Mission of the University Libraries and Kentucky Museum

Western Kentucky University Libraries and the Kentucky Museum (UL&KM) is a dynamic partner in the transformation of Western Kentucky University into the best comprehensive university in Kentucky and one of the best in the nation. We contribute significantly to the pursuit and application of knowledge through providing access to, delivering, and using quality information. We realize this goal in several ways: as collaborators in the process of teaching, research, and service; through electronic information, reference, and instructional services; and through the acquisition, organization, management, preservation, and exhibition of collections. The UL&KM is committed to the advancement of critical thinking, quality research instruction, and intellectual diversity in order to graduate information literate, globally competitive and productive citizens.

Vision of the University Libraries and Kentucky Museum

The University Libraries and Kentucky Museum (UL&KM) is fundamental to the teaching and research missions of all academic disciplines at Western Kentucky University and provides unique resources for the promotion and support of lifelong learning. UL&KM is the cornerstone of the university that supports the campus' intellectual foundation for research and scholarship. Equally important, the UL&KM constitutes an essential element in the process of academic inquiry. Therefore, development of library and museum services and resources constitutes a strategic investment in promoting students' academic success, increasing academic productivity, and encouraging public participation in the education process.

For WKU graduates to be leaders in the 21^st century, they must function effectively in a global information-based community. The UL&KM faculty design and provide instruction to enable students to locate and use information effectively, to sharpen their evaluative skills, to develop critical thinking, and to investigate subjects independently. Through the use of innovative educational programs developed by UL&KM faculty, students will become independent learners, confident of their abilities to explore and utilize future information technologies while recognizing the value of traditional information resources. WKU is also part of a larger community. The UL&KM is cognizant of its responsibility to make available its information services and resources, which support and stimulate the intellectual life of the community and the world.

The UL&KM is a catalyst and collaborator in the intellectual process that synthesizes information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. In an evolving technological society, the University Libraries and Kentucky Museum supports, strengthens, and advances the intellectual and cultural foundations of learning and research by preserving past and present knowledge and by acting as a partner in developing the technological future of WKU and other libraries throughout the Commonwealth.

Underlying the operation of the University Libraries and Kentucky Museum (UL&KM) are institutional values that define its culture, shape its goals and guide its decisions and actions. These values are:

Quality:

The UL&KM strives for excellence in programs, resources and services in order to effect lifelong learning. The UL&KM uses sound management practices and a responsive organizational structure to offer appropriate and timely services to its users. The development of a knowledgeable, versatile, and skilled faculty and staff is encouraged and supported.

Service:

The UL&KM fosters and supports teaching, learning, and research by providing resources, access to knowledge, information and ideas, and by providing assistance and instruction. Service is provided in a receptive and professional manner. Fundamental to this philosophy of service is a commitment to freedom of information and equity of access to information.

Innovation:

The UL&KM seeks, tests, and employs new and creative methods of improving services and using its resources efficiently. Innovation includes using new technologies to improve the process of scholarly communication. The UL&KM strives to create a climate that encourages innovative solutions to problems.

Cooperation:

The UL&KM encourages and supports widespread cooperation and collaboration within its departments and with the WKU community. The spirit of cooperation extends beyond WKU's boundaries to other institutions through cooperative efforts in programming, resource sharing, and information systems development.

Diversity:

The UL&KM values diversity in staff, users, and collections and provides a climate of openness, acceptance, and respect for individuals and varying points of view.

Integrity:

The UL&KM is committed to the principles of academic freedom and open communication and dedicated to creating an environment characterized by ethical behavior, accountability, and honesty, as outlined in our professional Associations' Codes of Ethics (American Library Association, American Association of Museums, Society of American Archivists).

Environmental Scan for the University Libraries and Kentucky Museum

The intellectual, cultural, and physical environment in which the University Libraries and Kentucky Museum (UL&KM) functions influences our mission, vision, and goals. Four key environmental factors are:

• The goals of the University
• Current trends in higher education
• The significance of new information technologies and the resulting need to produce information literate persons who will succeed in a knowledge-based economy
• The physical facilities necessary to serve simultaneously as a repository of the human record and a point of access to and instruction in electronic information sources.

As a vital part of Western Kentucky University, the UL&KM seeks to further the University's efforts in fulfilling the WKU vision and mission statements and its long-range and annual goals. As the University leadership moves us closer to our vision of being the best comprehensive university in Kentucky, the UL&KM continues to take advantage of opportunities to partner with other faculty, student groups, and organizations in order to accomplish our mission.

Current trends in higher education also influence the UL&KM's pursuit of its mission. These trends include a recognition of the need for lifelong learning and the accompanying diversity in the student population, particularly distance and non-traditional learners. Additionally, institutions of higher education, including Western, are actively involved in a greater use of technology in instruction, both in the "traditional classroom" and in providing university courses off-campus through distance education.

Technological advances are also changing the methods by which libraries find and deliver information. The UL&KM acknowledges its responsibility to adopt these technologies for increased access to information and to educate our users in accessing, evaluating, retrieving, and using information through both new and traditional methods. Our participation in the Kentucky Virtual Library and Virtual University enhances our ability to provide access to resources and carries the responsibility of making them available to others in the Commonwealth and beyond. These technological enhancements of our services come at a time when budgets are shrinking, so the information services we offer must be carefully weighed to ensure the best use of public and private dollars.

As we seek to meet the information needs of our diverse user population through both new and traditional methods, our physical facilities are obviously inadequate for fulfilling our goals. We must increase the space available for collections, for our patrons, and for our educational activities, and enhance our existing space. Additionally, the infrastructure for our electronic systems and resources must be improved if we hope to continue to attract students who are looking for a quality educational environment.

July 2001