Mission
The Lesley University Library provides high quality collections and information services in support of the University's research mission as well as the integration of academic and field-based learning. To fulfill its mission, the Library will develop collections of sufficient quality, size, and diversity to support the teaching and research requirements of the academic community. This requires materials that embrace the full spectrum of information media. The library will anticipate collection needs and establish collection strength to support graduate and undergraduate programs in education, expressive therapies, human services, psychology, the visual arts, as well as the liberal arts and sciences, in a broad range of formats. It will facilitate access to collections owned by other institutions and serve as a gateway to global networked information resources.
The library will collaborate with faculty to teach the research skills necessary for students to utilize information resources independently, critically, and efficiently using both traditional and new information technologies. Through information literacy programs and informal assistance, the Library provides an avenue to professional achievement and lifelong learning for individuals in the university community. The library will provide a staff that possesses and continually reinforces the specialized skills and knowledge necessary for the Library to function in a diverse, global, and increasingly complex information environment.
Values
The Library is of central importance to the University. A dynamic combination of people, collections, and facilities, its purpose is to assist users in the process of transforming information into knowledge. Our core principle is excellent service to our community. In all of our activities we seek to meet or exceed our users' expectations. We set high standards for the contribution we make to the University's pursuit of knowledge and educational excellence. We value diversity of perspectives and unfettered access to information. We value the privacy of every patron. To meet future challenges, our staff will endeavor to be resourceful, innovative, and flexible professionals. We recognize the critical contribution we make to the effectiveness of the Library. We believe that these values are central to realizing the University's vision.
Vision
Lesley University Library, in partnership with students and faculty, will create information-rich environments that empower and inspire the Lesley Community for teaching and learning. A dynamic, student-centered library will provide opportunities to access and evaluate information and to effectively and ethically communicate learning through discussion, print, media and the arts.
Scholarship
The Lesley Library is the intellectual center of scholarship for the University. It provides the services, resources and environments appropriate to support the mission of a far-reaching university that is a national leader in education, offering innovative programs through the Art Institute of Boston, the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences, Lesley College, and the School of Education.
As a primary source of support for the academic pursuits of the University, the library provides the expertise of its staff to teach information literacies to faculty and students, guiding the search, evaluation, and use of information. Students and faculty use the Library’s considerable resources through both physical and virtual environments. The Library holds a vision that all students, staff and faculty will have universal access to the services and resources necessary for their academic work, consistent with diverse learning styles, abilities, and locations.
Staff
Library personnel build close personal connections with students and faculty, locally and at a distance, to guide the programs, collections, and goals of the library as it transforms for the 21st century. Library staff members reach out to students on and off-campus through services such as Interlibrary Loan, Electronic Reserves, Ask-A-Librarian, and other instructional and consultative services. Library professionals provide expertise and leadership in the creation, management, and delivery of information services and resources. They guide students, faculty, and staff in their use of increasingly complex information, and create teaching resources that inspire and enable student learning. In the information age, librarians play a primary role in the development of information-fluent citizens, capable of academic excellence and life-long learning.
Collections
The Library develops digital and physical collections that enhance the undergraduate experience, enable graduate students to prosper, and assure that the teaching and research interests of faculty and Ph.D. candidates be supported. Library collections support students in their research with resources that mirror the wide-ranging intellectual endeavors of Lesley University, guided by consultation with faculty. Electronic databases identify physical materials, and deliver digital resources such as journal articles, e-books, images and multi-media to student and faculty desk-tops.
Where quality, access, technologies, and network capabilities meet the needs of Lesley populations, digital resources will be the preferred choice in collection development. The Library will continue to collect physical resources, including print books and journals, multimedia and curriculum materials, and art resources, where the physical experience of the medium is primary to learning or where digitization rights are not available. Students and faculty will enjoy universal access to collections through local use, networked environments, resource-sharing with consortial partners, and interlibrary loan, as appropriate to need and location. Physical materials will be digitized and delivered electronically where feasible and in compliance with the intellectual property policies of the University.
Virtual Environments
Students and faculty will enjoy seamless access to the expanding world of digitized information through secure single sign-in authentication. Robust networks will empower students, faculty and librarians to research, collaborate, and share new learning, through communication tools and media. The Library will continue to build interactive online services to reach out to students and faculty through reference, instruction, and resource sharing. The virtual library environment will evolve as information technologies change and institutional needs expand.
Physical Environments
The physical library is a building where members of the Lesley community come to share academic life and to interact in teaching and learning. Students residing on-campus will find an environment supportive of study and individual learning styles. Commuting students will enjoy a common space where they can collaborate on group work with peers living across the region. Faculty and advanced graduate students will discover quiet areas for reflective study and consultation. All community members will have choices of accessible and welcoming spaces that are flexible, active and interactive – designed to encourage collaboration with library professionals, collections and tools.
The Library reaches out to all of Lesley’s communities, local and remote, through innovative services developed and managed from the library facilities. The physical plant accommodates preparation, preservation, and access to collections, from circulating materials to archival and special collections, in a variety of media and formats. The Library will continue to employ creative alternatives to house materials, including remote storage, digitization, and online delivery.
Partnerships
The Library builds strong partnerships across the University – with students to shape library experiences that enhance lifelong learning; with faculty to align collections and services with curriculum and pedagogy; with University Technology to develop robust and dynamic technology environments; with Disabilities Services to create accessible spaces and resources; and with other University-wide programs to serve the Lesley communities. The Library participates with external networks, consortia and other partners, to maximize access to the world of information and to build resources for a growing University.
The Lesley University Library will provide leadership in the University community to support academic excellence through research and scholarship in the information environments of the future.