Preparing for accreditation: an introduction for librarians

Abstract

An Accreditation is the process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented. Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies (such as UKAS); hence they are sometimes known as "accredited certification bodies". The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable, typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically and employ suitable quality assurance. Overview of Accreditation - Wikipedia Accreditation is a voluntary process that ensures the quality and credibility of an institution based on peer review and meeting agreed upon standards. The primary accreditation of an institution is through one of the regional accrediting agencies, which in turn are authorized by U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)