About the Library

  2. About
  3. About the Library

Library Status

Today's Hours

8am - 10pm - All service hours

Library System Status

All systems normal

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.

Strategic priorities 

Our strategic priorities for 2025-2030

  • Champion a future where Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility move beyond values to inform, shape, and advance our work. To ensure our library reflects the richness of our communities, responds to diverse needs, and fulfills our commitment to equitable access, inclusive learning, and a sense of belonging for all.
  • Foster a culture of thoughtful experimentation, creativity, and flexibility in service of our shared purpose.  Thoughtful experimentation and creative problem-solving are how we stay engaged, responsive, and accountable in a world of evolving needs and complex challenges.
  • Commit to sustainability in all forms: environmental responsibility, financial stewardship, and organizational adaptability. So that we are able to understand our environmental impact, thrive amid constraints, and adapt with purpose.
  • Advance learning and knowledge creation in a complex, rapidly changing world. Teaching, learning, and research are at the heart of who we are and advancing them is how we empower students, support faculty, and contribute meaningfully to the academic mission.
  • Foster connections across disciplines and communities to advance knowledge, inquiry, and collaboration.  Learning happens in community and the library is uniquely positioned to nurture that community across disciplines.

Watch this space for annual updates on the ways in which we are working towards our strategic priorities.

Partnerships 

While the McLaughlin Library is located on the main U of G campus, we are affiliated with the University of Guelph-Humber Library as well as a regional campus library on the Ridgetown Campus. 

In keeping with our mandate to support and participate in the wider academic community, we are also members of: 

 

The library is committed to ensuring that members of our user community with disabilities have equal access to our services and resources and that their dignity and independence is always respected. If you encounter a barrier and/or need an alternate format, please fill out our Library Print and Multimedia Alternate-Format Request Form. Contact us if you’d like to provide feedback: lib.a11y@uoguelph.ca
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