ACRL - ACRL Standards and Guidelines

Standards & Guidelines

ACRL is the source that the higher education community looks to for standards and guidelines on academic libraries. ACRL promulgates standards and guidelines to help libraries, academic institutions, and accrediting agencies understand the components of an excellent library. These standards, guidelines, and model statements are reviewed and updated by the membership on a regular basis.

An alphabetical listing of ACRL standards and guidelines is below. A listing by topic area is also available.

For other ACRL documents that are not Standards & Guidelines (for example, white papers, position statements, and reports from ACRL and ALA units), go to White Papers & Reports.

Academic Status for College and University Librarians, Guidelines for (January 2007)

Access to Original Research Materials, ALA-SAA Joint Statement on (Feb. 1994)

Appointment, Promotion and Tenure of Academic Librarians, A Guideline for (June 2005)

Borrowing and Lending Special Collections Materials for Exhibition, Guidelines for (January 2005

Certification & Licensing of Academic Librarians, Statement on the (June 2007)

Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices: A Guideline (June 2003)

Collective Bargaining, Guideline on (June 2008)

Competencies for Special Collections Professionals (July 2008)

Curriculum Materials Centers, Guidelines for (January 2003)

Distance Learning Library Services, Standards for (July 2008)

Faculty Status of College and University Librarians, Joint Statement on (June 2007)

Faculty Status for College and University Librarians, Standards for (June 2007)

Information Literacy Instruction, Objectives for: A Model Statement for Academic Librarians (Jan. 2001)
     Greek translation (PDF)

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (Jan. 2000)
     PDF
     Spanish Translation
     Greek Translation (PDF)
     French Translation (PDF)
     Chinese Translation (PDF)
     Japanese Translation (PDF)
     Farsi Translation (PDF)
     Italian Translation

Information Literacy Standards for Anthropology and Sociology Students (January 2008)

Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries, Guidelines for (June 2003)

Interlibrary Loan of Rare and Unique Materials, Guidelines for the (June 2004)

Libraries in Higher Education, Standards for (June 2004)
     Greek Translation (PDF)

Media Resources in Academic Libraries, Guidelines for (January 2006)

Political Science Research Competency Guidelines (PDF) (July 2008)

Preparation of Policies on Library Access, Guidelines for the (Dec. 1992)
Originally prepared by the ACRL Access Policy Guidelines Task Force December, 1992, these Guidelines were rescinded on October 27, 2006 at the Executive Committee meeting in Chicago. They have been superseded by the 2005 ALA Guidelines, available here.

Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators, Standards for (June 2007)

Research Competency Guidelines for Literatures in English (June 2007)

Science and Technology, Information Literacy Standards for (June 2006)

Screening & Appointment of Academic Librarians Using a Search Committee, A Guideline for the (2004)

Security of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Other Special Collections, Guidelines for the (January 2006)

Selection and Transfer of Materials from General Collections to Special Collections, Guidelines on the, (July 2008)

Terminal Professional Degree for Academic Librarians, Statement on the (June 2007)

Thefts in Libraries, Guidelines Regarding (January 2003)

University Library Services to Undergraduate Students, Guidelines for (June 2005)

ACRL is a division of the American Library Association