LAI Education Committee: Professional Standards/Guide to Standards & Guidelines for Libraries
Standards and Guidelines
Standards and guidelines presented here by topic and by library type are indicative of the
many best practice standards and guidelines available on library service provision,
management and operations. These guidelines are not exhaustive. We shall endeavour to
refresh the content and also to add topics as required. Copyright is not within the scope of
this document.
If you are aware of useful guidelines on a relevant area of library/informatics activities or
would like to suggest topics which should be reviewed by the committee do please contact
us – email: professionalstandards@libraryassociation.ie
By Topic
 Accessibility (Disabled Access)
Guidelines & standards in IT, built environment, products & services (Centre for Excellence in
Universal Design – National Disability Authority, Ireland)
http://www.universaldesign.ie/guidelinesampstandards
 Audio Visual Materials
Guidelines for audiovisual and multimedia materials in libraries and other institutions (IFLA)
http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s35/pubs/avm-guidelines04.htm
 Building Design
Public library buildings Ireland (Library Council of Ireland)
http://www.librarybuildings.ie/
Designing Libraries (includes Ireland)
http://www.designinglibraries.org.uk/resources/toolkit/guidelines.php
 Collection Development (Electronic & Print)
Guidelines for collection development policy using the conspectus model (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/publications/guidelines-for-a-collection-development-policy-using-theconspectus-model
Key issues for e-resource collection development: a guide for libraries (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/key-issues-for-e-resource-collection-development-a-guidefor-libraries
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LAI Education Committee: Professional Standards/Guide to Standards & Guidelines for Libraries
 Conference Organisation
How to organise conferences, satellite meetings and training seminars (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/how-to-organise-conferences-satellite-meetings-and-trainingseminars
 Continuing Professional Development: Principles and Best Practices
http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s43/pub/cpdwl-qual-guide.pdf
Key principles
Confirms the link between quality of service and expertise of staff
Constant change requires expansion of professional understanding and ongoing update of skills and
expertise
Outlines principles for high quality continuing professional development
Responsibility for CPD is shared
Formal and informal
Recognition of prior learning
Workplace learning
Importance of professional guidance
Leadership
Budget commitment
Time commitment
Best practice
http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s43/ Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning
Section – useful on rationale for organizations, libraries and institutions to be ‘learning
organizations’ and ‘develop their staff by providing opportunities for continuing professional
development and training in the workplace; and for individuals to be responsible for their own
career planning and development’.

Digitisation
The Digital Repository of Ireland’s report, A. O'Carroll and S. Webb, Digital archiving in Ireland:
national survey of the humanities and social sciences. (Maynooth, NUIM, 2012) is available at
http://www.dri.ie/publications
The JISC has a range of publications on all aspects of digitisation: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/
DARIAH, the Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities has lots of useful
information, leads and publications: http://www.dariah.eu/
A resource list for standards related to digital imaging of print, graphic, and pictorial materials
(Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative, USA)
http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/guidelines/digitize-standards.html
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LAI Education Committee: Professional Standards/Guide to Standards & Guidelines for Libraries
 Document Delivery & Inter-Library Loan
Guidelines for best practice in interlibrary loan and document delivery (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-best-practice-in-interlibrary-loan-and-documentdelivery
 Donations and Gifts
Gifts for the collections: guidelines for libraries (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/publications/ifla-professional-reports-112

Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE)
IFLA Committee on freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. This group focuses
on libraries and intellectual freedoms. Group concerned with free access to information and
freedom of expression, as encapsulated in basic rights defined within Article 19 of the United
Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Key role to ‘raise awareness of essential correlation
between the library concept and the values of intellectual freedom’, FAIFE works to ‘protect
intellectual freedom and freedom of expression’.
FIAFE also works to monitor the state of intellectual freedom within library communities, responds
to violations and issues such as the recent political dismissal of the Director of the National Library of
Serbia, SOPA and PIPA legislation. Further objectives include disseminating information, raising
awareness around the principles of freedom of expression and good librarianship and supporting
IFLA co-operation and policy with other human rights organisations.
http://www.ifla.org/en/faife
 Information Literacy
Guidelines for information literacy assessment (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-information-literacy-assessment
This is a really useful IFLA resource on information literacy. The guidelines for information literacy’s
section primary purpose is to ‘foster international co-operation in the development of IL education
in all types of library and information institutions’.
The IL group generates numerous reports, publications and plans including the guidelines for
information literacy assessment (short) by Eileen Stec (2004). One of the key IFLA IL resources is the
International Information Literacy Resources Directory http://infolitglobal.net/directory/en/ a huge
database of IL materials compiled on behalf of UNESCO and maintained by Jesus Lau.
Guidelines on information literacy for lifelong learning (IFLA):
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-on-information-literacy-for-lifelong-learning
Using research to promote literacy and reading in libraries: guidelines for librarians (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/files/information-literacy/publications/ifla-guidelines-en.pdf
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LAI Education Committee: Professional Standards/Guide to Standards & Guidelines for Libraries
Multiple translations also available
http://www.ifla.org/publications/ifla-professional-reports-125
Key reports
Jesus Lau (ed.), International literacy: international perspectives, IFLA publication 131
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/ifla-publications-series-131
Catts & Lau, Towards information literacy indicators
F.W. Horton Jnr., Understanding information literacy: a primer – a non-technical overview of IL
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-andcommunication-materials/publications/full-list/understanding-information-literacy-a-primer/
Various information literacy state of the art reports
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/information-literacy-state-of-the-art-reports
 Multicultural Communities
Multicultural communities: guidelines for library services, 3rd edition (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/multicultural-communities-guidelines-for-library-services-3rdedition
There are two key policy documents, both seeking to ‘promote fairness and equity of access … and
cultural diversity ... encouraging understanding and engagement’.
An overview: multicultural communities: guidelines for library services (2011) - 4 page summary
overview with 7 main headings – Multicultural libraries, legal and financial framework, needs of
users, collection development, human resources, marketing, publicity and promotion, international
best practice.
Multicultural communities: guidelines for library services, 3rd edition – full IFLA version in multiple
languages (2009), 33 pages with preface by Robert Pestell.
Other reports
Library services to multicultural populations section strategic plan
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/library-services-to-multicultural-populations-section-strategicplan Library services to multicultural populations section strategic plan, also known as Section 32
initiatives
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LAI Education Committee: Professional Standards/Guide to Standards & Guidelines for Libraries
Action Plan 2011-2012
IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural library manifesto : the multicultural library – a gateway to a culturally
diverse society in dialogue http://www.ifla.org/files/library-services-to-multiculturalpopulations/publications/manifesto-en.pdf

Open Access
A national policy statement on Open Access Principles was published in October 2012, supported by
a majority of the HE and funding bodies in Ireland: http://www.iua.ie/wpcontent/uploads/2012/10/National-Principles -on-Open-Access-Policy-Statement-FINAL-23-Oct2012-v1-3.pdf

Storage
BS 5454 Recommendations for the storage and exhibition of archival documents (2000) was
withdrawn in 2012 and will be replaced by BSI PD 5454.
By Library Type
 Academic
Standards for libraries in higher education (Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), USA)
http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/standardslibraries
 Government Department Libraries
Guidelines for libraries of government departments (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-libraries-of-government-departments
 Health
Standards for Irish health care libraries and information services (HSLG LAI)
http://www.hslg.ie/standards-for-irish-health-care-libraries-and-information-services/
Medical Library Association (USA) standards
http://mlanet.org/publications/standards/index.html
 Public
Library services for young people (Library Council of Ireland)
http://www.library.ie/youngpeople/guidelines/
Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (Dept. of Children &
Youth Affairs guidelines)
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LAI Education Committee: Professional Standards/Guide to Standards & Guidelines for Libraries
http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=%2Fdocuments%2FChild_Welfare_Protection%2FChildrenF
irstJuly.htm
(Revised) Guidelines for library services for young adults (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/revised-guidelines-for-library-services-for-young-adults
Guidelines for children's library services (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-childrens-library-services
Guidelines for library services to babies and toddlers (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/guidelines-for-library-services-to-babies-and-toddlers
Mobile library guidelines (IFLA)
http://www.ifla.org/publications/ifla-professional-reports-123
IFLA public librarysService guidelines
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/ifla-publications-series-147
The public library service: the IFLA/UNESCO guidelines for development
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/ifla-publications-series-97
 School Libraries
Setting up a school library (School Library Association of Ireland)
http://www.slari.ie/librarysetup.htm
Primary school library guidelines (CILIP)
http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/special-interestgroups/youth/publications/children/pages/primaryguidelines.aspx
See also: Public Library Services above for other applicable guidelines.
Collections of Standards & Guidelines
American Library Association standards & guidelines
http://www.ala.org/tools/guidelines/standardsguidelines
Australian Library Association guidelines
http://www.alia.org.au/policies/index.guidelines.html
Information prepared by Kate Kelly and Terry O’Brien with input from the committee, 2012
Issued by the LAI Education Committee/Professional Standards, November 2012
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