The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Office for Accreditation (OA) serves the general public, students, employers, and library and information studies Master's programs through the promotion and advancement of education in library and information studies.

The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Office for Accreditation:

• Ensures fair and equitable accreditation reviews of library and information studies programs,
• Provides external review and validation of master's level library and information studies programs,
• Promotes diversity and inclusiveness in library and information studies education,
• Consults and assists in the development and advancement of library and information studies education,
• Communicates with constituencies regarding activities,
• Anticipates and prepares for the changing environment and the future needs of constituencies,
• Manages our operations and resources to be effective, responsive and relevant.

• Please contact the Office rather than any member of the Committee on Accreditation directly at accred@ala.org.

Responsibilities of the Office for Accreditation include:

• Coordinating and supporting activities that are directly related to the accreditation of master’s programs of education for LIS,
• Active engagement with the accrediting community through recognition by the and volunteer service with the ,
• Maintaining contact with LIS programs,
• Providing information about the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ accreditation process, policies, and procedures, as well as the accreditation status (both historical and current) of specific graduate LIS programs,
• Providing programs, publications, and other activities to promote the awareness and enhance knowledge about the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ accreditation process, trends in library and information studies education and trends in higher education accreditation,
• Maintaining a schedule of evaluation reviews
• Maintaining the Directory of Institutions Offering °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥-Accredited Master’s Programs,
• OA shares responsibility with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) for administering the review of school librarianship education programs under the , formerly the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE),
• OA shares responsibility with the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) for providing information on LIS careers, foreign credentials, and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ scholarships.