The Broken Bow Public Library hosted a “Community Needs” Forum on Thursday, April 27. The forum was about a re-evaluation of how the library could continue to best serve the Broken Bow Community. And now the Library still remains a Gold Accredited Library.
The purpose of public library accreditation is to encourage excellent library service in Nebraska communities. It is a measure of community pride in the library and the services it offers to its citizens. Accreditation is the standard by which the services are offered, as evidenced by measuring the library against guidelines developed by a task force of professional librarians. Public Library Accreditation is valid for five years.
There are several benefits for Nebraska Libraries to become accredited.
An accredited library is eligible for State Aid to Public Libraries, eligible to apply for grants through the Nebraska Library Commission, Community Development Block Grants from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, and USDA Grants and Loans.
Levels of accreditation are based on a system of accrued points. The points required for each level of accreditation are 250 for the Gold Level, 200 for the Silver Level, and 175 for the Bronze Level.
There were several working parts to this achievement. The Broken Bow Library was compared to peer libraries and must excel in several areas: programming, attendance, circulation, and funding sources. Nebraska Libraries track and submit statistics annually. The library was required to update the Technology Plan, Community Needs/Strategic Plan, and library policies.
The Broken Bow Public Library would like to take this time to thank everyone who filled out surveys and attended meetings to help attain their goal of maintaining their Gold Accreditation.
