Mission Statement

Library Services

The primary mission of Library Services is to provide materials and information in support of the academic programs of West Chester University. Its goals in achieving this function are:

1. To make materials and information in all forms accessible to students, faculty and staff through bibliographic organization and retrieval, and appropriate equipment, facilities, and library services.

2. To teach students and faculty how to use the library and information resources in support of study and research and for the development of lifelong learning skills.

3. To work in partnership with classroom faculty to teach information literacy skills to our students.

4. To provide an academic environment that is conducive to learning and promotes an awareness and appreciation of intellectual diversity.

5. To foster an appreciation for books and reading in all formats that will culturally enrich West Chester University students during their college experience and beyond.

As a public institution, the University Library has a secondary mission to make its collections available to local and statewide communities for in-house and interlibrary loan use. These goals support the University's mission by creating a teaching-learning library. While the physical environment will facilitate research and access to resources that are necessary for learning in the 21st century, it is the staff of the library who will provide the expertise and services to fulfill this mission. The library staff, through their ever-expanding knowledge of Commonwealth resources and technology, will develop a learning environment that is both personalized and proactive in meeting the information needs of the university community.