Accreditation and Standards

Application forms for the upcoming FY14 Accreditation and Direct State Aid Tier Level are now available.

Application Deadline for FY14 is February 28, 2013.

You will need to reapply this coming year if your current Accreditation or Tier Level status is due to expire on June 30, 2013. Email notifications will be sent to all directors as notification of your filing status.

FY14 Online Application Form - The online application form is now the preferred method to apply for Accreditation and Tier Level Status. You will need the same user name and password that you use to login to the annual survey. You can contact Toni Blair or 800-248-4483 if you need your user name and password.

FY14 Print Application Form - Use this form as an aid for filling out the online form. You may submit a print form to Iowa Library Services, but we prefer the online form if possible.

Supporting Documentation Checklist - A helpful checklist showing the supporting documentation needed for your application process.

5th edition of In Service to Iowa - The manual for Iowa Library Services' standards and accreditation program. It is used to document the condition of public library service in Iowa, to distribute Direct State Aid funding, and to meet statutory requirements. The link will take you to the an electronic (PDF) version of the manual. Two copies of the printed manual were sent to each library director. If you need more, you can purchase them for $3 each. Contact Fran Fessler to order extra copies. Please discard all previous drafts or editions.

Standards Key - An aid that shows how the 4th edition standards relate to the 5th edition standards.

Accreditation and Tier Status - FY13 - Accreditation and Tier Status of all public libraries as of November 30, 2012. Also shown is status expiration. Updated regularly.

A library's accreditation and tier level status is good for three years.

• Tier 3 libraries reapply every three years.
• Tier 1 & 2 libraries reapply every three years. They may apply again before the three years has expired if they can improve their status.
• Tier 0 libraries may apply each year to attain Tier 1-3 status. Once they have achieved Tier 1-3 status they need to reapply every three years.

Background

Iowa Library Services documents the condition of public library service in Iowa (Code of Iowa (256.51 (j)) by requiring public libraries to submit accreditation reports.

Iowa’s public library accreditation program has been in place since 1986 based on In Service to Iowa:  Public Library Measure of Quality, 1985. The library community revised In Service to Iowa:  Public Library Measures of Quality in 1989, 1997 and 2004. A new revised 5th edition called In Service to Iowa: Public Library Standards was released in December of 2010.