Values

As the Libraries implement this strategic plan, we commit to the Values below, which describe how we conduct ourselves and how we want to be treated by others. These values serve as a "lens" through which we, with our users, set priorities and make resource allocations.

Students studying in the Paterno Reading Room

Institutional Values

Integrity

We act with integrity and honesty in accordance with the highest academic, professional, and ethical standards.

Respect

We respect and honor the dignity of each person, embrace civil discourse, and foster a diverse and inclusive community.

Responsibility

We act responsibly, and we are accountable for our decisions, actions, and their consequences.

Discovery

We seek and create new knowledge and understanding, and foster creativity and innovation, for the benefit of our communities, society, and the environment.

Excellence

We strive for excellence in all our endeavors as individuals, an institution, and a leader in higher education.

Community

We work together for the betterment of our University, the communities we serve, and the world.

Foundational Values

Equity of Access

The University Libraries promote the freedom, discovery, openness, and sustained affordability of information.

Diversity and Inclusion

The University Libraries is committed to diversity in all of its forms, embracing differences with acceptance and respect.

Ethics and Integrity

The University Libraries operates on a strong foundation of ethical principles and professional integrity.

Sustainability

The University Libraries supports the simultaneous pursuit of human health, happiness, environmental quality, and economic well-being for current and future generations.

Empathy

The University Libraries has a service orientation that seeks to understand and meet the needs of others.

Organizational Excellence

The University Libraries strives for organizational excellence by providing a consistent framework for the delivery of initiatives to facilitate institutional progress. The Libraries will partner directly and effectively with constituents in outreach and engagement initiatives, will develop and deploy effective and agile organizational processes, and will think creatively and act boldly to ensure that its infrastructure supports the mission and vision of the University Libraries.