ALA Standards & Guidelines

Standards and Guidelines

(updates to page ongoing)

Note: This list includes documents entitled “standards” and “guidelines” as well as other documents of a similar nature entitled “statements,” “rules,” and “criteria.” Only those documents entitled “standards” and “guidelines” have been reviewed by the ALA Standards Review Committee for consistency with ALA policy. The intent of this list is to present ALA's official standards and guidelines and to also include additional documents prepared and endorsed by various ALA units for the purpose of helping others improve library service. Please see Library-related Acronyms as necessary.

Some documents are publications that are only available from the ALA Online Store. ALA members receive a 10% discount on these purchases.

If an item is available on the ALA web site, the link is provided.

Academic Libraries | Access | Accreditation | Archives | Audiovisual Materials | Bibliography | Blind And Physically Handicapped | Buildings | Cataloging | Children's Library Services | Collection Development and Management | Curriculum Materials Centers | Deaf | Developmental Disabilities, Patrons with | Distance Learning | Education For Library Service | Ethics | Filing Rules | Genealogy | Handicapped | Human Resources Issues | Information Literacy, Academic Libraries| Information Literacy, School Libraries | Information Services | Instruction | Intellectual Disabilities, Patrons with | Intellectual Freedom | Interlibrary Loan | Map Librarianship | Mental Illness, Patrons with | Physically Handicapped | Planning | Preservation | Public Libraries | Reference Services | Reviews, Writing and Reading Them | Serving Speakers of Languages Other than English | Special Collections | Reference Services | School Libraries | Services To Older Adults | Teen, Tween, and Young Adult Library Services | Trustees | Volunteers

Academic Libraries

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guidelines for University Library Services to Undergraduate Students. Approved at ALA Annual Conference, June 2005. Revision approved October 2013.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Standards for Libraries in Higher Education. Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, October 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries. Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, October 2012.

Access

Association of College & Research Libraries/Society of American Archivists. ALA/SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries. July 2009.

Also available at the website of the Society of American Archivists: ALA/SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Access for Children and Young Adults to Nonprint Materials: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted June 28, 1989, by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 2004.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Access to Digital Information, Services, and Networks: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted January 24, 1996; amended January 19, 2005; and July 15, 2009, by the ALA Council.

Questions and Answers: Access to Digital Information, Services, and Networks. June 5, 1997; revised November 17, 2000; revised January 16, 2010.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Sex, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Sexual Orientation: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted June 30, 1993, by the ALA Council; amended July 12, 2000, June 30, 2004, July 2, 2008.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted July 2, 1986, by the ALA Council; amended January 10, 1990; July 12, 2000; January 19, 2005; July 2, 2008.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Economic Barriers to Information Access: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted June 30, 1993, by the ALA Council.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Free Access to Libraries for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted June 30, 1972, by the ALA Council; amended July 1, 1981; July 3, 1991; June 30, 2004; July 2, 2008.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Guidelines for the Development and Implementation of Policies, Regulations and Procedures Affecting Access to Library Materials, Services and Facilities. Adopted by the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee June 28, 1994; revised January 19, 2005.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Resolution on Access to the Use of Libraries and Information by Individuals with Physical or Mental Impairment. Adopted January 13, 1988, by the ALA Council.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Restricted Access to Library Materials: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted February 2, 1973, by the ALA Council; amended July 1, 1981; July 3, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004; January 28, 2009.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Services to People with Disabilities: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted January 28, 2009, by the ALA Council.

Office for Intellectual Freedom. The Universal Right to Free Expression: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted January 16, 1991, by the ALA Council.

Accreditation

ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians (2010) (PDF) along with the 2010 standards with supporting items (introduction, NCATE state partnerships, training for faculty and states, reviewer criteria and training, etc.) (PDF). Approved by Specialty Areas Studies Board (SASB) of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), October 24, 2010.

Committee on Accreditation. Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies (PDF). Adopted by ALA Council, January 2008.

See all Accreditation standards, policies, and procedures from the ALA Office for Accreditation.

See also Education for Library Service

Archives

Association of College & Research Libraries/Society of American Archivists. ALA/SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries. July 2009.

Also available at the website of the Society of American Archivists: ALA/SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries.

Audiovisual Materials

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guidelines for Media Resources in Academic Libraries. January 2006.

Bibliography

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for the Preparation of a Bibliography (PDF). Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, March 2010.

Blind and Physically Handicapped

Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies. Revised Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 2011. Chicago: Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, 2011.

Buildings

Bryan, Cheryl. Managing Facilities for Results: Optimizing Space for Services. Chicago: American Library Association, 2007. NOTE: See the Managing Facilities for Results Workforms that are freely available online via E-Learn Libraries.

Building Blocks for Planning Functional Library Space, 3rd Edition. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2011.

Erikson, Rolf and Carolyn Markuson. Designing a School Library Media Center for the Future, 2nd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2007.

Leighton, Philip D. and David C. Weber. Planning Academic and Research Library Buildings, 3rd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 1999.

Sannwald, William W. Checklist of Library Building Design Considerations, Fifth Edition. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.

Additional library buildings resources appear on the ALA Library Fact Sheet 11: Building Libraries and Library Additions: A Selected Annotated Bibliography.

The Association of College & Research Libraries has teamed with the Library Leadership and Management Association to establish the Guide For Architects and Librarians: Resources for Planning Higher Education Library Spaces Wiki, to provide a basic framework for architects, planners, and librarians embarking on planning and design of libraries for higher education. This Guide will provide information for thinking about the design of new and renovated library space, and point toward additional resources that can support, inform and enhance the academic library design process.

Cataloging

Intner, Sheila S., Joanna F. Fountain, and Jean R. Weihs. Cataloging Correctly for Kids: An Introduction to the Tools, Fifth Edition. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.

Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA. Resource description & access: RDA. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.

Joint Steering Committee for Revision of Anglo-American Cataloging Rules; American Library Association; Canadian Library Association; Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Great Britain); et al. Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition, 2002 Revision, 2005 Update (Kit) (Complete text with annual updates from 2003 through 2005, plus tabs). Chicago: ALA, 2005.

Additional cataloging resources appear on ALA Library Fact Sheet 18 - How to Acquire Cataloging Tools and the Cataloging and Classification page at the ALA Professional Tips Wiki.

Children's Library Services

Association for Library Service to Children. Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Public Libraries. Created by the ALSC Education Committee, 1989. Revised by the ALSC Education Committee: 1999, 2009; approved by the ALSC Board of Directors at the 2009 American Library Association Annual Conference.

Cerny, R., Markey, P., & Williams, A. Outstanding Library Service to Children: Putting the Core Competencies to Work. Chicago: Association for Library Service to Children, ALA, 2006.

Walter, Virginia A. Children & Libraries: Getting it Right. Chicago: ALA, 2001.

Collection Development and Management

Biblarz, Dora, Stephen Bosch, and Chris Sugnet. Guide to Library User Needs Assessment for Integrated Information Resource: Management and Collection Development. Management and Development Guides, no. 11. Lanham MD: Scarecrow Press and Chicago: ALA/Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, 2001.

Fales, Susan L., ed. Guide for Training Collection Management and Development Librarians. Collection Management and Development Guides, no.8. Chicago: ALA/Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, 1996.

German, Lisa, Nancy Slight-Gibney, Dennis Lambert, and Kathleen R. Brown, eds. Guide to Management of the Information Resources Budget. Collection Management and Development Guides, no. 9. Lanham MD: Scarecrow Press and Chicago: ALA/Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, 2001.

Harloe, Bart, ed. Guide to Cooperative Collection Development. Collection Management and Development Guides, no.6. Chicago: ALA/Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, 1994.

Munroe, Mary H., John M. Haar, and Peggy Johnson. Guide to Collection Development and Management: Administration, Organization and Staffing. Collection Management and Development Guides, no. 10. Lanham MD: Scarecrow Press and Chicago: ALA/Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, 2002.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Liaison Work in Managing Collections and Services (PDF). Prepared by the Liaison with Users Committee, Collection Development and Evaluation Section, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), 1992, revised 2001. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, June 2001. Revised 2009 by the Liaison with Users Committee of CODES. Approved by the RUSA Standards and Guidelines Committee, January 2010. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, March 2010.

See also Reviews, Writing and Reading Them

Curriculum Materials Centers

Association of College and Research Libraries. Guidelines for Curriculum Materials Centers. January 2009.

Deaf

Goddard, Martha L., ed. Guidelines for Library and Information Services for the Deaf Community. Chicago: ALA/Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, 1996.

(Note: These guidelines are based upon Guidelines for Library Services to Deaf People, a 1991 publication of the International Federation of Library Association.)

Developmental Disabilities, Patrons with

Anderson, Amelia. Library Programming for Austistic Children and Teens, 2nd ed. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2021.

Banks, Carrie Scott et al. Including Families of Children with Special Needs: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Revised Edition. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2014.

Farmer, Lesley S. J. Library Services for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2013.

Klipper, Barbara and Carrie Scott Banks. Library Programming for Adults with Developmental Disabilities. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2021.

Kowalsky, Michelle and John Woodruff. Creating Inclusive Library Environments: A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2017. (eEditions e-book)

Laskin, Koki. Serving Patrons with Disabilities: Perspectives and Insights from People with Disabilities. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2023.

Distance Learning

Association of College & Research Libraries. Standards for Distance Learning Library Services. Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, July 1, 2008.

Education for Library Service

ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians (2010) (PDF) along with the 2010 standards with supporting items (introduction, NCATE state partnerships, training for faculty and states, reviewer criteria and training, etc.) (PDF). Approved by Specialty Areas Studies Board (SASB) of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), October 24, 2010.

See ALA and AASL: Assuring Quality in School Librarianship Education Programs

Committee on Accreditation. Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies (PDF). Adopted by ALA Council, January 2008.

See all Accreditation standards, policies, and procedures from the ALA Office for Accreditation.

Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment. ALA's Core Competences of Librarianship (PDF). Approved and adopted as policy by the ALA Council, January 27th 2009.

See also Accreditation

Ethics

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. Adopted at the 1939 Midwinter Meeting by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; and January 22, 2008.

Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). Guidelines for ALCTS Members to Supplement the American Library Association Code of Ethics, 1994. Developed by the ALCTS Task Force on Professional Ethics; adopted by the ALCTS Board of Directors, Midwinter Meeting, February 7, 1994.

Filing Rules

Resources and Technical Services Division Filing Committee. ALA Filing Rules. Chicago: ALA, 1980.

Seely, Paulina A., ed. ALA Rules For Filing Catalog Cards, 2nd ed. Chicago: ALA, 1968.

Additional filing resources appear on the Filing rules LibGuide.

Genealogy, History

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for a Unit or Course of Instruction in Genealogical Research at Schools of Library and Information Science Prepared by the Genealogy Committee of the History Section of the Reference and User Services Association 1995, Revised 2004 Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, January 2007.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Developing a Core Genealogy Collection Prepared by the Genealogy Committee of the History Section of the Reference and User Services Association 1991, Revised 1999 and 2007. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors June 2007.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Establishing Local History Collections Developed by the Local History Committee of the History Section, Reference and Adult Services Association, American Library Association, June 1979. Reaffirmed by the Reference and Adult Services Division Board of Directors, January 1993. Revised 2005, and approved January 2006 by the Reference and User Services Association Board of Directors. [Revised, approved by History Section Executive Committee, and sent to RUSA Standards and Guidelines Committee (March 2012).] Revised and approved by RUSA Board, May 2012.

Additional genealogy, history resources appear on the Genealogical Research page on the ALA Professional Tips Wiki.

Handicapped

See Blind And Physically Handicapped
See Deaf
See Mental Illness, Patrons with
See Developmental Disabilities, Patrons with

Human Resources Issues

Association of College & Research Libraries. Competencies for Special Collections Professionals. Prepared by the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, ACRL/ALA Task Force on Core Competencies for Special Collections Professionals. Approved by the ACRL Board, July 1, 2008.

Association of College & Research Libraries. A Guideline for the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure of Academic Librarians. Approved at ALA Annual Conference, June 2010.

Association of College & Research Libraries. A Guideline for the Screening and Appointment of Academic Librarians. Approved by the ACRL Board at the ALA Annual Conference, July 2009.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guideline on Collective Bargaining. June 2008.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guidelines for Academic Librarians Without Faculty Status. Revised by the ACRL Committee on the Status of Academic Librarians and approved by the ACRL Board of Directors on October 21, 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Standards for Faculty Status for Academic Librarians. Prepared by the ACRL Committee on the Status of Academic Librarians. Approved by ACRL Board, June 2007. Revised October 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Statement on the Certification & Licensing of Academic Librarians. Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, July, 1989. Reaffirmed by the ACRL Board, June, 2001 and June, 2007. Modified and reaffirmed by the ACRL Board at the Spring Executive Committee Meeting, May 11, 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Statement on the Terminal Professional Degree for Academic Librarians. Approved as policy by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, on January 23, 1975. Reaffirmed by the ACRL Board of Directors, June, 2001 and June, 2007. Modified and reaffirmed by the ACRL Board of Directors at the Spring Executive Committee Meeting, May 11, 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries/American Association of University Professors/Association of American Colleges. Joint Statement on Faculty Status of College and University Librarians. Drafted by a committee of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), the Association of American Colleges (AAC), and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Approved by the membership of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, June 26, 1972. Reprinted from the February 1974 issue of College & Research Libraries News, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Reaffirmed by the ACRL Board, June, 2001 and June, 2007.

Mayo, Diane and Jeanne Goodrich. Staffing for Results: A Guide to Working Smarter. Chicago: Public Library Association, 2002.

Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment. Library and Information Studies Education and Human Resource Utilization (PDF). A Statement of Policy Adopted by the Council of the American Library Association, January 23, 2002; originally adopted by ALA Council June 30, 1970.

Information Literacy, Academic Libraries

Association of College & Research Libraries. Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices: A Guideline. Approved by the ACRL Board, June 2003.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries. Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, June 2003. Revised October 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Approved by the ACRL Board, January 2000.

These standards were reviewed by the ACRL Standards Committee and approved by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) on January 18, 2000, at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association in San Antonio, Texas. These standards were also endorsed by the American Association for Higher Education (October 1999) and the Council of Independent Colleges (February 2004). A PDF of this document is available.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Journalism Students and Professionals (PDF). Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, October 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Information Literacy Standards for Teacher Education (PDF). Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors at the Spring Executive Committee Meeting May 11, 2011.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Political Science Research Competency Guidelines (PDF). Approved by the ACRL Board July 1, 2008.

Farsi Translation (PDF)

Association of College & Research Libraries. Psychology Information Literacy Standards. Approved at ALA Annual Conference, June 2010.

Chinese Translation (PDF)
Farsi Translation (PDF)

Association of College & Research Libraries. Research Competency Guidelines for Literatures in English. Originally implemented, October 2004. Revised and approved, June 2007.

Farsi Translation (PDF)

Association of College & Research Libraries. Standards for Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators. Approved by the ACRL Board, June 24, 2007.

A Practical Guide (PDF booklet)
Spanish Translation (PDF)

Association of College & Research Libraries. Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors, October 2011.

Information Literacy, School Libraries

American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. 2009.

American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action. Chicago: ALA, 2009.

Information Services

See Reference Services

Instruction

See Information Literacy, Academic Libraries

Intellectual Disabilities, Patrons with

See Developmental Disabilities, Patrons with

Intellectual Freedom

Office for Intellectual Freedom. Library Bill of Rights. Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of "age" reaffirmed January 23, 1996; January 29, 2019.

Interpretations to the Library Bill of Rights.

American Library Association. ALA Statement on Censorship of Information Addressing Racial Injustice, Black American History, and Diversity Education. Released by the ALA Executive Board, August 18, 2021.

American Library Association. ALA Statement on Book Censorship. Released by the ALA Executive Board and the Boards of Directors for all of ALA's eight divisions, November 29, 2021.

Interlibrary Loan

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Interlibrary Loan Operations Management (PDF). Prepared by the Task Force for Qualifications for Interlibrary Loan Operations Management which was convened by the RUSA STARS Executive Committee, 2006. Revised by the Codes, Guidelines and Technical Standards Committee, Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS), Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), 2009. Submitted to the RUSA Standards and Guidelines Committee on June 14, 2010 with revisions after feedback from interested parties (primarily via the STARS-L listserv) and with approval of the STARS Executive Committee. Revised by the Codes, Guidelines and Technical Standards Committee, Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS), Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), 2010. These guidelines were approved by the STARS Executive Committee on Feb 14, 2011 and by the RUSA Board on January 23, 2012.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Resource-Sharing Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters (PDF). This guideline began with a report prepared by the Task Force on Resource-Sharing Response to Natural Disasters, June 2007. Prepared in 2009 by the Codes, Guidelines, and Technical Standards Committee of the Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (ALA). Approved by the Executive Committee of STARS in December 2009 and by the RUSA Board in June 2010.

Reference and User Services Association. Prepared by the Interlibrary Loan Committee, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), 1994, revised 2001. Revised by the Codes, Guidelines, and Technical Standards Committee, Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS) 2008 and 2015. Approved by RUSA Board January 11, 2016.

Map Librarianship

Map and Geography Round Table (currently known as the Map and Geospatial Information Round Table). Map, GIS and Cataloging / Metadata Librarian Core Competencies (PDF). 2008.

Mental Illness, Patrons with

ASCLA Standards Review Subcommittee to Prepare Guidelines for Library Services for People with Mental Illnesses, Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies. Guidelines for Library Services for People with Mental Illnesses. Chicago: Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies/American Library Association, 2007.

Physically Handicapped

See Blind And Physically Handicapped

Planning

Nelson, Sandra. The NEW Planning for Results: A Streamlined Approach. Chicago: ALA, 2001.

Preservation

Association for Library Collections & Technical Services. ALA Preservation Policy 2008, originally adopted by ALA Council June 30, 1991.

Public Libraries

Mayo, Diane and Jeanne Goodrich. Staffing for Results: A Guide to Working Smarter. Chicago: Public Library Association, 2002.

Nelson, Sandra. The NEW Planning for Results: A Streamlined Approach. Chicago: ALA, 2001.

Nelson, Sandra, Ellen Altman, and Diane Mayo. Managing for Results: Effective Resource Allocation for Public Libraries. Chicago: Public Library Association, 2000.

See all Public Library Association Publications and Products, especially PLA Books and Products and the PLA Results series, and Professional Tools.

Reference Services

Reference and User Services Association. Definitions of Reference. Approved by RUSA Board of Directors, January 14, 2008.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, June 2004.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Business Information Responses. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, May 28, 2013.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Cooperative Reference Services. Prepared by the Cooperative Reference Service Committee, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), American Library Association. Approved by RUSA Board of Directors, January 1998. Revised by the Cooperative Reference Service Committee, Reference Services Section, November 2005. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, June 2006.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services (PDF). Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, March 2010.

Reference and Adult Services Division. Guideline for Health and Medical Reference. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, June 2001.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for the Introduction of Electronic Information Resources to Users. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, June 2006.

See all Reference and User Services Association standards and guidelines at RUSA Guidelines by Topic.

See also Information Services

Reviews, Writing and Reading Them

Hooper, Brad. Writing Reviews for Readers' Advisory. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.

Reference and User Services Association. Elements for Basic Reviews: A Guide for Writers and Readers of Reviews of Works in All Mediums and Genres (PDF). 2006.

School Libraries

American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: American Association of School Librarians, ALA, 2009.

Erikson, Rolf and Carolyn Markuson. Designing a School Library Media Center for the Future, 2nd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2007.

Services to Older Adults

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Library and Information Services to Older Adults. Library Services to an Aging Population Committee, Reference Services Section, Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association 1987. Revised 1999, Approved in 2008.

Serving Speakers of Languages Other than English

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Library Services to Spanish-Speaking Library Users. Revised in 2006 by the Library Services to the Spanish-Speaking Committee, Reference Services Section of the Reference and User Services Association, American Library Association. (Originally adopted by the Reference and Adult Services Division Board of Directors, January 1988.) Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, January 2007.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Multilingual Collections and Services. Prepared by the Library Services to the Spanish-Speaking Committee, Reference Services Section of the Reference and User Services Association, American Library Association. Approved by the RUSA Board of Directors, January 2007.

Additional serving speakers of languages other than English resources appear on the Serving Multicultural Populations and the Serving Speakers of Languages Other than English pages on the ALA Professional Tips Wiki.

Special Collections

Association of College & Research Libraries/Society of American Archivists. ALA/SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries. July 2009.

Also available at the website of the Society of American Archivists: ALA/SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Competencies for Special Collections Professionals. July 2008.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guidelines for Borrowing and Lending Special Collections Materials for Exhibition. January 2005.

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guidelines on the Selection and Transfer of Materials from General Collections to Special Collections. July 2008.

Association of College & Research Libraries/Rare Books and Manuscripts Section. ACRL/RBMS Guidelines Regarding Security and Theft in Special Collections. September 2009.

Spanish Translation (PDF)

Teen, Tween, and Young Adult Library Services

Young Adult Library Services Association. Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff. 2017.

In 2011, YALSA developed the Public Library Evaluation Tool for evaluating a public library's overall level of success in providing services to teens, aged 12-18, with areas for evaluation derived from YALSA's Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth: Young Adults Deserve the Best.

Young Adult Library Services Association. The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action. Adopted by the YALSA Board of Directors on December 16, 2013.

Young Adult Library Services Association. Core Professional Values for the Teen Services Profession. Adopted on June 27, 2015.

Young Adult Library Services Association's Teen Space Guidelines were developed in 2011-2012.

Young Adult Library Services Association. Teen Programming Guidelines. Created in 2014 -2015 by a task force of YALSA with feedback from the library community achieved through a public comment period in December 2014.

YALSA's National Research Agenda 2017-2021.

Trustees

Reed, Sally G., and Jillian Kalonick. The Complete Library Trustee Handbook. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2010.

Volunteers

Driggers, Preston, and Eileen Dumas. Managing Library Volunteers, 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2011.

Additional volunteers resources appear on the Volunteers page on the ALA Professional Tips Wiki -- including Guidelines for Using Volunteers in Libraries (PDF) adopted 1971.