University of Delaware Library Vision Statement
The Library, through its collections, services and staff, is
an essential and vital component in the intellectual life of
the University. It has been recognized by membership in the
Association of Research Libraries. The Library has assembled
a knowledgeable and highly skilled staff who provide
intellectual and physical access to its substantial
collections and who serve, with the faculty, as an active
partner in the academic mission of the University.
Rapid technological advances in the area of information
storage, retrieval, and delivery are making it possible to
expand access to a world of information beyond the Library's
walls. By providing optimum access to information regardless
of its location, the Library supports the teaching and
research missions of the University of Delaware in new and
enhanced ways.
The following vision will carry the University of Delaware
Library into the next century as a valuable asset to the
University, the State of Delaware, and the scholarly
community.
- To fulfill its leadership role in the provision of information
on campus and in the State of Delaware,
the Library will:
- work closely with other academic and administrative
colleagues on issues of
information delivery, access and literacy
- honor its responsibility as identified by the
University and the State, as
the only broadly-based and comprehensive collection
in the State, to assist in meeting the information
needs of the residents of Delaware
- collaborate with other academic institutions and
national and regional
library organizations
- foster cooperative ventures with information and
service providers
- aggressively pursue alternative sources of funding and
support
- To collect information which supports the curricular and
research needs of the University and, in collaboration with
other research institutions, the needs of the scholarly
community,
the Library will:
- identify and procure materials necessary for its
collections
- select materials in the most suitable formats
- implement innovative information technologies
- commit library resources to information stored and
transmitted electronically
- To facilitate use of the collection,
the Library will:
- evaluate and employ innovative software and hardware to
provide access to
online information
- disseminate information about its collection through
DELCAT and other
electronic resources
- work toward a common search interface to local and
remote online resources
- provide bibliographic access to materials held by the
Library through
accepted cataloging techniques
- To ensure the availability of materials for future users and
uphold its role as a cultural repository,
the Library will:
- serve as an inviting place that is conducive to
learning and research
- safeguard its unique and rare materials of importance
to the scholarly
community
- provide secure facilities and increased education to
discourage theft and
mutilation of library materials
- maintain appropriate environmental conditions to
minimize deterioration of
the collection
- preserve the library collection through accepted
preservation techniques
- To anticipate and respond effectively to the needs of its
users,
the Library will:
- treat all members of its diverse user community with
fairness, respect and
sensitivity
- accommodate the special needs of users with
disabilities
- foster information literacy through formal and informal
instruction in the use
of information resources and services
- increase user awareness through promotion of library
services and resources
- assess users' expectations and levels of satisfaction
- evaluate periodically services offered by the Library
- To maintain its commitment to access to information,
the Library will:
- protect each user's right to privacy and
confidentiality
- provide equitable access to library resources for all
users
- uphold the principles of intellectual and academic
freedom
- comply with federal copyright regulations and educate
users about intellectual property issues
- To ensure expert management of its resources and services,
the Library will:
- recruit and retain a highly-qualified and diverse staff
- create an atmosphere that is conducive to the
intellectual and professional
growth of all staff
- support ongoing staff training and education
- supply the tools and equipment necessary for staff to
be productive in their
jobs
Adopted October 1993
