Every so often, usually in a strategic planning meeting or budget conversation, someone may say, “We need to make sure we have enough volumes in the library for SACSCOC.” Sometimes it’s framed more bluntly: “How many books do we need to be compliant?” If you’ve heard that, or said it, you’re not alone. But like many long-standing accreditation assumptions, this one leans far more toward lore than law.

Where This Lore Comes From

Historically, accreditation did include fairly prescriptive expectations about library holdings. In a print-dominant world, counting volumes was a shorthand measure for academic seriousness. More books equaled more scholarship. More subscriptions equaled more rigor.

And so, over time, a myth emerged: If you can show a big number, you can show quality.

But higher education has changed. Research has changed. Access has changed. And student success has changed. Accreditation has changed, too. We have more changing to do, but that will come.

What the Law Actually Says

SACSCOC standards do not require institutions to hit a magic number of books, journals, or databases. What we require is that institutions provide adequate learning resources and services to support the mission of the institution and the success of its students and the scholarship of faculty. That is a very different emphasis.

Law vs. Lore

❌ Lore: Accreditation is about counting library books.
✅ Law: Accreditation is about ensuring students have the learning resources they need to succeed.

❌ Lore: If we reduce our print holdings, we’ll get in trouble.
✅ Law: If your resources—physical and digital—support your mission and your students, you are aligned with the standards.

❌ Lore: Bigger library equals stronger accreditation case.
✅ Law: Stronger student outcomes and meaningful resource support equal a stronger accreditation case.

This means the question is not: “How many volumes do you have?” It is, and should be, “How do your library and learning resources advance student learning, faculty scholarship, and institutional effectiveness?” At the end of the day, does it support student success?

The Shift from Inputs to Impact

A warehouse full of books that students do not use does not advance student success. A carefully curated collection, physical and digital, aligned to programs, supported by instructional librarians who teach students how to evaluate information critically? That changes lives. We care deeply about:

• Access to appropriate and current resources
• Alignment between collections and academic programs
• Information literacy instruction
• Integration of library services into the academic experience
• Evidence that students can find, evaluate, and apply information

Notice what is missing from that list, A specific number.

Let’s Talk About Library Staff

Libraries are not buildings. They are not shelves. They are not subscription counts. They are people. The role of professional library staff, whether credentialed librarians, research specialists, digital resource managers, or instructional partners, is critical to student success at all levels. Their value is not in guarding stacks. While far more can be said, let me propose five key areas the library staff does to support students.

• Teaching students how to navigate a complex information ecosystem
• Partnering with faculty on research design
• Supporting first-generation students who may never have set foot in an academic library
• Ensuring equitable access to high-quality resources
• Guiding institutions through rapidly evolving digital landscapes

When we review institutions, we are not asking, “How many books do you own?” We are asking, “How are your library professionals advancing student success and the institution’s mission?” That is a much more important question.

Accreditation Implications

If an institution invests heavily in materials but underinvests in staff expertise, training, or integration with the curriculum, that is a concern. Conversely, if an institution demonstrates strong alignment to programs and a focus on supporting students as they navigate their programs and majors that directly impact student learning, then it is meeting the spirit and letter of the standards. Students First, Always means we evaluate what actually supports students and the quality of the learning environment, not what looks impressive on a spreadsheet.

The Pruitt Perspective

If accreditation ever devolves into counting books, we’ve missed the point. Our job is not to audit shelves. It is to ensure institutions create environments where students can thrive academically. In 2026, that requires thoughtful resource strategy, robust digital access, and professional staff who know how to connect students to knowledge. When we think of libraries as part of student success, we build strategies to get students into our libraries and that support structure versus hoping they wonder in on their own.

We are a compliance organization, yes, but compliance is not nostalgia. It is not about preserving old metrics simply because they are comfortable. It is about ensuring quality in a modern context.

Library professionals are among the most mission-driven people on a campus. When they are empowered, not just funded, but integrated into the academic core, they become critical players in student success.

So the next time someone asks, “How many books do we need for SACSCOC?” You can confidently say:

“That’s lore. The real question is how our library helps our students, faculty, and institution succeed.”