Accreditation
American Library Association
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312-280-2432
Fax: 312-280-2433
accred@ala.org
Staff
Laura Dare, Assistant Director
312-280-2435; 800-545-2433, x2435
ldare@ala.org
Karen O'Brien, Director
312-280-2434; 800-545-2433, x2434
kobrien@ala.org
Accreditation Resources
Directory of ALA-accredited master's programs
Frequently asked questions about ALA accreditation
Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies
Accreditation Process, Policies, and Procedures (AP3)
Become a reviewer for LIS accreditation
Resources for External Review Panelists
Resources for LIS program administrators
Historical list of accredited programs
Glossary of accreditation terminology
Knowledge and competencies statements
Oversight Group and Meeting Schedule
Mission
The ALA Office for Accreditation (OA) serves the general public, students, employers, and library and information studies Master's programs through the promotion and advancement of education in library and information studies.
The ALA Office for Accreditation:
- Ensures fair and equitable accreditation reviews of library and information studies programs,
- Provides external review and validation of master's level library and information studies programs,
- Promotes diversity and inclusiveness in library and information studies education,
- Consults and assists in the development and advancement of library and information studies education,
- Communicates with constituencies regarding activities,
- Anticipates and prepares for the changing environment and the future needs of constituencies,
- Manages our operations and resources to be effective, responsive and relevant.
Responsibilities
The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Accreditation (OA) serves as secretariat for the ALA accreditation. In fulfilling its role, OA is liaison to the ALA Committee on Accreditation and serves multiple constituents including, ALA members, the library and information profession, graduate programs, students, employers and the general public.
Among the responsibilities of the Office for Accreditation are:
- Coordinating and supporting activities that are directly related to the accreditation of master’s programs of education for LIS,
- Active engagement with the accrediting community through recognition by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and volunteer service with the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA),
- Maintaining contact with LIS programs,
- Providing information about the ALA accreditation process, policies, and procedures, as well as the accreditation status (both historical and current) of specific graduate LIS programs,
- Providing programs, publications, and other activities to promote the awareness and enhance knowledge about the ALA accreditation process, trends in library and information studies education and trends in higher education accreditation,
- Maintaining a schedule of evaluation reviews and making it available upon request,
- Maintaining the Directory of Institutions Offering ALA-Accredited Master’s Programs,
- OA shares responsibility with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) for administering the review of school library media specialist programs under the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE),
- OA shares responsibility with the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) for providing information on LIS careers, foreign credentials, and ALA scholarships.
