LAI Education Committee: Professional Standards/Guide to Standards & Guidelines for Libraries
Standards and Guidelines
Standards and guidelines presented here by topic and by library type are indicative of the many best practice standards and guidelines available on library service provision, management and operations. These guidelines are not exhaustive. We shall endeavour to refresh the content and also to add topics as required. Copyright is not within the scope of this document.
If you are aware of useful guidelines on a relevant area of library/informatics activities or would like to suggest topics which should be reviewed by the committee do please contact us – email:
By Topic
· Accessibility (Disabled Access)
Guidelines & standards in IT, built environment, products & services (Centre for Excellence in Universal Design – National Disability Authority, Ireland) http://www.universaldesign.ie/guidelinesampstandards
· Audio Visual Materials
Guidelines for audiovisual and multimedia materials in libraries and other institutions (IFLA)
http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s35/pubs/avm-guidelines04.htm
· Building Design
Public library buildings Ireland (Library Council of Ireland)
http://www.librarybuildings.ie/
Designing Libraries (includes Ireland) http://www.designinglibraries.org.uk/resources/toolkit/guidelines.php
· Collection Development (Electronic & Print)
Guidelines for collection development policy using the conspectus model (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/publications/guidelines-for-a-collection-development-policy-using-the-conspectus-model
Key issues for e-resource collection development: a guide for libraries (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/key-issues-for-e-resource-collection-development-a-guide-for-libraries
· Conference Organisation
How to organise conferences, satellite meetings and training seminars (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/how-to-organise-conferences-satellite-meetings-and-training-seminars
· Continuing Professional Development: Principles and Best Practices
http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s43/pub/cpdwl-qual-guide.pdf
Key principles
Confirms the link between quality of service and expertise of staff
Constant change requires expansion of professional understanding and ongoing update of skills and expertise
Outlines principles for high quality continuing professional development
Responsibility for CPD is shared
Formal and informal
Recognition of prior learning
Workplace learning
Importance of professional guidance
Leadership
Budget commitment
Time commitment
Best practice
http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s43/ Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section – useful on rationale for organizations, libraries and institutions to be ‘learning organizations’ and ‘develop their staff by providing opportunities for continuing professional development and training in the workplace; and for individuals to be responsible for their own career planning and development’.
· Digitisation
The Digital Repository of Ireland’s report, A. O'Carroll and S. Webb, Digital archiving in Ireland: national survey of the humanities and social sciences. (Maynooth, NUIM, 2012) is available at http://www.dri.ie/publications
The JISC has a range of publications on all aspects of digitisation: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/
DARIAH, the Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities has lots of useful information, leads and publications: http://www.dariah.eu/
A resource list for standards related to digital imaging of print, graphic, and pictorial materials (Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative, USA)
http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/guidelines/digitize-standards.html
· Document Delivery & Inter-Library Loan
Guidelines for best practice in interlibrary loan and document delivery (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-best-practice-in-interlibrary-loan-and-document-delivery
· Donations and Gifts
Gifts for the collections: guidelines for libraries (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/publications/ifla-professional-reports-112
· Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE)
IFLA Committee on freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. This group focuses on libraries and intellectual freedoms. Group concerned with free access to information and freedom of expression, as encapsulated in basic rights defined within Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Key role to ‘raise awareness of essential correlation between the library concept and the values of intellectual freedom’, FAIFE works to ‘protect intellectual freedom and freedom of expression’.
FIAFE also works to monitor the state of intellectual freedom within library communities, responds to violations and issues such as the recent political dismissal of the Director of the National Library of Serbia, SOPA and PIPA legislation. Further objectives include disseminating information, raising awareness around the principles of freedom of expression and good librarianship and supporting IFLA co-operation and policy with other human rights organisations.
http://www.ifla.org/en/faife
· Information Literacy
Guidelines for information literacy assessment (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-information-literacy-assessment
This is a really useful IFLA resource on information literacy. The guidelines for information literacy’s section primary purpose is to ‘foster international co-operation in the development of IL education in all types of library and information institutions’.
The IL group generates numerous reports, publications and plans including the guidelines for information literacy assessment (short) by Eileen Stec (2004). One of the key IFLA IL resources is the International Information Literacy Resources Directory http://infolitglobal.net/directory/en/ a huge database of IL materials compiled on behalf of UNESCO and maintained by Jesus Lau.
Guidelines on information literacy for lifelong learning (IFLA): http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-on-information-literacy-for-lifelong-learning
Using research to promote literacy and reading in libraries: guidelines for librarians (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/files/information-literacy/publications/ifla-guidelines-en.pdf
Multiple translations also available
http://www.ifla.org/publications/ifla-professional-reports-125
Key reports
Jesus Lau (ed.), International literacy: international perspectives, IFLA publication 131 http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/ifla-publications-series-131
Catts & Lau, Towards information literacy indicators
F.W. Horton Jnr., Understanding information literacy: a primer – a non-technical overview of IL http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/understanding-information-literacy-a-primer/
Various information literacy state of the art reports http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/information-literacy-state-of-the-art-reports
· Multicultural Communities
Multicultural communities: guidelines for library services, 3rd edition (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/multicultural-communities-guidelines-for-library-services-3rd-edition
There are two key policy documents, both seeking to ‘promote fairness and equity of access … and cultural diversity ... encouraging understanding and engagement’.
An overview: multicultural communities: guidelines for library services (2011) - 4 page summary overview with 7 main headings – Multicultural libraries, legal and financial framework, needs of users, collection development, human resources, marketing, publicity and promotion, international best practice.
Multicultural communities: guidelines for library services, 3rd edition – full IFLA version in multiple languages (2009), 33 pages with preface by Robert Pestell.
Other reports
Library services to multicultural populations section strategic plan http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/library-services-to-multicultural-populations-section-strategic-plan Library services to multicultural populations section strategic plan, also known as Section 32 initiatives
Action Plan 2011-2012
IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural library manifesto : the multicultural library – a gateway to a culturally diverse society in dialogue http://www.ifla.org/files/library-services-to-multicultural-populations/publications/manifesto-en.pdf
· Open Access
A national policy statement on Open Access Principles was published in October 2012, supported by a majority of the HE and funding bodies in Ireland: http://www.iua.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/National-Principles -on-Open-Access-Policy-Statement-FINAL-23-Oct-2012-v1-3.pdf
· Storage
BS 5454 Recommendations for the storage and exhibition of archival documents (2000) was withdrawn in 2012 and will be replaced by BSI PD 5454.
By Library Type
v Academic
Standards for libraries in higher education (Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), USA) http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/standardslibraries
v Government Department Libraries
Guidelines for libraries of government departments (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-libraries-of-government-departments
v Health
Standards for Irish health care libraries and information services (HSLG LAI) http://www.hslg.ie/standards-for-irish-health-care-libraries-and-information-services/
Medical Library Association (USA) standards
http://mlanet.org/publications/standards/index.html
v Public
Library services for young people (Library Council of Ireland) http://www.library.ie/youngpeople/guidelines/
Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (Dept. of Children & Youth Affairs guidelines)
http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=%2Fdocuments%2FChild_Welfare_Protection%2FChildrenFirstJuly.htm
(Revised) Guidelines for library services for young adults (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/revised-guidelines-for-library-services-for-young-adults
Guidelines for children's library services (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-childrens-library-services
Guidelines for library services to babies and toddlers (IFLA) http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-library-services-to-babies-and-toddlers
Mobile library guidelines (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/publications/ifla-professional-reports-123
IFLA public librarysService guidelines
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/ifla-publications-series-147
The public library service: the IFLA/UNESCO guidelines for development http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/ifla-publications-series-97
v School Libraries
Setting up a school library (School Library Association of Ireland)
http://www.slari.ie/librarysetup.htm
Primary school library guidelines (CILIP)
http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/special-interest-groups/youth/publications/children/pages/primaryguidelines.aspx
See also: Public Library Services above for other applicable guidelines.
Collections of Standards & Guidelines
American Library Association standards & guidelines http://www.ala.org/tools/guidelines/standardsguidelines
Australian Library Association guidelines
http://www.alia.org.au/policies/index.guidelines.html
Information prepared by Kate Kelly and Terry O’Brien with input from the committee, 2012
Issued by the LAI Education Committee/Professional Standards, November 2012
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