Library Mission and Vision

Mission of the University Libraries

The Roger Williams University Libraries mission is to provide leadership for the development, organization, and sharing of resource collections, ensuring optimal access to information (from any reputable source), instruction of users, and services responsive to their needs.  The Libraries also strive to promote the values and capacities associated with intellectual inquiry, lifelong learning, and knowledge management.

Vision for the Libraries

The Roger Williams University Libraries perceive a world of continual change where success is dependent upon a person's ability to critically identify and evaluate information resources in the pursuit of knowledge.  The Libraries embody in programs, services, and collections Roger Williams' legacy of the "lively experiment" by providing a place for scholarly inquiry, learning, research, and reflection.  As the University's intellectual and cultural center, the Libraries optimize the efficient access to information, and provide education in the use of the tools and methods of scholarship.

The Libraries are committed to building and maintaining partnerships with faculty that maximize learning in a student-centered environment, whether the users is a residential or distance learner.  The Libraries seek to enhance the quality of teaching and learning outcomes across the curriculum, fostering the development of student lifelong learning skills and scholarly communication.  Through the integration of print and electronic resources, collection development, and resource sharing the Libraries endeavor to maximize access to the continually expanding world of information.

The vision we share, the environments we design and maintain, and the services we offer are fundamental to the success of the University's mission.  The Libraries actively contribute to the University's ability "to create and deliver distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs that promote individual discovery and curiosity, characterized by an ethos of inquiry and civil responsibility."