Quality evaluation of health libraries in England: a new framework

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to give the details of the development of the health libraries standards in England during the last decade; to identify and analyse the main features and innovations of the new accreditation framework published last year to assess the quality of that type of library, comparing it with the previous accreditation programme, and to present its first results.

Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on a comparative analysis between the two main health libraries’ accreditation programmes developed in England (the Helicon checklist and the LQAF framework), reviewing the goals they intend to achieve, the methodology they propose and the structure and content of their standards. This analysis is built on a wide literature review, including mostly grey resources: technical standards and reports, newsletters, minutes of meetings, and briefings

Findings: In the study, the main changes incorporated in the LQAF framework have been identified both at strategic, tactical and operational levels, delimiting the scope of the “360 degrees review” of the health libraries situation it aims. Besides, the main achievements since the LQAF appeared have been stated: the undertaken of the first National Baseline Assessments against the standards, whose results show the good fitness of English health libraries’ services quality, and the creation of the Innovation Reward. The near future, however, raises some uncertainties prompted by a new revision of the standards.

Originality/value: This is the first study about the new LQAF framework and it also provides the first comparison in the literature and a unique view of the main health libraries’ national accreditation programmes in England.