About the Library

Our vision & values 

Vision 

McLaughlin Library sparks curiosity, fosters collaboration and community, and champions inclusion. Our vibrant ecosystem of experts, resources, and space empowers learners and researchers to explore complex ideas, think critically, push boundaries, and improve life.

Values 

As part of the University of Guelph community, we uphold our campus values: community and collaboration, courage, creativity, excellence, inclusion, and integrity.

As a workplace, we value diversity, respect, empathy, teamwork, community, real human connection, and clear, timely, and honest communication.

As an academic library and a member of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), we embrace the commitments outlined in the CARL Freedom of Expression and Inclusive Libraries statement.

As your campus library, we value:

• Access: We are dedicated to equitable access and to creating an inclusive library. We do this by providing accessible collections, programs, and services, and by ensuring a barrier-free, respectful, and welcoming space.
• Learning: We believe in creating an environment that nurtures intellectual curiosity, encourages critical information use, and supports lifelong learning. We work towards this by providing services, instruction, resources, programs, and facilities to foster learning, critical thinking, and the creation of new knowledge.
• Service: We strive for service excellence. We work hard to provide valuable, relevant, and reliable service by listening to our library users and responding in a timely, helpful, and respectful manner.
• Stewardship: We believe strongly in stewardship and protecting cultural and scientific heritage, while also taking steps to amplify marginalized voices, redress historical collection biases, and address the harm that can arise from exclusion. We are responsible, accountable, and proactive in managing and preserving our resources, ensuring they remain relevant and accessible for future generations.
• Intellectual Freedom: We believe in intellectual freedom. We aim to protect and foster intellectual freedom, and we work to provide an environment and resources that reflect a broad range of ideas and perspectives.