Purdue University Libraries

THE LIBRARIES MISSION

The Libraries are partners with the schools and departments of the University in meeting the teaching, research, and outreach commitments of Purdue University.

The Libraries' primary role is embodied in five components of the mission: information transfer, a partner in teaching and lifelong learning, a partner in research, a partner in service and outreach, and a repository of the intellectual record.

INFORMATION TRANSFER. The Libraries facilitate the identification and delivery of information, regardless of format, in support of the University's teaching, research, and outreach commitments, guided by an ongoing assessment of the information needs of the Libraries' primary user population. Although print has historically been the medium of information transfer, trends suggest that scholarly information, both current and retrospective, will increasingly be transferred by electronic means.

A PARTNER IN TEACHING AND LIFELONG LEARNING. As the role that higher education institutions play in lifelong learning becomes increasingly clear, so too does the role of the library in helping individuals acquire the skills of lifelong learning. The ability to obtain and critically evaluate information is one hallmark of a university education. Increasingly, the skills of self-directed learning form another such hallmark. Through partnership with other teaching faculty, the Libraries offer a program of information literacy which emphasizes critical thinking skills, addresses the use of information in a variety of formats, and prepares students for a lifetime of learning.

Through collaborative efforts with faculty in other disciplines, the Libraries not only respond to trends in higher education affecting teaching, but also participate in shaping curricular innovations made necessary by changes in the environment. Information resources required in support of these innovations are thus identified and access is facilitated as part of a broadened process at the University. The Libraries maintain an ongoing awareness of the curriculum and use this information in designing services and in the building and maintenance of collections. Distance learning capabilities permit the extension of this mission component beyond the West Lafayette campus to those participating in the University's lifelong learning programs.

A PARTNER IN RESEARCH. The Libraries continually gather information regarding the research interests of Purdue faculty, for use in designing services and developing collections. Information resources required in support of the University's research initiatives are thus identified and access to them facilitated, regardless of location.

A PARTNER IN SERVICE AND OUTREACH. The Libraries recognize a twofold responsibility in regard to the University's outreach role. In addition to direct service to individuals and groups both on and off campus, the Libraries provide informational support to those divisions and programs, such as the Cooperative Extension Service, Statewide Technology, and the Center for Lifelong Learning, which have off-campus outreach commitments.

A REPOSITORY OF THE INTELLECTUAL RECORD. To support the mission of the University, the Libraries provide access to a carefully selected portion of the intellectual record. Due to cost and space requirements, this access increasingly involves other libraries' collections, whether in traditional or electronic and other nonprint formats. The expertise of Libraries staff increasingly focuses on facilitating access to content, including the interpersonal interactions involved, in contrast to the activities of acquiring the containers in which content may reside. The Libraries have repository and archival responsibility for Purdue publications, and provide a physical environment and remedial treatment conducive to longevity for library materials.