Guiding Statements

JMU Libraries’ Mission

To engage with JMU’s diverse communities in their creation and search for knowledge through academic resources, physical and virtual spaces, and educational and research services.

JMU Libraries’ Statement of Aspirational Culture

We embrace a collegial and collaborative culture that empowers us to experiment and take risks, celebrates accomplishments, cultivates and enhances abilities, and has appropriate resources to meet the needs of our community. We highly value openness, diverse perspectives, collective trust, and effective communication.

JMU Libraries’ Values

  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Learning
  • Innovation
  • User-Oriented Focus

JMU Libraries’ Vision

To be the nexus for creative exploration, the advancement of teaching and learning, and the curation of scholarship for JMU’s communities.

JMU Libraries’ Principles of Recruitment & Employee Development

JMU Libraries strives to be an organization that emphasizes excellence in teaching, learning, and research support through creativity, innovation, and a nurturing environment.  Libraries’ recruitment and promotion processes are guided by this principle:  JMU Libraries seeks the best candidates for moving the organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan forward.  JMU Libraries employs thorough processes and considers all the available information and situational contexts to evaluate the placement of each new or vacant position and to accurately describe the expectations for the position.  Libraries strives to cultivate a diverse environment as described in our Diversity Statement (below) and through thoughtful recruitment and retention practices. 

Libraries’ employee development environment is guided by this principle:  just as JMU prepares students to be successful and engaged in a global society, JMU Libraries prepares its employees to be successful both locally and in the global marketplace.  Libraries provides a fair and mindful employee development environment that seeks alignment between individual professional development needs and the needs of the university community which those individuals serve.  This supportive environment encourages collaborative mentoring and partnership across reporting lines and employment categories, so that Library employees may best learn skills that empower them for further growth. 

JMU Libraries’ Diversity Statement

Diversity is a core value of JMU, JMU Libraries, and librarianship. Knowledge is enriched by diverse perspectives and participation. JMU Libraries recognizes current and historical biases in our society and works to actively foster an inclusive environment for the JMU communities. To that end, JMU Libraries strives to:

  • Create equitable, accessible, and welcoming spaces;
  • Provide collections, services, and programs that reflect a variety of perspectives and lived experiences;
  • Provide ongoing training and support for all JMU Libraries employees in developing cultural competencies; and
  • Be an organization that attracts and retains a diverse workforce.

Inspired by statements from MIT Libraries and Iowa State University Library.

JMU utilizes this glossary to help create a shared understanding of terms, based on a recommendation from the JMU Task Force on Racial Equity.