About the Library

Library Mission

The F Wilbur Gingrich Library provides the Albright community with research support, individual and collaborative study space, and the resources necessary to foster intellectual discovery in a liberal arts and sciences educational environment.  We strive to create lifelong learners and technologically fluent critical thinkers across all disciplines. The library is a strategic partner with the campus community in pursuing academic excellence by creating discerning thinkers who can research complex issues, discuss them critically and communicate ideas effectively.  Recognizing the importance of making connections with the greater community, the library, which includes Archives/Special Collections, collaborates proactively with internal and external constituencies to support the college’s mission.

Library Vision

Our vision is to be the educational “heart” of the campus and the center of information access and learning, a place of personal study and collaboration for our community.  The library will create an environment that invites curiosity, study, learning, and creativity and will provide space for both individualized and collaborative work.  We will enable our users and support them with resources, highly trained staff and high quality services so they can find what they need, when they need it and in the format that is most useful to them.  We will continue to enhance and preserve our print collection while embracing digital collections and services.

The library-learner relationship will be one of personalized attention and engagement, and library guidance and instruction will be available throughout the information seeking process.   In order to achieve the goal of patron independence and learning, the library will work with our patrons in support of their learning, teaching and research goals; will provide them resources with minimal barriers and seamless access; and will encourage them to integrate these behaviors into life-long learning patterns. The Library will use evaluation and assessment to improve service to students and faculty, anticipate their future needs, and address those needs in a holistic manner. 

The library-community relationship is one of collaboration and respect.  The library will support the mission and outreach of the Holocaust Resource Center as well as continue to develop and nurture the various community and library consortial groups that serve the region.

Library Values

The library’s commitment to the educational process and a liberal education** is reflected in our core library values:

Intellectual Inquiry & Learning

• empower patrons to be self-sufficient information consumers and to possess the critical evaluation and thinking skills necessary for today’s global citizen
• create a physical environment that encourages personal and collaborative study and inspires patrons to be intellectually curious and creative
• value and support the principles of intellectual and academic freedom, open access to information, intellectual property and copyright
• support the discovery, connection and synthesis of information by our students
• promote lifelong learning for our patrons and ourselves

Excellence

• make service, offered by highly trained staff, our number one priority to ensure faculty and student success
• create accessible services, systems and collections that respond to and are responsive to the diverse needs of the Albright community
• develop new services and use emerging technologies to improve the library experience of our patrons
• reaffirm that access to service or materials is not constricted or determined by physical location
• use outreach, programming and services to support both the academic and holistic needs of our faculty and students

Collegiality & Collaboration

• demonstrate collegiality and effective communication among  the library, the college and the external community
• encourage an atmosphere of mutual respect and civility
• promote collaboration with faculty departments and administrative units
• create or reaffirm strategic partnerships with both internal and external groups to support the library and college mission

This mission, vision and values statement was reviewed and accepted by the Information Development Committee in Fall 2012.