Would you be willing to ensure the quality in MSLIS education?

It wasn't until my MSLIS program was approaching its time for our ALA accreditation rview that I considered who the reviewers actually are.  The ALA accreditation review site visit is conducted by a team of library and information professionals.  There is an ongoing call by ALA for people willing to do this.  I'm pasting below text from the ALA web site on this opportunity.  Those interested need to attend training at the ALA annual conference, and be willing to put in the time and effort needed to conduct a review of a specific program.  While you would be volunteering your service, I can tell you that this is a critical role in assuring that the accreditation process works well.

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From ALA.org:

The Office for Accreditation seeks library and information professionals with an interest in providing quality assurance for ALA accreditation of master’s-level library and information studies programs to participate in the accreditation process as External Review Panelists. This is a great opportunity for professional development and service to the profession.

Please see ERP service information for timeline, responsibilities, and typical activities. External Review Panelists need not be ALA members.

External Review Panel pool members receive the Office for Accreditation's e-newsletter Prism and email notifications of training opportunities. For more information about the role of an External Review Panelist in the accreditation process, please contact Laura Dare, Assistant Director, at ldare@ala.org or 312-280-2435.

Minimum qualifications

• Master's or doctoral degree in LIS or related field
• Seven years of professional experience as a librarian, information professional, or LIS educator
• Demonstrated interpersonal and team participation skills
• Willingness and ability to commit up to four consecutive days onsite during the academic year for site visits
• Participation in training sessions at ALA Annual Conferences
• Demonstrated analytical skills
• Demonstrated ability to write logical and clear analytical reports
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with administrators, staff, students, and the public regardless of culture, gender, ethnicity or race
• Appreciation for and understanding of the higher education environment and peer review

Preferred qualifications

We are particularly in need of librarians and educators with specializations and experience in the following areas:

• Public librarianship
• School library media
• Archives and records management
• Information science
• Information technology
• LIS graduate program administration
• Service to diverse populations
• French language skills
• Spanish language skills

To apply

If you meet the above criteria, please complete the External Review Panel application and submit along with your current CV or resume to accred@ala.org.

• External Review Panelist application (Word)