LIS Accreditation: Why and What Next?

This article locates library and information science (LIS) program accreditation in a professional and sociological context and describes past, current, and future initiatives to ensure that accreditation stan-dards and procedures acknowledge, assess, and support the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that LIS professionals need. The author has worked closely with Dr. Smith on the American Library Association (ALA) Committee on Accreditation.