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Mission
Statement of the Chapin Library
The Chapin Library is the principal rare book and
manuscript library at Williams College. Its mission is to support instruction
and research at the College by acquiring, organizing, cataloging, securing,
and preserving significant primary source materials in the arts and sciences,
which are made available to members of the College community under the
guidance of expert staff. Because of the international importance of its
holdings, the Library also serves as a resource for scholars outside of
the College, for local elementary and high school students, and for the
general public. In fulfilling this mission, the staff of the Chapin Library
seek:
To acquire,
by gift or purchase, rare books, manuscripts, historical prints, and
other materials which document civilization and complement the academic
program of the College.
To maintain and improve the Library's core collections,
while developing new subject areas in response to the evolving general
body of knowledge and the changing curriculum of the College.
To organize and document the Library's holdings in a
secure, efficient, and professional manner.
To provide to all readers free access to the Library's
resources, with expert and friendly guidance in their use, in comfortable,
inspiring, and technologically current surroundings.
To provide an inquiry service - in person, or by mail,
telephone, or e-mail - of consistently high quality.
To encourage the use of the Chapin Library by individuals
and class groups.
To instruct students, faculty, and others in the skills
and techniques needed for the use of special collections materials.
To exploit and publicize the Library's collections by
all appropriate methods, including printed and electronic catalogs,
finding aids, web pages, exhibitions, publications, lectures, courses,
and seminars.
To secure and preserve the Library's holdings so that
they will be available to future as well as present generations of readers,
balancing security and preservation against the active use of the collections.
To cooperate closely with the Williams College Library
and its Department of Archives and Special Collections, with other departments
of the College, and with other libraries and museums, in order to promote
learning and scholarship both at the College and in general.
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Copyright
© 2003 by the President and Trustees of Williams College
This page was last updated on 4 June 2003 |