HomeALA announces new online ALA-Accredited Masters Programs in Lib

Contact: Renée McKinney
Program  Officer
ALA Office for Accreditation
312/280-2436
rmckinney@ala.org

For Immediate Release
March 19, 2004

ALA announces new online ALA-Accredited Master's Programs
in Library and Information Studies directory

CHICAGO - The American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Accreditation is pleased to announce its new Web-based directory of  "ALA-Accredited Master's Library and Information Studies Programs" (www.ala.org/lisdir).

The directory exists on the ALA Web site in a database format, and allows users to easily search for programs that offer distance education, school library media programs, and degrees other than the ALA accredited degree. Program information may be searched by state or province, and programs are able to make changes to their listings, thus improving the currency of the directory between annual updates.  Its online format also allows users to download a PDF version of the entire directory.

"The Web-based greatly enhance the functionality and usefulness of the directory," said Director of ALA's Office for Accreditation Ann O'Neill.  "The Office for Accreditation thanks the ALA accredited programs for their cooperation in implementing this exciting new Web-based publication." 

ALA accreditation indicates that a program has undergone a self-evaluation process, has been reviewed by peers, and meets the "Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies" that were established by the Committee on Accreditation and adopted by the ALA Council in 1992.  The Committee on Accreditation evaluates each program for conformity to the Standards, which address mission, goals, and objectives, curriculum, faculty, students, administration and financial support, and physical resources and facilities.