ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


2 6 4  /  C&RL News

G u id elin e s for Instruction 
Program s in Academ ic 
Lib ra rie s

ACRL
G u idelines

The fin a l version approved by 
ACRL and ALA

L ibraries work together with other mem­bers of the education community to par­
ticipate in and realize the educational mission
of the institution by teaching the identification,
structure, intellectual access, and physical ac­
cess of information, information sources, and
information systems through the design and de­
velopment of instruction programs and services.
Planning for the systematic delivery of instruc­
tional services should be incorporated through­
out the library’s activities, including the library’s
comprehensive planning and budgeting pro­
cess. In order to best assist academic and re­
search librarians in the preparation and devel­
opment of effective instructional programs, the
following guidelines are recommended.

I. P ro g ra m  design
A. Statem ent o f  p u r p o s e
The library should have a written statement of
purpose for its instruction program that: articu­
lates its purpose of the instruction program with
respect to the educational mission of the insti­
tution and the needs of the learning commu­
nity; involves the academic community in the
formulation of these goals; recognizes the het­
erogeneous nature of the learning community
through the identification of varieties of learn­
ing styles, attitudes, education levels, and local
settings and environments; recognizes that in­
struction programs not only prepare learners
for immediate curricular activities, but also en­
able them to be effective lifelong users of in­
formation in its many forms and contexts; and

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

reflects changes in the institution and learning 
community through periodic revision.

B. Identification o f  content o f  instruction
While each institution will determine instructional 
content based on the needs of its clientele, the 
library should have a clearly articulated focus 
with projected outcomes. For guidance in the 
selection of content of instruction, see the “Model 
Statement of Objectives for Bibliographic Instruc
tion” (C&RL News, May 1987).

C. Identification o f  m o d es o f  instruction
Instruction takes place in many ways using a 
variety of teaching methods. These may include, 
but are not limited to: advising individuals at 
reference desks, in-depth research consulta­
tions, individualized instruction, electronic or 
print instruction aids, or group instruction in 
traditional or electronic classroom settings. The 
mode(s) selected should be consistent with the 
content and goals of instruction. Where appro­
priate, more than one mode of instruction should 
be used in recognition of the wide variety of 
learning styles of individuals. For suggestions and 
explanations of modes of instruction, see the 
S ourcebook f o r  Bibliographic Instruction.

D. Evaluation a n d  a ssessm en t
Evaluation and assessment are systematic ongo­
ing processes that should gather data to inform 
decision-making regarding the instruction pro­
gram. Data gathered should give an indication 
that the instruction program is supporting the 
goals set forth in its “Statement of Purpose for 
Instruction.” See the Evaluation H an d b ook for 
guidance. The evaluation or assessment plan 
should delineate exactly what measures are taken 
and who is involved in the assessment. The pro
gram should consider as many measures as pos-

P repared by the ACRL In stru ctio n  Section ’s In stru c tio n  Task Force w hich in c lu d e d  B eth S. W oodard, 
University o f  Illinois a t U rbana-C ham paign; C arolyn D u sen bury, California State University-Chico; Keith 
Gresham, University o f  Colorado, Boulder; F rances Jacobson, University o f  Illinois a t U rbana-C ham paign; 
P oping Lin, P u r d u e  University; L in d a Parker, University o f  N ebraska a t O m aha.



April 1997 /  265

sible. These measures may include, but are not
limited to needs assessment, participant reaction,
learning outcomes, teaching effectiveness, and
overall effectiveness of instruction. The criteria
for evaluation should be articulated. The assess­
ment program should incorporate a variety of
methods and instruments. The data should be
gathered at intervals consistent with the revision
process so that current information is cycled into
the ongoing planning process.

II. H u m a n  resources
To achieve the goals set forth in the library’s
instruction statement of purpose, the library
should employ or have access to sufficient per­
sonnel with appropriate education, experience,
and expertise to: teach individuals and groups
in the campus community; design a variety of
instruction programs and services; promote,
market, manage, and coordinate diverse instruc­
tion activities; collect and interpret assessment
data to evaluate and update instruction pro­
grams and services; integrate and apply instruc­
tion technologies into learning activities; pro­
duce instruction materials using available media
and electronic technologies; participate in cam­
pus and faculty groups, committees, and de­
partments that plan and execute education ac­
tivities; and respond to changing technologies,
environments, and communities.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

D evelo ping  th e G uidelines
In 1977 ACRL approved the “ Guidelines for Biblio­
graphic Instruction in Academic Libraries”  as the 
standard and guideline for instruction programs gen­
erally. This first document was intended to provide 
a framework for developing, evaluating, and ulti­
mately institutionalizing instructional programs and 
services in college and research libraries and to 
assist any library or librarian seeking to build or 
maintain an instructional service. The 1977 “Guide
lines”  were written by the Bibliographic Instruction 
Task Force and published in the BIS Handbook.

In 1987 the revision of the “ Model Statement of 
Objectives for Academic Libraries”  made the BIS 
Handbook obsolete. The 1977 “ Guidelines”  were 
maintained as a separate and important document 
which sought to outline the programmatic needs—
including staffing, facilities, and budgeting— of in
structional services. In 1993, after a survey of mem­
bership, it was determined that the “ Guidelines” 
should be revised to reflect the maturation of in­
struction programs generally and, perhaps more 
important, the impact that new technologies and 
changing campus environments have placed on in­
struction programming. A task force was formed at 
that time to incorporate these new concerns into

the “ Guidelines”  which recognizes the need to as­
sess achievement of instructional goals.

In the development of the revised “ Guidelines” 
which appear below, the task force was guided by 
the following principles: instruction programming 
is an essential and fundamental educational ser­
vice which should be made available by academic 
libraries to their primary clientele; advances in tech­
nology should augment and enhance, not replace, 
the instruction department and programming of an 
institution; the diversity of clientele mandates that 
issues such as the format, mode of instruction, con­
tent, method of delivery, and assessment of pro­
grams should be decisions that are made at the 
institutional level and reflect the heterogeneous 
nature of that clientele.

As such, the “ Guidelines”  do not delineate spe­
cific recommendations for types of programming. 
Rather they focus on the process and support pro­
cedures that should be used to make these deci­
sions. The “ Guidelines”  were the focus of an open 
forum held at Midwinter 1996, and were approved 
by the ACRL Board at Annual 1996. The ALA Stan­
dards Committee approved them at the 1997 Mid­
winter Meeting.

 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

III. Support
Support for a successful instruction program 
has many interdependent facets. The level of 
support necessary will depend on the scope 
and size of the program.

A. Instruction fa cilities
The library should have, or should have ready 
access to, facilities of sufficient size and num­
ber that are equipped to meet the goals of the 
instruction program and reach the instructional 
learning community. The instructional setting(s) 
should duplicate the equipment and technol­
ogy that is available to users. At minimum, the 
facilities should allow the instructor to demon­
strate information systems available to the 
library’s users. It is desirable that the facilities 
provide individual hands-on experience for 
those being instructed. The instructional set­
ting should be flexible enough to accommo­
date a variety of teaching methods and learn­
ing styles.

B. S ta ff w ork fa cilities
The library should provide convenient access 
to the equipment and services necessary to de­
sign, produce, reproduce, and update instruc­
tion materials in a variety of formats. The library 
should provide sufficient space for the prepara­
tion and storage of instruction materials.



2 6 6  /  C&RL News

C. F in a n cia l s u p p o rt
The instruction program should have adequate 
funds identified to attain the stated goals of the 
program. The funding for an instruction pro­
gram should cover all personnel costs con­
nected with the program, including but not lim­
ited to student, clerical, and technical assistance. 
The funding should cover supplies and materi
als; equipment or access to equipment; design, 
production, reproduction, and revision of ma­
terials; promotion and evaluation of the instruc­
tion program; as well as other identified costs. 
The allocation process should allow for equip­
ment and software replacement and enhance­
ment as changes occur. The funding should 
provide for training and continuing education 
of those involved in the instruction program.

D. S u p p o rt f o r  s t a f f  continuing education, 
training, a n d  developm ent
Nonmonetary support for continuing staff de­
velopment helps to establish an atmosphere 
conducive to innovation and high morale. It is 
recommended that the library: provide staff 
members with a written description of the scope 
of their instructional responsibilities; provide a 
structured program for orientation and training 
of new instruction personnel (see the publica­
tion L earning to Teach for suggestions); and

develop a program of continuing education or
make available continuing education opportu­
nities.

S upp orting  docum ents
E valuation H a n d b o o k  (pub. forthcoming).
L earning to Teach: Workshops on  Instruction,

edited by Ellen Broidy, Joan Kaplowitz, Kari
Lucas, Susan Miller, Billie Peterson, and
Thomas Zogg, Chicago: ALA, ACRL, BIS,
1993.

“Model Statement of Objectives for Academic
Bibliographic Instruction: Draft Revision,
edited by Lori Arp, Barbara Beaton, Joseph
Boisse, Julie Cizny, David Ginn, Roland
Person, Jan Rice, and Beth Woodard, C&RL
News (May 1987) 48(5): 256– 261.

“Model Statement of Objectives for Academic
Bibliographic Instruction,” in R ea d  This First:
An O w ner’s G uide to the New M odel State­
m ent o f  Objectives f o r  A cad em ic Bibliographi
Instruction, edited by Carolyn Dusenbury,
Monica Fusich, Kathleen Kenny, and Beth
Woodard. Chicago: ALA, ACRL, BIS, 1991. 

S ou rcebook f o r  B ibliog rap h ic Instruction, ed­
ited by Katherine Branch, Carolyn Dusenbury,
Barbara Conant, Cynthia Roberts and Kim­
berly Spyers-Duran, Chicago: ALA, ACRL,
BIS, 1993. ■

 

 
 
 
 

 
” 
 
 
 

 
 

c 
 
 

 

 

C&RL N e w s 30th an n iversary quiz

Here is the next install­
ment of the C&RL News 

30th anniversary quiz. Test your recollection 
of events that have been reported in the News 
since 1966.
1. How m u ch  did th e federal governm ent 

spend on libraries per person in 1995?
2. W h a t is th e  B r itis h  c o u n t e r p a r t  to  

C&RL News?
3. In the 1960s, West Virginia’s m ost fa­

mous author gave a copy of her new biog­

raphy to the state’s oldest educational in­
stitution to bring its library collection to 
the 100,000 mark. Name this celebrated 
author and the institution.

. W hen did the A m erican Mathematical 
Society name an Ad Hoc Library Commit­
tee to study library issues that affect the 
mathematics research community?

. How did the library at Butler Univer­
sity manage to get incoming freshman into 
the library before classes started?

4

5

Answers: 1. The government spent 
$0.57 per person on libraries in 1995, about the cost of a pack of gum  (February 1995). 2. The UC&R 
Newsletter, sponsored by the University, College and Research Section of the Library Association, is the 
British counterpart to C&RL News (December 1980). 3. Pearl Buck gave a copy of Pearl S. Buck, A Biography, 
by Theodore F. Harris, to Bethany College (September 1969). 4. The Ad Hoc Library Committee was named 
in 1989 (Novem ber 1989). 5. Butler University had a treasure hunt in the library (July/August 1993).



April 1997 /  2 67



2 6 8  /  C&RL News