accreditation Guidelines for Service developed for Nebraska public libraries "have assisted and supported improvements in Nebraska public library services." The topics addressed in the accreditation process include governance, services, and resources of public libraries.

Purpose Statement
 The purpose of the accreditation process is to establish expectations for governance, services, and resources for public libraries. The anticipated outcome is that Nebraska citizens will have access to accurate, quality library and information services from public libraries that meet statewide independent guidelines.

The Guidelines for Accreditation should serve as a tool for measuring and encouraging growth and development of library and information services offered in Nebraska public libraries. The outcome should be the availability of those services for Nebraska citizens served by accredited libraries. Some guidelines measure traditional output data and others seek to describe intended outcomes resulting from the use of public library services and programs. The Guidelines are intended to apply to all public library outlets, including branches, of all sizes, throughout the state. Certain guidelines are written specifically for libraries based on the size of the population of the library's Legal Service Area (LSA).

There are three phases of Accreditation described in these Guidelines: Essential, Enhanced, and Excellent. State aid to public libraries will be distributed proportionally according to the level of Accreditation achieved for a given time period. Libraries accredited at the Essential Level are eligible for a minimum base percentage payment of direct state aid, those at the Enhanced Level eligible for a larger percentage, and those at the Excellent Level eligible for the highest percentage.

Process
 Libraries that meet the required number of Guidelines for a specific level of service are accredited at that level for a three-year period, from October 1 through September 30. If during that three-year period the Library Commission becomes aware of a substantial change in a library's situation that affects one or more of the guidelines, or the level of accreditation, the Library Commission can review and either revoke or revise that library's accreditation standing, or place that library's accreditation on probation until the deficiency is rectified. A library's eligibility for grants and/or state aid payments during probation will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Final decisions are the responsibility of the Director of the Nebraska Library Commission.

Accreditation is a prerequisite for state aid eligibility, and is a requirement for eligibility for all grants administered by the Nebraska Library Commission.

Disclaimer
 The Guidelines for Accreditation of Nebraska Public Libraries is a work-in-progress. It is anticipated that some of the content may need to be revised. It is often through implementation of guidelines that issues become apparent that necessitate some adjustment and, since the intent is that the process be reasonable and fair, the Library Commission reserves the right to make adjustments as deemed appropriate.

Additional Information:

This document can be adapted to meet individual library planning needs, and help with facilities and materials assessment. Thank you to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Division for Libraries and Technology, for their willingness to share this document.

Essential Level:

Guideline # 2 - Library Board Bylaws

Guideline #5 - Library Policies
Finance:

Emergency and Safety:

Enhanced Level:

Guideline #4 - Planning Document:

Guideline #13 - Program Evaluation:

Excellent Level:

Guideline #1 - Library Policies:
Facilities (and/or Use of Meeting Rooms):

Guideline #4 - Technology Plan:

 

Public Library Accreditation - Online Form - Starts Here


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Check the appropriate radio box for each question.
You must respond to all questions on all 3 levels in order for the form to be submitted.
Submission button at the button of the page.

 

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The figures included are based on 2009/2010 public library statistical data. These figures are revised based on the most recent statistical data submitted annually by public libraries. A library must meet or exceed at least one of the four figures listed for its Legal Service Area (LSA) population.

Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 Average Local
Revenue per
Capita		 Average
Total Local
Revenue		 Median Local
Revenue per
Capita		 Median Total
Local Revenue
Less than 500 $24.96 $7,812 $23.96 $6,799
500 – 999 $24.29 $18,039 $24.35 $17,748
1,000 – 1,499 $28.12 $32,693 $23.64 $28,723
1,500 – 2,499 $24.39 $45,113 $23.25 $44,512
2,500 – 4,999 $31.92 $119,705 $31.45 $123,929
5,000 – 9,999 $29.36 $219,175 $28.48 $220,260
10,000 – 50,999 $24.44 $568,862 $24.74 $558,997
51,000 and above $16.54 $6,514,249 $16.54 $6,514,249
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Legal Service Area
(LSA) 		Minimum Hours
per Week 		Minimum Days
per Week
Less than 500 10 3
500 - 1,499 15 3
1,500 - 2,499 25 4
2,500 - 4,999 30 5
5,000 - 9,999 48 5
10,000 - 24,999 56 6
25,000 and above 64 6
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Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 Evening Hours Weekend Hours
Less than 500 1 1
500    -  1,499 2 2
1,500 - 2,499 2 2
2,500 - 4,999 2 2
5,000 - 9,999 4 3
10,000 and above 6 5
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Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 Minimum Certification
Level
Less than 500 I
500    - 1,499 I
1,500 - 2,499 I
2,500 - 4,999 II
5,000 - 9,999 III
10,000 and above V

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Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 Average Local
Revenue per
Capita		 Average
Total Local
Revenue		 Median Local
Revenue per
Capita		 Median Total
Local Revenue
Less than 500 $32.64 $10,216 $31.34 $8,891
500 – 999 $31.77 $23,589 $31.85 $23,208
1,000 – 1,499 $36.77 $42,752 $30.92 $37,561
1,500 – 2,499 $31.89 $58,994 $30.40 $58,208
2,500 – 4,999 $41.74 $156,537 $41.12 $162,061
5,000 – 9,999 $38.39 $286,613 $37.24 $288,032
10,000 – 50,999 $31.96 $743,897 $32.35 $730,996
51,000 and above $21.63 $8,518,634 $21.63 $8,518,634

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Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 Minimum Hours per week Minimum Days per week
Less than 500 15 3
500    - 1,499 20 3
1,500 - 2,499 25 4
2,500 - 4,999 35 5
5,000 - 9,999 50 5
10,000 - 24,999 60 6
25,000 and above 64 6

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Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 Evening Hours Weekend Hours
Less than 500 0 3
500    - 1,499 2 3
1,500 - 2,499 2 2
2,500 - 4,999 2 2
5,000 - 9,999 4 3
10,000 and above 6 5

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Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 # Staff Enrolled in Program
Less than 500 1
500    - 1,499 1
1,500 - 2,499 1
2,500 - 4,999 2
5,000 - 9,999 3
10,000 and above 4

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Legal Service Area
(LSA)		 Average Local
Revenue per
Capita		 Average
Total Local
Revenue		 Median Local
Revenue per
Capita		 Median Total
Local Revenue
Less than 500 $40.32 $12,620 $38.71 $10,984
500 – 999 $39.24 $29,140 $39.34 $28,669
1,000 – 1,499 $45.43 $52,811 $38.19 $46,399
1,500 – 2,499 $39.39 $72,875 $37.55 $71,904
2,500 – 4,999 $51.56 $193,370 $50.80 $200,193
5,000 – 9,999 $47.42 $354,051 $46.00 $355,804
10,000 – 50,999 $39.49 $918,932 $39.96 $902,995
51,000 and above $26.72 $10,523,018 $26.72 $10,523,018

*This Guideline waived for Lincoln and Omaha because they are a universe of two, and a percentage of the average of the two is not realistic.

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Legal Service Area Minimum Certification
Level
Less than 500 I
500    -1,499 I
1,500 - 2,499 I
2,500 - 4,999 II
5,000 - 9,999 III
10,000 and above V
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Documents Required
See links on the Table of Contents page for examples of some of these documents.
Submit a link or an electronic copy of the document(s) via e-mail to Richard Miller [richard.miller@nebraska.gov].

____    Policy on weeding obsolete material (Excellent Guideline #1)
____    Public services policy (Excellent Guideline #1)
____    Policy for dealing with complaints (Excellent Guideline #1)
____    Continuing Education policy (Excellent Guideline #1)
____    Facilities policy (Excellent Guideline #1)
____    Meeting room use policy (Excellent Guideline #1)
____    Library Technology Plan (Excellent Guideline #4)

Glossary

Bibliostat™ Collect -Web-based product developed to facilitate the submission of public library statistical information.

Database - One or more large structured sets of persistent data, usually associated with software to update and query the data. A simple database might be a single file containing many records, each of which contains the same set of fields where each field is a certain fixed width. (FOLDOC: Free on-line Dictionary of Computing: http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk). For purposes of this document, database or databases refers to electronic subscription reference resources.

Federal data elements - The Nebraska Public Library Statistical Survey includes some questions that are asked by all states and territories in the public library data collection process. These questions, or data elements, are determined and defined by the Public Library Statistics Cooperative (PLSC). In order to have consistency in data collection and to allow for national comparison of certain statistics, the same definitions for these terms are used nationwide. In the survey available through Bibliostat™
Collect, the federal data elements are those in purple font.

Legal Service Area (LSA) Legal Service Area is based on a library's funding source and the latest U.S. Census figures (www.census.gov), with final determination made by the Library Commission. This figure is available on each library's Public Library Statistical Survey form.

Library Board of Trustees - A library board of trustees is a group of citizens responsible for the governing of a public library. Board members are the vital link between the library and its community. Trustees serve as library advocates and leaders in developing responsible and creative service to all members of the public. Public library trustees are volunteers who serve their community with no financial compensation. Members may be reimbursed, however, for any reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of library business.

With few exceptions Nebraska public library boards are administrative boards and carry full responsibility for the library and its policy. For example, the board selects, appoints, and regularly evaluates the performance of the administrative librarian. The librarian serves as chief administrator and is fully responsible for administering library policy, personnel selection and management, development and administration of programs and services, and selection of materials in a professional manner.

It is a violation of sound administrative standards when the administrative librarian independently changes or fails to follow established library board policy or when the library board engages in direct management.


[1] Responses must be provided for all federal data elements. Non-response answers such as N/A are not acceptable.

[2] Evening hours include any hours after 6:00 P.M.

[3] Weekend hours include any hours on Saturday or Sunday.

[4] See Nebraska Statutes sections 21-1901-1991, Nebraska Nonprofit Corporation Act.

[5] The library must respond to at least 85% of the questions of the annual Public Library Statistical Report in order for this guideline to be met.

[6] Evening hours include any hours after 6:00 P.M.

[7] Weekend hours include any hours on Saturday or Sunday.

[8] Independent organization means one not related to the local library. (Related groups include organizations such as the local Library Foundation or Friends group.)