The certification program began in January 2007 and was discontinued as of April 1, 2009, by vote of the Western Council of State Libraries. The program grew out of a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded to Western Council in 2003. The purpose of the grant was to improve library services by defining the essential skills library practitioners needed in order to increase their capacity as managers and leaders and to increase and improve educational opportunities for library directors and managers who did not have a graduate degree in library and information science. BCR administered the the program with oversight by Western Council's Executive Committee.

The list of certification competencies was developed collaboratively by state librarians, state library staff, and library educators and covers the broad spectrum of knowledge and skills needed to manage a library enterprise successfully. The competencies represent a consensus opinion about what is the essential knowledge, skills and ability for public library practitioners.