By: Jolo Van Clyde S. Abatayo, RL
Why institutions should be accredited and certified? This question would stir our mind when we’re asked about the importance of accreditations and certifications. I think there are two words that should be considered: Efficiency and Effectiveness.
As defined in the presentation of the lecturer, accreditation provides and maintains continuous review with the goal of raising academic standards in addition to improving minimum standards set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). With that definition alone, we can understand that it is really a “must” to undergo accreditation and certification in order for an organization to function effectually based on the standards, requirements, and mandates.
So what is the role that librarians should play? Of course, when there are endeavors that an organization undergoes, the library as the heart of the institution must be considered as one of the factors that would affect the accreditation processes and results. I strongly believe that if a specific learning institution would take its library for granted, there will be a big tendency that it will not prosper and surely, it will not be triumphant in any accreditation it will undertake. The librarians keep and safeguard the important records and documents that will serve as pieces of evidence that would prove that a certain school is positively doing its part when it comes to instruction, research, and extension.
In the article of Prudence W. Dalrymple entitled “Understanding Accreditation: The Librarian's Role in Educational Evaluation”, she emphasized that librarians are involved in accreditation because the provision and utilization of library resources and services influence the quality of the students' educational capabilities and progress. With that, the administration and even the institution as a whole should support the library in terms of the procurement of necessary resources and establishment of state-of-the-art facilities that can cater with the educational and research needs of the 21st-century library patrons.
As a librarian, I am aware that accreditations are like labyrinths. It is so hard to find the way out because it is too complicated, critical, and comprehensive. I know how it feels like when you are involved in an accreditation because the library is always bombarded with lots and lots of tasks like facing the paperwork, meeting the requirements, preparing the existing and lacking records and documents, having abrupt acquisitions, answering questions and defending what you have and what you are doing. However, librarians are trained to handle colossal responsibilities. Others think that we are just into simple tasks like organizing books, without even knowing that we have this immense role in the success of every institutional endeavor.
Bennett (2009) stated that accreditation is a rare opportunity for progress not just of the physical environment and resources but also the professional and economic status of the library personnel. I think that it is indeed true that the library has this ultimate role to stir the accreditation process. With the wholehearted desire of libraries and librarians to augment the quality of learning, every learning institution will surely have an edge to conquer any accreditation as long as all of the departments will work together to achieve their common goals. Moreover, libraries continuously innovate in terms of embracing the greatness of Information Technology by automating or computerizing their functions, services, and facilities to cope up with the increasing needs and demands of the modern world.
In my workplace, Saint Michael College of Caraga’s Learning Resource Center, we really see to it that we follow the standards and comply all the requirements since we are already ISO 9001:2015 certified. The procedures and processes that are approved by ISO must be strictly observed because even though the school has the certification already, it does not mean that we are free to get wild again.
Being ISO certified is not just about the recognition and popularity, it is more of a responsibility that a certain learning institution must heartily commit to itself to be able to provide quality education. I can say that our Learning Resource Center contributed a lot for that success even though there was a finding that we failed to control the loss of books in the LRC. Because of that finding, we realized that we must focus on that matter. We created an intervention or an action plan to solve the problem and we presented that during the audit. In addition, we need to improve our inventory and monitoring of library materials so that we can effectively identify if there are problems like missing books. Moreover, the management approved the intervention that we suggested. We are so grateful that we now have a Safety Officer to monitor the entrance and exit of the library and to safeguard any resource inside the milieu. As of now, the library is doing fine and the safety officer is performing well on her duties.
Since I am the Readers’ Services Librarian, I was tasked to make the documented procedures manual for Circulation Process for students, faculty, staff, and special researchers, and the utilization process for Discussion Room and E-Sources Room. For the circulation, it covers the borrowing and returning of library materials and its objective is to ensure that all materials/resources in the Learning Resource Center are controlled and monitored and the inventory shall be conducted every year during summer. For the utilization of Discussion Room and E-Sources Room, it focuses on the process for inquiry of availability and reservation for discussion room and e-sources room and the process for scheduling for the utilization of the discussion room and e-sources room. The objective is to guarantee the appropriateness of the process and procedures in the utilization of the Discussion Room and E-sources Room. I also identified the issues, risks, likelihood, severity, and controls or mitigation. It was really tough but I found it as a challenge that is why I really did my best to prepare the needed evidence. With the help of our Library Director and colleagues, we successfully compiled all the requirements.
The lecture of Mr. Alon really made me recall the struggles and efforts that we have done in order to conquer ISO. I also learned other things related to accreditation and certification. I am so happy as well that Lourdes College is now ISO 9001:2015 certified. It is just a manifestation that LC is giving excellent education for the students. As its MLIS student, I am so proud to say that I made the right decision to have LC as my training ground to update and upgrade myself as a librarian. I feel so privileged to study in an ISO certified learning institution and to work in an ISO certified school. I feel like I am an internationally competent student and employee.
As of now, we are preparing for the PACUCOA. We still have to gather all the documents needed for the accreditation. I am now excited to apply what I have accumulated during the ISO audit and on the lecture of Mr. Alon. I know ISO is different from PACUCOA but I think that there are similarities when it comes to the requirements. Still, you need to provide shreds of evidence like a list of the resources, statistical reports, and other important records and documents that support the instruction, research, and extension. Indeed, librarianship isn’t fun if there are no accreditations and certifications that libraries and librarians must surmount!
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