Getting On Board: Charting Your Course For Accreditation

1
Getting On Board Charting Your Course For
Accreditation

• Using the OPL Guidelines as a developmental tool
  for your library

2
Getting on Board Charting Your Course for
Accreditation

• What are the OPL Guidelines?
• Why are the Guidelines so important to libraries?
  
• How can the Guidelines Checklist be used as a
  planning tool?
• What is the Accreditation Process?
• Getting started!

3
What are the OPL Guidelines?

• Background on the Guidelines
• Guidelines Goals
• OPLG Monitoring and Accreditation Council
• The Guidelines Checklist

4
Background on the OPL Guidelines

• First published in 1995 to meet a recognized need
  for
• Reasonable minimum conditions for library service
• Performance standards
• Planning policy
• Accreditation system
• Supported by OLS-North SOLS

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Guidelines Goals

• Strengthen and improve Ontario public library
  infrastructure and enhance local service.
• Provide those public libraries which do not meet
  the Guidelines requirements with a comprehensive
  process for improvement, thereby, over time,
  raising the level of public library service
  province-wide.
• Recognize those public libraries meeting the
  Guidelines requirements through an accreditation
  process.

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OPLG Monitoring and Accreditation Council

• Monitor effectiveness of the Guidelines and make
  revisions as required
• Arrange peer audits when public libraries request
  review
• Award Accredited Ontario Public Library
  designation to successful libraries
• members appointed from a broad range of public
  library-related organizations.
• Report to SDC (currently)

7
The Guidelines Checklist

• 127 statements in the main five sections
• 9 statements aimed at multiple branch library
  systems in sixth section
• Minimum score of 80 is required in each section,
  with a total score of 90 for Accreditation
• Each section also has specific statements that
  are marked M for MANDATORY
• Accreditation requires that a library answer
  yes to all 40 mandatory statements

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Mandated Non-Mandated

• 1. Governance Administration (25 statements)
• 19 Mandated 6 Non-Mandated
• 2. Accessibility (23 statements)
• 2 Mandated 21 Non-Mandated
• 3. Resources (44 statements)
• 5 Mandated 39 Non-Mandated
• 4. Services (29 statements)
• 12 Mandated 17 Non-Mandated
• 5. Cooperation and Partnership (6 statements)
• 2 Mandated 4 Non-Mandated
• 6. Multi-Branch Library Systems (9 statements)
• 3 Mandated 6 Non-Mandated

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Guidelines Checklist Six Sections

• 1. Governance/Administration
• board organization and orientation, policy,
  planning, finances, advocacy
• 2. Accessibility
• hours, access for disabled, parking, shelving,
  telecommunications, housebound services, signage,
  layout, publicity
• 3. Resources
• staff, materials and information, information
  access, facilities and technology

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Guidelines Checklist Six Sections

• 4. Services
• lending, reference/information, readers
  advisory, childrens, programming, community
  information, local history and community space
• 5. Cooperation and Partnerships
• Resource sharing, links with other organizations
• 6. Multi-Branch Library Systems
• Branch specific guidelines

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Why are the Guidelines so important to libraries?

• Improved service quality in Ontarios public
  libraries
• They are good for your Library
• A tool for evaluating the status of your library

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Accredited libraries say

• The Ontario Public Library Guidelines have
  enabled the Library to respond to the growing
  population with the building of a new facility,
  the development of the collection, the
  introduction of advanced technology and the
  deployment of staff.
• Adele Kostiak, Barrie Public Library, 2000

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Improved service quality in Ontarios public
libraries

• Reasonable minimum conditions for library service
• Performance standards
• Planning
• Policy
• Accreditation system

14
They are Good for Your Library

• Evaluation of local service
• Planning
• Accountability to Taxpayers
• Funding

15
Accredited libraries say
The Grand Valley Public Library was very pleased
to become an accredited Ontario Public Library.
The accreditation process was very beneficial to
us in evaluating our services and providing
direction for library development. The press
coverage we received upon receiving our
accreditation was wonderful and indicated to the
public that we are an efficient and well run
small public library. The accreditation has also
been helpful to the Board in securing funding for
library services. It shows that we are a well
organized facility and accountable to our funding
bodies. Shann Leighton, Grand Valley Public
Library, 1999.
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A tool for evaluating your library

• Meeting components of the Guidelines demonstrates
  an effective library
• Enables the Library to evaluate and respond to
  the changing needs of their community
• Indicates to the community that we are recognized
  as efficient and well-organized

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Accredited libraries say

• The Manitouwadge Public Library has found that
  being an Accredited Library indicates to our
  community that we are recognized as an efficient,
  well-organized facility that has the policies,
  procedures, governance and environ that allows
  for an exemplary level of service.
• Sheila Durand, Manitouwadge Public Library, 2000

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Using the Checklist as a planning tool

• may be used either for internal purposes only,
• or in a process that may lead to the library
  being accredited.
• The guidelines are also a tool that can help both
  boards and CEO do their job.

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Section 1 Governance/Administration

• 1.1 Organization of the Board
• 1.2 Policy
• 1.3 Planning
• 1.4 Finances
• 1.5 Advocacy
• 1.6 Trustee Orientation and Information

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Section 2 - Accessibility

• 2.1 Location of service outlet(s)
• 2.2 Open hours
• 2.3 Physical access for person with
  disabilities
• 2.4 Parking
• 2.5 Accessible shelving
• 2.6 Telecommunications
• 2.7 Service to housebound or institutionalized
• 2.8 Exterior Signage
• 2.9 Layout of library
• 2.10 Publicity

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Section 3 - Resources

• 3.1 Staff
• 3.2 Materials and Information
• 3.3 Access to Information
• 3.4 Facilities
• 3.5 Technology

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Section 4 - Services

• 4.1 Lending of library materials
• 4.2 Reference and information service
• 4.3 Readers advisory service
• 4.4 Childrens services
• 4.5 Programming
• 4.6 Community Information
• 4.7 Local History
• 4.8 Community Space

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Section 5 - Co-operation and Partnerships

• 5.1 Resource Sharing
• 5.2 Links with other organizations and
  individuals
• Nine sub categories covering Open hours,
  location, service and staffing levels, collection
  devepment and access, resource sharing, reference
  and information service and electronic
  information sources.

Section 6 - Multiple-branch library systems
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What is the Accreditation Process?
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Getting started

• Develop a Work plan
• Prioritize the Guidelines that need to be
  addressed,
• Map out a time frame for completing the work,
• Identify the individual responsible for the task.
  
• Ongoing assistance from SOLS/OLS-North

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Accredited libraries say

• We agreed to participate because, although we
  thought our library system was in pretty good
  shape, we wanted to see where we could yet
  improve. New eyes always see things differently,
  and it was good to have fellow librarians take a
  critical yet constructive look at our system.
  Many of the shortcomings that were identified
  were fixed afterwards without a lot of effort or
  expense, making our library service better for
  the public. This was a very worthwhile and useful
  exercise.
• Margaret Rule, Middlesex County Library