Leslie J. Savage Library: Mission Statement

Mission Statement 

Our Values 

The Leslie J. Savage Library is an integral part of Western Colorado University. As a state-supported academic library, we serve the needs of students, faculty, staff, and the community by providing information resources, physical space for study and socialization, and specialized services supporting the educational missions of the library and university through these shared values: 

• Commitment to patron service 

We focus on meeting the information needs of our patrons through personal and remote assistance by offering relevant and discoverable printed and electronic resources and by developing and acquiring new services, technology, and resources to fulfill our mission. 

• Excellence in integrity and responsibility 

We strive for excellence in our personal and professional interactions with colleagues, the university community, and our patrons through openness, accountability, honesty, and respect. 

• Academic freedom, equality, and privacy 

We continue to strengthen our roles as providers of information without regard to physical, social, personal, political, or economic status and as protectors of patron privacy through our advocacy, education, and actions. We support the principles and policies expressed in the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, Library of Bill of Rights, and Freedom to Read statements. 

• Dedication to liberal arts education 

We support the liberally educated student at Western by providing instruction in information literacy; assistance with information needs; collection development in all disciplines; and physical space for engagement in scholarship, course instruction, and study. These activities contribute to the development of students as life-long learners and informed citizens. 

• Stewardship of the history and culture of the campus and local communities 

We collect and preserve historical, unique, and scholarly material through our archives, special collections, institutional repositories, and general collections as resources for current and future intellectual inquiry. 

• Collaborative management and empowerment 

We actively participate in decisions and promote policies that empower library staff and student workers

Our Mission 

Leslie J. Savage Library supports the mission of Western Colorado University by partnering with the campus community to support teaching and scholarship, to promote learning and student engagement, and to foster thoughtful citizens for local, national and global communities. 

Our Vision 

Leslie J. Savage Library is a provider of information resources and a center for scholarly interactions for the Western Colorado University community of learners. As such, the library will: 

• create and maintain an inviting and functional physical environment that encourages curiosity, discovery, and community conversations 
• promote the development of liberally-educated individuals 
• deliver information resources that are relevant and well-organized 
• meet and anticipate evolving information needs to support the curriculum through a dynamic information literacy instruction program, use of current technology, and sound fiscal management 
• provide responsive service through collaborative relationships with a staff of highly skilled, team-oriented, and approachable people 
• build and strengthen outreach initiatives to foster community partnerships on campus and beyond
• encourage and support ongoing professional development for all library staff 
• preserve institutional memory and local community history through physical and digital archives 
• serve the campus and local communities as a regional information provider

Revised November 14, 2013
Updated December 6, 2018