| Twenty-four joint use school/public libraries serve K-12 students and public communities in Texas. However, there are no specific library standards to provide guidelines for this type of combined library. In the current study, the researcher utilized a Delphi study to develop library standards for shared school/public libraries in Texas. Texas Public Library Standards (Texas Library Association, 2014), School Library Programs: Standards and Guidelines for Texas (Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 2005), and the Minimum Requirements for Accreditation in the Texas State Library System (Texas Administrative Code, 2015) were correlated to create proposed joint use library standards. A Delphi panel of 29 library experts participated in the current study. The library expert panel included national and international library leaders and authors from school, academic, public, and joint use libraries. University researchers, including several Texas State Library librarians and Texas Library Association librarians, also served on the Delphi panel. During three rounds of surveys the library experts identified categories and components for developing effective Joint Use Library Standards. At the conclusion of the study, consensus was achieved for 42 library standards. The Delphi method identified objectives, goals, and principles that the library experts agreed should be included in Texas Joint Use Library Standards. From the 42 joint use library standards, a checklist was developed for school/public libraries to assess effective library service. |
