1. The initial enquiry
The first step is to enquire of CoLRiC, without any obligation, about their system for peer accreditation.
2. What CoLRiC will send you
When you make an enquiry, we will send you the following documents:
- a copy of this procedure document;
- an assessment and accreditation registration form;
- the cost to the institution for being assessed and accredited;
- an invoice for the registration fee.
3. Applying for assessment and accreditation
If you feel that you would like to be assessed and accredited, you need to apply by returning the registration form and the registration fee. A contact person at the college must be named. We will only assess and accredit the whole college’s learning resources service, not individual sites.
You will then be sent the following documents:
- a copy of the Criteria against which you will be assessed and accredited;
- a copy of the Guidelines to the criteria, to help you understand the implications of each of the criteria;
- a copy of our Guidelines for self-assessment.
4. Self assessment of the learning resources service
You should do a self assessment exercise, preferably using the Criteria that we have sent you as a guide to the sort of information we are looking for. From this exercise you should produce a report of no more than five pages in length (excluding any documentation you may want to accompany it).
5. Preparing for accreditation
CoLRiC must be sent three copies (or more if requested) of the following documentation. They will be sent to the assessors and perhaps someone completing their assessor training.
- basic details of the college (refer to the latest inspection report on the college)
- your self assessment report of the learning resources service (without any accompanying documentation, unless it is listed here)
- the learning resources service’s objectives
- strategic and/or operational plans of the learning resources service (including two past years, if possible)
- guides to the learning resources service, including a list of the services provided
- list of performance measures used by the learning resources service
- procedures for the review of the objectives, plans and policies, mission statement and the learning resources service’s performance
- the budget of the learning resources service, and how it is used (e.g the budget headings)
- an organisation chart showing the position of the learning resources service in the college, and staffing structure within the service
- the learning resources service’s policy (or, lacking that, the college’s policy) on the training and development of its staff, and a record of staff development done by LRS staff over the past year
- the policy and procedure for obtaining feedback from the service’s users
- curriculum vitae of the learning resources manager and other staff in the service.
6. Finding and naming the assessors
CoLRiC will contact assessors on its list. They will all have been trained as CoLRiC assessors. Arrangements for a minimum of two assessors will be made to do the assessment on a pre-arranged date.
The names and brief details of the assessors will be sent to you by CoLRiC, so that any objections to particular individuals can be made prior to the assessment. If you do object, CoLRiC will need time to arrange for alternative assessors to be appointed, and the process of consulting you about the assessors will be repeated. Under these circumstances, the date of the assessment may also need changing.
7. Date of the assessment
CoLRiC will contact you to agree a date and time (usually one day from 9.30 a.m. until 4.30 p.m.) for when the assessors may visit the service. Please allow at least one month between sending your documents and the date of the visit.
8. Assessors and the documentation
When the assessors and the date have been agreed, the documentation you have sent CoLRiC will be sent to them. A timetable for the assessment day will need to be drawn up by you in consultation with CoLRiC at least one week before the assessment is due to take place.
9. The assessment
The assessment will take place using CoLRiC’s published Criteria for accreditation. The assessors, who may be accompanied by a traineee assessor who will not be involved in the assessment, will follow the timetable, and are expected to do the following at some time during the assessment:
- have a look round the whole service
- examine the documentation which you have gathered together for this purpose (see below)
- examine some equipment and facilities
- question the learning resources manager, and their line manager
- question another member of the college’s senior management, preferably the college’s principal
- question other members of staff and students
- make judgements, set the grade and prepare for feedback
- feed back their findings to you and other colleagues
The following documentation related to the learning resources service is expected to be available, although some of it may not be in the form listed here. Not all of it will be examined because of the shortage of time:
- manual of policies relating to the learning resources service
- manual of procedures of learning resources service routines etc.
- policies and procedures for students and staff training in learning resources service and information skills
- how students are encouraged to have training in learning resources service skills
- lesson plans, etc. relating to learning resources service skills training, etc.
- notes (or minutes) of liaison meetings with students
- complaints, surveys etc. relating to the service
- responses to any comments, complaints etc. received
- print-outs from electronically collected performance measures
- documents showing performance measures as communicated to senior management
- any document showing the connection between performance measures and later action
- staff appraisal policies and procedures
- documentation to show the committees to which the service’s manager belongs
- documents relating to resource management
- results of a risk assessment exercise
- financial records of the learning resources service
- minutes of committees on which the learning resources service manager is a member
- any documents relating to inter-library and other co-operation between learning resource services in other institutions
- policies on updating the stock and facilities
- college policy on training and development of staff
- any policies and strategies relating to information and learning (or communication) technology
- any policies and strategies relating to lifelong learning
- any policies relating to the service's approach to diversity and equality
- any analysis of queues, overcrowding, pressure on learning resources service staff, etc.
- methods for obtaining information not available from the service itself
- discipline and behavioural problems procedure
- reports from the finance department on learning resources service expenditure
- documents relating to any security procedures
- minutes of learning resources service staff meetings
- documents within which the learning resources service is publicised
- learning resources service publicity used throughout the college
- sample job specifications of learning resources service staff
10. The assessors’ report
After the assessment the assessors will give a short feedback session of their findings to the college. This feedback will include grading the learning resources service, and giving some indication of the shortfalls they have found (if any).
11. Accreditation
The assessors’ notes and report will be sent to CoLRiC, who will produce a written report giving details of the assessment, and the strengths and weaknesses found. Two copies of this will be sent to the college learning resources manager or other appropriate member of the college’s management. The report is confidential to the college (although it may be used in training future CoLRiC assessors).
If the learning resources service has been awarded a grade 1, 2 or 3 during assessment, the college will be sent a certificate to the affect that the learning resources service has been accredited by CoLRiC: grade 1 will be awarded the ‘Gold Award’ for excellent service; grade 2 the highly commended service award, and grade 3 the commended service award. An invoice for the final amount to be paid will also be sent.
12. Appeals
If you wish to make a complaint or appeal against a grading or the report given by the assessors, you should contact CoLRiC direct within seven days of receiving the written report. CoLRiC will investigate the matter in consultation with you, and you will receive a response within two weeks of the complaint being made.