Draft : REQUIREMENTS FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

COMMON TO ALL PROGRAMS

CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER (CMO)

No. ___
Series of ________

SUBJECT:
REQUIREMENTS FOR ACADEMIC
LIBRARIES COMMON TO ALL PROGRAMS
In accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known
as the Higher Education Act of 1994, and Republic Act No. 9246 otherwise known as the
The Philippine Librarianship Act of 2003, and by virtue of the Commission en banc No.
___________ dated _________________ for the purpose of harmonizing and strengthening the
libraries in higher education institutions in the country and in keeping pace with the innovative
technology and new information, this set of requirements for the academic libraries is hereby
adopted and promulgated by this Commission:
Section 1. Mission, Goals and Objectives
A. The academic library shall develop an explicit statement of its mission in
conformity with the mandate of the parent institution.
1.

The development of library mission and goals shall be the responsibility of

the library head and staff in consultation with the officials of the parent institution.

2. The statement of library objectives shall be reviewed periodically and

revised as necessary.

3. The Mission, Vision and Goals shall be visibly posted in the library.
Section 2. Administration
1. The supervision and control of the academic library shall be clearly defined within the
organizational structure of the parent institution.
2. The academic library shall be administered and supervised by a full time licensed
librarian. For universities as well as HEIs with at least 3,000 students the librarian must
have at least Masters Degree in Library and Information Science, MA/MAED in Library
Science, or related fields (i.e. Computer Science, Information Systems, Educational
Technology).
3. The academic library shall have an advisory library committee composed of
representatives of the faculty and students.
4. The academic library shall formulate a development plan which shall include a program
for a continued development and improvement of library resources, services and
personnel.
5. A written manual of policies and procedures covering its internal administration and
operational activities shall be maintained by the library.
Section 3. Human Resources

1. The academic library shall have a sufficient number and variety of staff to develop,
organize and maintain the collection and provide information and reference service to
meet the needs of its clientele.
1. Size
1.1
The size and qualifications of staff shall be determined by several factors, including size
and scope of collection, number of hours, rate of acquisition, rate of circulation, nature of
processing and nature of service demand.
1.2
Ratio of licensed librarians and other staff vary depending upon the range of operations
and services provided by the library and upon its total workload requirements.
For the first 1,000 students
or a fraction thereof :

One (1) full time librarian and one (1) full

time clerical staff

For every additional 2,000

or a fraction thereof :

One (1) additional full time librarian and

one (1) full time clerical or support
staff

B. Qualifications
1. Professional Staff
The Professional Staff includes the Head Librarian and staff doing professional work. He/she
must be a holder of valid professional license for librarians.
1.1 Head Librarian for College Library
Must be a holder of Masters Degree in Library and Information Science or MA/MAED
in Library Science or related fields (as specified in Sec. 2B) with at least 2 years library
experience.
1.2

Head Librarian for University Library

Must be a holder of Masters Degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) or

MA/MAED in Library Science, and preferably pursuing a doctorate in Library and
Information Science or any related fields (as specified in Sec. 2B) and at least 3 years
library supervisory experience.

1. Support Staff
The support staff includes the paraprofessionals and clerks who are Bachelors degree holders,
preferably in Library and Information Science.
3. Status
Librarians shall be given faculty/academic or equivalent status with corresponding
compensation, privileges and benefits comparable or equivalent to those of the faculty members
in accordance with institutional policies.
4. Faculty/Staff Development
A continuing faculty/staff development shall be provided with the corresponding financial
assistance from the institution.
Section 4. Collection Management
The academic library shall have library resources relevant to its mission, adequate in quality and
quantity, helpful in serving the needs of scholarship and research, as well as progressively
developing and growing in accordance with institutional development and expansion plans.
A. Collection Development

1. Collection development is a joint responsibility of the librarians and the faculty.

1. The academic library shall have a written collection development policies and program
indicating the strengths and weaknesses of the collection and a plan of improving them.
This should be prepared by the librarians in consultation with the members of the
Advisory Library Committee and approved by the administration.
1. The academic library shall conduct periodic review of its existing collection using
various approaches/tools in collection evaluation.
B. Holdings
1. Size
1.1
A core book collection of 3,000 well-selected titles for college libraries and 8,000 titles
for university libraries (80% in print format and 20% in electronic format) is necessary to
effectively support its educational programs.
1.2
For every major field of specific undergraduate program, the library should provide 5
titles per course (3 print and 2 electronic format) and additional 5 titles for each specific course
in the graduate program (3 print and 2 electronic format), of which 20% must be published
within the last five (5) years. Book holdings should include more of professional and reference
books, Copies of textbooks may also be made available.
1.3
For initial program offering, the minimum volume of books covering 1st to 3rd year
courses are required to be found in the library. For program recognition, an HEI should have the
required numbers in all year levels.
1.4
In addition to the book collection, a core periodical collection of current and relevant
titles (local and foreign), in print or electronic format shall be subscribed, with the proviso that
print format shall be at least 50% of the minimum requirements stated below. The minimum
number of periodicals based on enrollment are as follows :
Total Enrollment
Less than 1,000 students
1001 3000 students
Over 3000 students

Number of Periodical Titles

50 titles
75 titles
100 titles

1.5
Every major field of specialization shall be covered by at least 3 foreign journals and 2
local journal titles for undergraduate program, and 6 foreign and 4 local titles, 2 of which are
refereed, for the graduate program.
1.6
Non-print materials and electronic/digital resources shall be made available through
adequate facilities and equipment.

1.7
The academic library shall provide Filipiniana materials equivalent to 10% of the total
collection.
1.8
Special collections and other multimedia resources, not violative of the Intellectual
Property Code, may be included to meet the requirements of the various programs and courses
offered by each institution.
C. Organization
1. Library collection shall be organized to ensure efficient identification and retrieval. It shall be
cataloged, classified and or indexed according to accepted standards of bibliographic description
and system of classification.
2 Online Public Access Catalogues (OPAC) should be made available for easy access of
collection.
3. For purposes of identification, the various library collections shall be stamped with the name
of college/university together with the campus owning the collection.
D. Preservation and Weeding
1. The academic library shall have a program for the regular preservation and de-selection of its
collection to keep it relevant and up-to-date.
2. Regular weeding-out program shall be under taken to keep the collections relevant and up-todate.
E. Security and Control
1. The academic library shall have policies on security and control as safeguards from
damage, loss, mutilation and theft.
1. The academic library shall provide emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and built-in
emergency lights and other measures deemed necessary.
Section 5. Services and Utilization
1. The academic library shall provide services to its readers in support of its objectives and
those of the parent institution. The productive use of library resources and facilities by its
clientele is an ultimate test of its effectiveness.
1. The services shall include, but not be limited to, Reference and User Services,
Circulation, Information Literacy and User Education, Audiovisual and Electronic
Services, as well as Photocopying Services among others.

1. The academic library shall have equitable lending policies for its users.
1. The academic library shall make its collection and services known and
accessible to all users through guides, handbooks, pathfinders, social networks, and
other promotional tools and strategies.
Section 6. Physical Facilities
1. The academic library shall have an adequate space and appropriate facilities which are
accessible to the students, faculty and other users. Whether occupying a building of its
own or occupying only a part of the building, it shall be right within the traffic area of the
students and faculty members and easily accessible to any point of activity in the campus.
If possible, it shall be designed to allow for future rearrangement and expansion.
1. The following are the minimum requirements for library facilities:
1. There should be adequate reading space for the student population, with proper lighting
and ventilation.
1. The reading room shall accommodate at one seating 5% of the student population at 1.2
square meters per student.
1. For a college with an enrollment of less than 500, the minimum size of the library should
be at least 252 sq. meters.
1. In addition, the library shall have adequate space to house the growing collections, the
proper work area for staff, storage room, head librarians office as well as areas for
special services such as the electronic and audiovisual programs.
1.
2.
1. The facilities of the academic library shall be furnished with functional furniture
and equipment to encourage its maximum use as well as the convenience of the
users.
1. The following are the minimum requirements for library furniture and equipment:
- Book/magazine shelves
Reading tables
Standard chairs
Card catalog cabinet/OPAC stand
Shelf-list cabinets
Display racks/stands
Filing cabinets for Information Files

 Study carrels
Dictionary stands
Bulletin/display boards
Office tables and chairs for personnel
Typewriters/computers for the staff
Computer workstations/terminals for the users
1. Facilities for persons with disabilities (PWD) shall be provided.
Section 7. Information Technology Resources and Services
1. The academic library shall have facilities for information and communication technology
and services in adequate quantities and good working condition for the efficient and
convenient retrieval or dissemination of local and remote information resources by the
library staff and its users. This includes computers with Internet connectivity, printers,
scanners, fax machines and other electronic communication equipment.
2. The higher education institution library shall establish and provide an electronic library. A
dedicated library website shall be created to advertise/promote and access library
resources.
3. Electronic resources shall be made accessible 24/7 on site or from remote storage
location, in the main campus and/or at off campus location.
4. Policies and procedures in selecting and evaluating the content and use of e-resources
shall be set. Qualified staff with the requisite skills shall manage the elibrary.
5. The library shall provide continuous access to electronic resources, such as online
databases (i.e. Philippine e-Lib), e-books, e-journals and other e-learning resources to
allow faculty members and students to undertake research and other academic activities.
Section 8. Financial Resources
1. The academic library head shall prepare an annual budget covering the needs and
priorities of the library in accordance with the existing policies of the parent institution.
2. The library fee shall be set at a realistic level, reviewed periodically, and used solely for
library development.
3. The academic library shall explore other ways of augmenting the librarys financial
resources when the institutional funds are inadequate.
Section 9. Linkages and Networking

1. The academic library shall engage in internal and external linkages.

2. The academic library shall participate in inter-institutional activities and cooperative
programs whereby a sharing of resources is encouraged.
Section 10. Transitory Provisions
All HEIs, public or private, are required to fully comply with all the requirements in this CMO
within a non-extendable period of three (3) years after the date of its effectivity. State
Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) shall also comply
with the requirements herein set forth.
Section 11. Sanctions
For violations of this Order, the Commission may impose such administrative sanction as it may
deem appropriate pursuant to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 7722, in relation to
Section 69 of BP 232 otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1982, and Sections 24
and 101 of the Manual of Regulations for Private Schools (MRPS), and other related laws.
For immediate dissemination and implementation.
Quezon City, Philippines
PATRICIA B. LICUANAN, Ph.D.
Chairperson
Draft as of January 22, 2013