Vision Statement
Binghamton University Libraries are the center of the University's intellectual community, providing a welcoming environment for the creation and management of knowledge through innovative thinking, open inquiry, and collaborative partnerships.
Reason for Being (Mission Statement)
The Binghamton University Libraries provide leadership to the University community in accessing and using information resources for teaching, learning and research. This mission is fulfilled through state of the art facilities and information technologies and through innovative programs and services that anticipate changes and trends in scholarship, publishing and education.
Core Values
The Binghamton University Libraries value excellence in service to the University community and beyond with open access to outstanding collections that support the diverse needs of all our patrons. The active participation of an accomplished, creative and empowered staff is central to realizing the Libraries’ mission.
In providing services, we value
Responsiveness and Collaboration
- Exhibiting courtesy and respect for the diverse community of patrons.
- Actively seeking to determine what patrons need by engaging in ongoing assessment and by encouraging interdepartmental communication and cooperation with faculty, students and scholars.
- Establishing mutually beneficial ties with the surrounding regional community.
Accessibility
- Offering open and equitable access to information by providing both a physical and a virtual environment conducive to positive interaction.
- Teaching library users to become successful information seekers and evaluators.
- Promoting and defending intellectual freedom.
- Protecting patrons’ right to privacy and confidentiality.
- Promoting lifelong learning for both patrons and staff.
In building and maintaining collections, we value
Development
- Incorporating patron input to develop user-friendly ways of retrieving information.
- Supporting, encouraging, and training all staff to participate in the development of collections of depth and breadth based on user need.
Maintenance
- Preserving and responsibly caring for all library materials.
- Maintaining orderly arrangement of library materials.
In working together, we value
Professional behavior
- Treating each other and patrons with respect and courtesy.
- Accepting personal and cultural differences.
- Commitment to excellence by making continuing education and staff development available to all.
- Exhibiting the qualities of honesty, responsibility, fairness, dependability, flexibility.
Open Communication
- Sharing information and engaging in constructive dialogue.
- Clearly defining goals and objectives.
- Providing a structure for successful conflict resolution.
Teamwork
- Creatively framing and solving problems.
- Recognizing and encouraging staff by involving them in both planning and implementing goals and objectives within and across library departments.
- Articulating standards of acceptable collegial behavior.
- Creating avenues for dealing with and resolving conflict.
- Developing partnerships with other campus departments and organizations, and throughout the broader community.