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Mission, Vision, and Values Statement

Adopted January 25, 2024

Mission Statement

The Woodward Library is dedicated to supporting the teaching, learning, and research goals of our University community. The Library provides equitable access to a wide range of high-quality resources, services, and spaces that foster intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

Vision Statement

The Woodward Library aspires to be a place where students, faculty, and staff come together to exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and engage in learning. The Library catalyzes academic excellence, social justice, and global citizenship, and we are committed to advancing knowledge, fostering creativity, and empowering our community to make a positive impact in the world.

Core Values

Collaborative Growth, Innovative Service, Inclusive Learning, Respect, Student Success

Access and Belonging Statement

The foundation of modern librarianship is based on an essential and inter-related set of core values that includes access, community, education and lifelong learning, intellectual freedom, and social responsibility. To that end, the Woodward Library is committed to helping achieve Austin Peay State University’s mission and vision of educating informed global citizens by:

• creating a welcoming environment that is conducive to exploration, learning, and research for all users;
• providing access to content that represents all voices and viewpoints.

Further, we recognize that we are members of an inclusive campus community and everyone employed by the Woodward Library has a responsibility to treat coworkers, faculty, staff, students, and all other users with respect and dignity.

In order to advocate for our users and to provide active, intentional, and ongoing engagement to foster access and belonging initiatives, the Woodward Library will:

• enhance the experience of all Library users by maintaining inclusive, safe, and welcoming library spaces.
• provide content, collections, resources, services, programs, events, and exhibits that support access and a sense of belonging.
• maintain strong relationships with APSU’s communities and the programs that support them.
• facilitate professional development training and support for all Library employees in understanding and developing cultural competencies.
• utilize hiring practices that will allow our Library employees to reflect the communities we serve.

---Inspired by statements from Austin Peay State University’s College of Arts and Letters, the American Library Association, Morris Library-Southern Illinois University, and California State University Monterey Bay