STANDARDS FOR LIBRARY SCHOOLS
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The School should be part of an institution which awards a university degree or equivalent credential; or it should be an independent institution itself, giving instruction at university level and awarding a credential equivalent to a university degree.
The School should have goals and purposes which are clearly stated in a formal document.
The School should have specific objectives, derived from its goals, which are clearly stated in a formal document.
The designation (name) and status (organizational level) of the School should be comparable to that of other schools in the country and in the local situation which are engaged in education of professional personnel.
The School should have a distinct position in the administrative organization plan of the institution.
Offices, classrooms, study areas, furnishing and equipment should be provided in accord with the needs of the School.
Library resources should be of sufficient depth to support fully all the courses taught in the School, other courses taken by School students, and research efforts of the teaching staff.
The academic (teaching) staff should be of high quality: with significant professional experience, formal qualifications, and teaching ability. There should be one teacher for every twelve students (in full-time equivalents).
Non-academic (clerical, secretarial) staff should have qualifications equivalent to those of persons in comparable units. One full-time person is the minimum, but two or more are usually necessary.
The Curriculum should consist of a unified series of courses and other educational experiences, designed to meet specific program objectives. All instruction should be at university level, following the guidelines of Unesco-ISCED for level three. Principles and concepts should be emphasized, over routines and techniques. All students should study certain fundamental "core" subjects, as well as more specialized electives. General education (studies outside of librarianship) should be a major component of the total education of the librarian.
While different Schools will assign different names to "core" subjects, and will distribute the necessary content in various ways among specific courses, all Schools should ensure that the fundamental work covers these areas:
The School should conduct suitable workshops and short courses for the benefit of practicing librarians.
Selection of students should be based on clearly stated criteria; these criteria should require high levels of intelligence and educational background and suitable personal characteristics.
A clear statement of the requirements for completion of the educational program should appear in a formal document which is available to students and prospective students.
Upon completion of requirements, students should be awarded a degree or certificate which is suitable for their level of study.
Decision-making should be based on clearly defined policy, and should allow staff participation.
The School should maintain documentation of its major activities.
A clear but flexible design for future activity should be prepared, based upon the School's goals and objectives.