Waidner-Spahr Library Mission Statement

The Waidner-Spahr Library supports Dickinson College in its mission to prepare students, by means of a useful education in liberal arts and sciences, for engaged lives of citizenship and leadership in the service of society. Our commitment is to support the diverse Dickinson College community in teaching, learning, scholarship, and service activities by facilitating equitable access to information; by maintaining a physical and digital library environment that enhances research, study and community; and by teaching critical approaches to information necessary for academic success, professional accomplishment, and lifelong learning.

We do this by:

1. providing relevant and representative information resources for inquiry and study;
2. facilitating equitable access to the universe of recorded knowledge;
3. working collaboratively with the Dickinson College community to align library collections and services with the educational goals and strategic directions of the college;
4. developing and implementing a sequenced and integrated approach to teaching research and information skills;
5. maintaining a welcoming physical environment that inspires openness, creativity, diligence, and fellowship;
6. upholding and articulating standards of academic integrity and the ethical use of information;
7. providing a high level of personalized service;
8. applying technologies and practices that enhance both the library’s services and the users’ experiences;
9. observing and analyzing our environment, gathering data systematically, and assessing effectiveness of programs and processes continually;
10. preserving, organizing, and providing access to the material history of Dickinson College;
11. seeking, developing, and applying best professional practices to our tasks;
12. celebrating creative approaches to program and process improvement;
13. creating and fostering a supportive and safe learning and working environment for people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

We value:

1. equitable, open, sustainable access to information;
2. good stewardship of resources;
3. the application of professional expertise in pursuit of excellence;
4. critical assessment;
5. continuous improvement;
6. relevance of the Library to the College, its community, and the world
7. collaboration and collegiality;
8. support for the long-term preservation of the scholarly record;
9. open dialogue on issues of intellectual, ethical, and social importance.

Revised August 27, 2019