[LM_NET] GEN: ALA Accreditation

[Mike Eisenberg <mbe@U.WASHINGTON.EDU>]

Hi All - 

ALA accreditation does make a difference - in quality and standards.
While I am sure that there are some quality courses and programs
delivered in non-accredited situations, accreditation requires schools
to meet a certain level of resources and support including number of
regular, full-time faculty, facilities, resources, and funding.
Accreditation also requires schools to regularly review and revise their
curricula and to meet expectations of students and community.

ALA accredits full scope library and information science programs, not
just public library or school library ones. 

With all due respects to Peter Mohn, a school does not need to be
independent. ALA accredits programs, not schools. For example, UCLA is
part of the College of Education; Madison Wisconsin is under Letters and
Science. The requirement is that a program must have the faculty and
resources to offer a full program.  Also, not all schools of library and
information science are small programs.  Many schools today are thriving
and large - Syracuse, Illinois, North Carolina, Drexel, Rutgers, San
Jose State, and more. At the University of Washington, for example, we
have 350 students in our MLIS programs - day and distance. There are
more student slots in LIS programs today than ever in history.  With
distance learning options, library education is much more available than
ever before.  The Chicago and Columbia closings were decades ago.
Although it is true that Clark Atlanta University closed its program,
Valdosta State University in Georgia very recently received
accreditation - http://www.valdosta.edu/mlis
And again, ALA recognized the NCATE accreditation for school library
media degrees.

I hope this helps.  Library education is not in crisis.  Could we be
better?  Yes.  Could we do more? Yes.  But, the ALA seal of approval is
a help, not a hinderance.

Best to all,


Mike

........................................................................
......
Mike Eisenberg
Dean Emeritus and Professor
The Information School of the University of Washington
Seattle, WA  98195-2840
Phone: (206) 616-1152   Fax: (206) 616-3152
mbe@u.washington.edu 
http://www.ischool.washington.edu
........................................................................
......

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