The Challenge and Practice of Academic Accreditation A Sourcebook for Library Administrators

Subjects:

• Library & Information Science » Issues & Trends
• Library & Information Science » Issues & Trends

Reviews:

• ...a straightforward discussion of the key elements of the arcane process by which academic institutions are accredited as they influence the libraries in those institutions. His text begins with discussion of the challenges of accreditation, the practice of accreditation, and five important selected issues. There is also an excellent series of summaries, prepared by Garten, of the current standards for libraries, information technologies, and academic computing as found in the various disciplinary, professional, and regional accreditation standards and guidelines. Finally, there is a superb bibliographic essay on academic libraries and the literature of accreditation. This sourcebook addresses not just current accreditation practices and standards, but also major challenges, such as expectations in the age of new technology, and key issues, such as information literacy., Garten and his fellow contributors have produced a solid guide that will be extremely useful for all academic librarians as they participate in the accreditation process.
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  Wilson Library Bulletin
• Provides an overview of the contemporary accreditation process as it applies to libraries, information technologies, and academic computing. Practical advice on the self-study, the site visit, and other topics will guide librarians going through this process.
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  American Libraries
• ...an excellent account of current accreditation practice and reform theory. This book is highly recommended for librarians preparing for accreditation. It also holds interest for all readers concerned with the vital and permeating issues of institutional assessment in higher education.
  —Journal of Academic Librarianship
• Given the forces at work in corporate boardrooms, state legislatures, and on campuses themselves, a book such as Challenge and Practice of Academic Accreditation is both useful and timely.
  —The Library Quarterly

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• The Challenges of Accreditation
• Challenges for Accreditation in a Rapidly Changing Environment by Kenneth L. Perrin
• Accreditation Expectations in the Age of New Technology by Ralph A. Wolff and Mimi Harris Steadman
• Challenges to Accreditation from the New Academic Library Environment by Delmus E. Williams
• The Practice of Accreditation
• Reflective Self-Study as Cornerstone of Accreditation: Part I by Edward D. Garten
• Reflective Self-Study as Cornerstone of Accreditation: Part II by Edward D. Garten
• Understanding the Purpose and Nature of the Site Visit by Edward D. Garten
• The Focused Visit: A Special Type of Library Assessment by Susanne O. Frankie
• The Practical Librarian's View of Accreditation by Joan H. Worley
• Selected Issues
• Distance Education and Off-Campus Library Services: Challenges for the Accreditation Process and Librarians by Thomas E. Abbott
• The Concern for Information Literacy: A Major Challenge for Accreditation by Howard L. Simmons
• The New American College Student and Workforce Competence: Seven Generalizations that Challenge Traditional Accreditation and Licensure by Robert W. Tucker
• Challenges to Accreditation Posed by Nontraditional Models of Information Delivery by Cynthia Hartwell and Edward D. Garten
• Rethinking Library Self-Studies and Accreditation Visits by Ralph A. Wolff
• Current Standards for Libraries, Information Technologies, and Academic Computing
• Current Regional Commission Standards and Guidelines by Edward D. Garten
• Current Disciplinary and Professional Association Standards and Guidelines by Edward D. Garten
• Highlighting Regional Commission Standards for Libraries and Information Technologies by Selected Categories by Edward D. Garten
• Observations on the Expectations for Libraries, Academic Computing, and Other Information Technologies as Found in the Professional and Disciplinary Standards by Edward D. Garten
• Libraries and Accreditation: A Bibliographic Essay
• Academic Libraries and the Literature of Accreditation by Delmus E. Williams and Phyllis O'Connor
• Glossary of Commonly Used Terms in Accreditation compiled by Edward D. Garten
• Index