DEVELOPMENT OF A HANDBOOK TO ASSIST IN THE EVALUATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES AND COLLECTIONS OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES GRANTING GRADUATE DEGREES IN PROFESSIONAL INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION (CRITERIA)

Statement of the Problem. Over 160 colleges and universities offer graduate degrees in various areas of industrial education. All of these institutions are accredited by regional agencies and by various professional organizations to offer graduate degrees. There does not, however, appear to be any instrument available to assist in the evaluation of the library services and collections of these institutions. The purpose of this alternative project has been to develop a tool to be used either by the faculty or staff of the various colleges and universities, or by members of accreditation teams, which will be useful in assessing the quality of the library services and collections available.; Methodology. The development of the handbook was broken down into three subproblems. The first of these was the identification of those criteria most often cited in the monographic and serial literature that pertained to library evaluation. At this same time a bibliography was developed based upon the repeated citation of works that should be available at any graduate institution in the field of professional industrial education. In addition to written works, the researcher consulted four individuals knowledgeable in the field of industrial education and library evaluation for their input. Based upon these primary sources and the available literature, a list of criteria was developed in conjunction with a basic bibliography.; The second sub-problem necessitated the validation of the suggested criteria and bibliography. Validation was accomplished by means of panels of experts in both areas. These individuals indicated whether specific criteria were "necessary" or whether specific bibliographic citations were "desirable" for the library collection. From the selected criteria and the individual bibliographic works, the researcher developed a handbook. Instructions for its use were written and a scoring system set up to facilitate the use of the handbook.; The third sub-problem required that the handbook itself be evaluated by another panel of experts. These experts were asked to answer specific questions about the handbook and its functioning.; Significance. The completed handbook is a useful tool for anyone faced with the problem of evaluating library services and collections in the field of professional industrial education.; Summary. This project has produced a document that can be used to assist individuals faced with the problem of conducting an evaluation of library services and collections.