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Tennessee Standards for Public Libraries

Tennessee Standards for Non-Metropolitan Libraries

Overview

Public library standards provide specific criteria by which libraries can be measured and evaluated. They provide focus and direction for action and accountability within local library communities. The newly revised 2013 Tennessee Standards for Non-Metropolitan Libraries should be beneficial to all Tennessee public libraries and the people they serve.

Adjustments and additions to the standards were made in order to reflect the changes in library operations and services since the previous version. Most significantly, benchmarks from the Edge Initiative have been added to update our approach to technology and related issues in Tennessee Libraries. The Edge benchmarks have been footnoted in the text.

The Tennessee Standards for Non-Metropolitan Libraries is based on the following criteria:

  • Each library should strive to meet the standards for its own level, as well as for the levels beneath it.
  • Libraries wishing to achieve a standard of excellence should target the standards of the next level above its own.
  • These standards reflect average, achievable current conditions in Tennessee public libraries. These standards do not address the special characteristics of the four metropolitan public libraries in Tennessee, nor do they address the optimum configuration for county library systems.

The complete standards are available in a printable PDF Format.



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