SOX: “best practices” or too much accountability

Purpose – The paper aims to provide an overview on how the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act may impact on standard library management operations. Design/methodology/approach – The study extracts key elements from the legislation and illustrates how they can be incorporated into library management. Findings – The paper finds that, while there is confusion about the IRS status of libraries and to what extent the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act will directly affect them, there is much in the legislation that can be adopted now for better accountability and governance. Originality/value – The paper provides examples of key elements in the legislation and how they can be incorporated into library governance now. By proactively complying with the parts of the legislation that are natural fits with library operations, it places the library on a better footing for future needs and demands.