UA School of Library and Information Studies Granted Continued Accreditation by the American Library Association

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies’ master’s degree program has been granted continued accreditation by the American Library Association.

ALA accreditation indicates that the program has undergone a self-evaluation process, has been externally reviewed and meets the standards for accreditation of master’s programs in library and information studies.

The ALA Committee on Accreditation (COA) is comprised of 12 members, including library educators, practitioners and two members of the general public who represent library users. The COA evaluates each program for conformity to the standards, which address mission, goals and objectives; curriculum; faculty; students; administration and financial support; and physical resources and facilities.

“Our SLIS community could not have done more to assure that our MLIS program is a vibrant, rigorous and forward-looking program,” said Dr. Elizabeth Aversa, director of the school, “and we communicated that, along with our energy, enthusiasm and commitment, to the visiting panel and to the Committee on Accreditation.”

The ALA COA is a leading force in accreditation, having evaluated educational programs to prepare librarians since 1924. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes ALA COA as the authority for assessing the quality of education offered by graduate programs in the field of library and information studies.

The UA School of Library and Information Studies, housed in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, is the only American Library Association-accredited program in the state.