Wesleyan Library Values

Wesleyan Library exists to support the academic mission of Wesleyan University. 

Centering people and their experiences

We recognize everyone as whole people and respect their backgrounds, traditions, and perspectives. We work to create an environment that embodies humanity, empathy, and humility. 

Being adaptable and embracing beneficial change

The library supports and models exploration – in learning, in teaching, and in the creation of knowledge. We are enthusiastic partners in breaking boundaries, taking risks, asking critical questions, and being adaptable and responsive to evolving thought.  

Collaborating

The library values the diverse strengths and perspectives of partners on and beyond campus and builds relationships to enrich our services.  We engage deeply in campus life and scholarship and in the wider community.  

Being accountable to our community

The library continually assesses and seeks to improve the impact of our services and resources and commits to inclusive and transparent decision-making.  We steward the university’s resources and collections in sustainable, accessible, and culturally sensitive ways.

Promoting intellectual freedom and responsibility 

We empower the Wesleyan community to find and critically assess the information they need and to use it ethically and effectively. We promote open and freely accessible scholarship, intellectual freedom, privacy rights, and respectful discourse.

We welcome your feedback as we strive to uphold these values. Contact University Librarian Andrew White at awhite02@wesleyan.edu. 

Ongoing Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

Growing out of these values, Wesleyan Library is committed to combating racism and working towards diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.  Read about our long term efforts to create an environment where all people feel welcomed, valued, and can thrive. Our winter 2023 update is available here.

Examples of our values in action 

• Articles highlighting some of our efforts: Cataloging Libraries—How Subject Headings are Updated to Reflect Humanity and Reframing the Presidents
• Working together with the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) on the BIPOC Browsing Collection to promote diverse voices and viewpoints
• Hosting student exhibits in Olin and the Science Library
• Pushing for agreements with publishers to provide the best access to collections and seeking fairly priced subscriptions
• Redesigning library spaces to meet evolving student needs
• Interrogating and adjusting our language and descriptive practices as our understanding evolves
• Partnering with the Resource Center to host the First-Generation Low-Income (FGLI) textbook collection 
• Hosting campus community organizations in our spaces, for example Center for the Arts performances, and math and writing workshops
• Partnering with faculty to facilitate collections-based learning experiences, for example, classes in Special Collections & Archives and Art and Archaeology
• Teaching critical information literacy
• Providing advice on copyright and licensing issues
• Building and promoting diverse collections