Division of Libraries Values

Our Values

Teaching, learning, research and scholarship are central to NYU Libraries’ mission. We curate and provide access to rich and diverse collections in order to foster intellectual inquiry, the sharing of knowledge, and scholarly collaboration. Our values reflect a deep respect for nurturing a life of the mind and fostering critical skills with which to evaluate new information. As a learning organization, we believe in the importance of diverse viewpoints and respect for individual members of our community in all ways but especially as we strive to lead and innovate in our mission.

We work within a global organization. Serving our current and future users mandates that we take seriously our role as a stewards of cultural heritage. We recognize that NYU’s reach extends far beyond our traditional home of Washington Square, and we actively seek to reach our users at their point of need, wherever that may be and however we may help as they engage in their scholarly, cultural, and artistic work. At the same time, we attend to the needs of our staff, fostering a culture of respect and diversity and a sense of belonging in an inclusive environment which enables professional development. We believe in the power of partnership, integrity, and creativity as we work, learn, and grow together within our organization.

We Stand For...

Service

• We are dedicated to improvement, excellence, and balance, putting the user first.
• As participants in the educational mission of an interconnected, multi-agency, global institution, we recognize that every member of the library organization is engaged directly or indirectly in public service.
• We treat all users, from beginning to advanced, as individuals, and we are dedicated to providing an equitable, inclusive, and consistent quality of service to everyone.
• We know that users deserve choice, and we offer welcoming and secure environments, virtual and physical, for study, research, work, reflection, and interaction.
• We recognize the imperative that library resources and services must be unified and coherent, particularly as we seek to proliferate and diversify them.

Access

• We provide equitable access to information and resources.
• We oppose censorship and embrace principles of intellectual freedom and privacy rights.
• We respect intellectual property rights, as well as rights to fair use, and encourage open access.
• We collect, steward, and preserve materials for the benefit of those beyond our own institution and beyond our own time.
• We develop and promote sustainable processes.

Diversity & Inclusion

• We respect, encourage, and embrace the diversity of individuals and groups, ideas, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
• We​ ​value​ ​the​ ​diversity​ ​of​ ​our staff​ ​and​ ​the​ ​communities​ ​that​ ​we​ ​serve.​ ​We believe inclusion​ ​is​ ​both​ ​an​ ​individual​ ​and​ ​an​ ​organizational responsibility.
• We are​ ​committed​ ​to​ ​building​ ​and​ ​sustaining​ ​a​ ​diverse,​ ​inclusive,​ ​and equitable​ ​organization​ that supports a sense of belonging for the staff and communities we serve.
• We​​ ​work​ ​toward​ ​inclusive​ ​practices:​ ​individually,​ ​through​ ​our​ ​language​ ​and​ ​behavior, and​ ​institutionally,​ ​through​ ​our​ ​services,​ ​collections,​ ​metadata​ systems​.​ ​

Respect & Integrity

• We relate to each other with honesty, courtesy, and candor.
• We adhere to the principles of fairness, justice, and equity in our work through our actions and communication.
• We demonstrate a strong work ethic, taking responsibility for our actions, keeping our word, and following through on our commitments.
• We encourage differences in perspective, opinions, and ideas.
• We consider the needs of others and treat everyone with equal consideration and courtesy.
• We respect our environment, and promote institutional policies for energy conservation, efficiency, and the use of sustainable materials.

Learning

• We foster a vibrant, innovative work environment.
• We encourage and reward employee creativity and recognize that experimentation and failure are necessary to the learning process.
• We base decisions on evidence.
• We enable an informed workforce through effective communication and transparency.

Collaboration

• We celebrate the scholar in everyone.
• We are a catalyst for discovery, engagement, and partnerships that support learning.
• We understand our role as a provider as well as a consumer of services or goods within our division.
• We work in partnership with each other, our teaching faculty, students, and our colleagues to meet the research and instructional needs of our user community for the present and the future.

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