How do you engage your library staff and stakeholders in the accreditation and quality assurance process?

1 Identify your goals and standards

The first step is to clearly define your goals and standards for accreditation and quality assurance, and communicate them to your library staff and stakeholders. What are the benefits and outcomes of these processes for your library and its users? What are the criteria and indicators that you need to meet or exceed? How will you measure and document your performance and improvement? By sharing your vision and expectations, you can align your library staff and stakeholders with a common purpose and direction.

2 Involve your staff and stakeholders early and often

The second step is to involve your library staff and stakeholders early and often in the accreditation and quality assurance process, and solicit their input, feedback, and suggestions. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, workshops, or meetings, to gather information, opinions, and ideas from different groups and levels of your library organization and community. By engaging your staff and stakeholders in a participatory and collaborative way, you can build trust, ownership, and commitment to the process and its outcomes.

3 Provide training and support

The third step is to provide training and support to your library staff and stakeholders, and equip them with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to participate effectively in the accreditation and quality assurance process. You can offer workshops, webinars, manuals, guides, or templates to help your staff and stakeholders understand the process, the standards, the tools, and the roles and responsibilities. You can also create a dedicated team or committee to coordinate, monitor, and facilitate the process, and provide guidance, assistance, and recognition to your staff and stakeholders.

4 Communicate regularly and transparently

The fourth step is to communicate regularly and transparently with your library staff and stakeholders, and keep them updated on the progress, challenges, and achievements of the accreditation and quality assurance process. You can use various channels, such as newsletters, emails, intranet, social media, or presentations, to share information, data, reports, or stories that illustrate your library's performance and improvement. You can also invite questions, comments, or concerns from your staff and stakeholders, and address them promptly and respectfully. By communicating regularly and transparently, you can foster trust, accountability, and transparency in the process.

5 Celebrate and acknowledge success

The fifth step is to celebrate and acknowledge success, and recognize the contributions and efforts of your library staff and stakeholders in the accreditation and quality assurance process. You can organize events, ceremonies, or awards to celebrate your library's achievements and milestones, and thank your staff and stakeholders for their participation and support. You can also share your success stories with your users, funders, partners, or peers, and showcase your library's value, effectiveness, and impact. By celebrating and acknowledging success, you can boost morale, motivation, and pride in your library.

6 Learn and improve continuously

The sixth step is to learn and improve continuously, and use the accreditation and quality assurance process as an opportunity to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and plan for future actions and improvements. You can conduct evaluations, reviews, or audits to assess your library's performance and improvement against the standards and indicators, and identify the gaps, challenges, or areas for improvement. You can also solicit feedback, suggestions, or recommendations from your staff, stakeholders, or external reviewers, and incorporate them into your library's strategic plan, policies, or practices. By learning and improving continuously, you can enhance your library's quality and excellence.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?