Mission, Vision, North Star & DEI

A message from Anne Jarvis, Dean of Libraries and Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian
Anne E. Jarvis, Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian

Anne E. Jarvis, Dean of Libraries and
Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian

I am pleased to share with you our latest mission and vision as well as six North Star statements and our new DEI statement.

Recent experience has demonstrated the need for all of us to remain agile and flexible as well as to actively commit to building a culture that welcomes all. I believe these statements are a strong reflection of our commitment to both.

Our mission

We enrich teaching and learning, facilitate world-class research, and preserve knowledge and cultural heritage by providing dynamic services and diverse collections.

Our vision

We aspire to be an active and creative partner within Princeton University and across the global community by curating resources and strategically engaging in new forms of teaching, learning, and research, especially those that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our North Star statements

  1. We will be strategically and operationally agile as we develop and adapt services and resources.
  2. We will meet patrons wherever they are, and democratize access to knowledge as a core component of the library experience.
  3. As global citizens, we will diversify our collections, preserving the present and the past with awareness, humility, and respect.
  4. Diversity, equity, and inclusion will be the foundation of our culture.
  5. We will leverage library resources to help identify, reveal, and combat systemic racism.
  6. We will proactively establish and invest in partnerships across the University and around the world.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement

Princeton University Library (PUL) is committed to building a culture in which people of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives feel valued as individuals. We recognize that our varied cultures, races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, languages, physical and neurocognitive abilities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, geographic origins, and other ways in which we identify ourselves are among PUL’s greatest strengths.

To ensure our success, we commit to:

  1. Building an inclusive environment for all members of our community.
  2. Creating inclusive physical and digital spaces.
  3. Assessing diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging among staff on a regular basis.
  4. Identifying and implementing employee hiring and employment strategies aimed at recruiting and retaining staff from marginalized groups.
  5. Communicating with PUL staff on a regular basis and encouraging feedback by providing anonymous feedback tools. 
  6. Developing, driving, and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) educational programming in collaboration with institutional partners for PUL staff and other stakeholders as appropriate.
  7. Continually reviewing, assessing, and updating this statement.
  8. Measuring and reporting our progress against our DEI goals.

Creating an environment where people feel they belong and feel safe to present their authentic selves is a continuous individual and organizational responsibility. Only when we closely examine ourselves and our surroundings can we move beyond tolerance toward a culture that recognizes and celebrates the richness inherent in our individual identities, diverse perspectives, and myriad backgrounds. 

Princeton University Library is governed by a two-tier administrative structure, consisting of the Library Strategy Council and the Library Administrative Team.

Read our statement on language in description. 

Read our statement on harmful content.

 

Updated August 2022

 

 

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