A Library Compliance Strategy for Regional Accreditation Standards

Abstract

The 2002 standards published by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education place less emphasis on quantifiable and arbitrary inputs and more emphasis on outcomes assessment of student learning. Since these new standards are less prescriptive and more diffuse than the previous standards, it is difficult for librarians to determine an appropriate compliance strategy. The authors advocate use of the 2004 ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education for assessment of an academic library to provide the comprehensive evaluation required to demonstrate compliance with the Middle States standards. A comprehensive listing of the Middle States Commission provisions affecting libraries and other material is provided to assist in such an evaluation.