Smith College Libraries Mission & Vision

Mission

The Smith College Libraries advance teaching, learning, research and discovery for Smith students, faculty, and staff by offering collections in multiple formats, providing access to information worldwide and establishing services and learning environments responsive to users' needs. The Libraries further support women's education through an internationally recognized repository of archives and manuscripts documenting the history of women.

Vision

The Smith College Libraries are the intellectual crossroads for the Smith College community. We promote research and discourse by leading the campus in acquiring, organizing and making scholarly resources accessible. We create inspiring spaces for study, collaboration and discovery. We engage the communities we serve through our diverse collections, services, and staff.

Fundamental Commitments

• As partners in the education of women for the 21st century, we actively collaborate in teaching and learning across campus.
• As service providers, we offer innovative and responsive services - directly and behind-the-scenes - to facilitate research, inquiry, and exploration.
• As collectors, we anticipate evolving curricular and research needs and cultivate the broad liberal arts tradition by ensuring access to rich and diverse resources.
• As curators of outstanding archives and manuscript collections on women's experience, we enrich the Smith curriculum, promote broad access to the international scholarly community and preserve these unique records for future generations.
• As a locus for intellectual reflection, exploration and engagement, the Libraries provide comfortable and inviting facilities for individuals and groups.
• As a virtual space, the Libraries marshal current and emerging technologies to provide state-of-the-art resources and services.
• As an organization, the Libraries develop and deploy staff to embrace the best of tradition and change.