Joint TSLAC/TLA Task Force on 
Public Library Standards & Accreditation

By Rebecca Sullivan, Cathy Threadgill, and Dale Fleeger

In 2003 the Texas State Library and Archives
Commission and the Texas Library Association
established the Joint Task Force on Public Library Standards and Accreditation. The Task Force was asked to:

• review and evaluate recommendations from the Study of Public Library Development in Texas related to minimum requirements for system membership as well as to review and evaluate criteria for state assistance programs in other states;
• evaluate the current Texas Public Library Standards and the Minimum Criteria for System Membership for their timeliness, comprehensiveness, and appropriateness;
• recommend to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Texas Library Association's Executive Board, Council, and Public Libraries Division the relationship that should exist between the standards and the Minimum Criteria for System Membership; and
• recommend future changes, if any, to the Texas Public Library Standards and to the Minimum Criteria for System Membership.

The Task Force has met over the last year and conducted numerous public hearings throughout the state. Draft recommendations (along with all information related to the Task Force) have been posted and opened for comment at http://castor.tsl.state.tx.us/plstandards/.

Completion of the Task Force's Work

The Task Force held a final meeting in Austin on June 18 to review all comments posted to the website and collected at meetings. Recommendations will now be reviewed in light of those comments. A final set of recommendations will be produced in preparation for presentation to the TLA Council at Annual Assembly in July. The document will then be forwarded by TLA to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for its consideration. That process will occur in the fall.

Minimum Criteria

The purpose of the State Library's accreditation criteria is to define the minimum requirements for public library membership in the Texas Library System. The accreditation process determines eligibility for state assistance through programs and services of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). The criteria currently in use were adopted over 25 years ago and no longer provide a valid definition of a public library. The Minimum Criteria Subgroup was charged with developing recommendations for updates to these minimum criteria.

The following principles were suggested by the TSLAC staff and were adopted by the subgroup as a guide for decision-making.

• Accreditation is not designed to evaluate the adequacy of a public library's staff, budget, resources, or services. The criteria are minimal and purely quantitative. Accordingly, accreditation does not imply satisfactory operations or services. The criteria are used strictly to determine whether a library is or is not a public library.
• The criteria should be inclusive, not exclusive. Most Texas public libraries should be able to meet the criteria. The criteria also should be reasonably attainable by communities wishing to establish a public library.
• The criteria should be clear, easy to calculate, and readily explained to librarians and lay persons alike.
• The criteria should be fixed targets, not moving ones. Communities should know well in advance what "numbers" they would be required to reach.
• The criteria should not impose a large data collection and reporting burden on libraries nor should they increase the TSLAC staffing required to process the data. They should be based on data that is timely and readily available.
• The criteria should be objective and quantitative, not subjective.
• The criteria should not be so detailed as to remove local control of library services or operations.
• The criteria should be designed to be enforced. Although there may be reasons to "waive" a criterion in certain situations, such waivers should not be frequent or routine.

Texas Public Library Standards

The purpose of these standards is to promote quality library service to all Texans, to raise the expectations of library clientele, and to provide an authoritative document to which library administrators and supporters may refer when justifying requests for funds.

The Joint TSLAC/TLA Task Force on Public Library Standards and Accreditation has affirmed the imperatives below.

• Value libraries as a sign of a civilized society.
• Value all public libraries and their importance as community resources and as a reflection of our cultural heritage.
• Value the diversity and uniqueness of libraries across the state.
• Value the needs of our communities.
• Value intellectual freedom and access to information.
• Value the skills, talents, and contributions of library staff.

Some standards may be applied across the board; however, most vary by population groupings and levels of service in order to make the standards relevant and meaningful for all public libraries. There are no separate standards relating to branches or separate service outlets. Library systems with multiple outlets are encouraged to use the standards to evaluate individually each facility and its services, keeping in mind the uniqueness of the population served from that location.

Levels of Service

The Task Force elected to recognize three levels of service: basic, enhanced, and comprehensive. In order to support progress and improved performance, the Task Force has recommended that Loan Star Libraries Grant allocations be directed at initiatives that will improve public library achievement in meeting standards.

Evaluation and Revision

As an aid in planning for evaluation, a checklist of standards will be included as an appendix. The checklist will allow libraries to estimate their status at a glance and will provide a concise overview for presentation to advisory boards, city councils, and other interested parties.

In order to remain effective, this document must evolve to mirror the vitality of good public library service and to continue to raise the bar for improving Texas libraries. Accordingly, the Task Force recommends that the Texas State Library and Archives Commission evaluate this set of standards at two-year intervals.

Rebecca Sullivan is director of Terrell Public Library. Cathy Threadgill is county librarian at the Brazoria County Library System. Dale Fleeger is director of Weatherford Public Library.