Value: Customer service

Every library user should have an excellent experience, from start to finish As an outstanding academic library, we must do things that are above and beyond what is expected. We hold everyone accountable for delivering outstanding customer service to the campus and community.

• Interacting in a friendly and courteous manner, we go the extra mile to meet user needs and offer alternatives when a user's request cannot be met
• Anticipating and recognizing opportunities to provide assistance; proactively engaging users
• Following up with library users to offer additional help when needed
• Respecting each user's time and situation; showing empathy for the challenges faced by students and faculty
• Communicating regularly with users to keep them informed about service changes, collection enhancements, and program opportunities
• Working together as a team to support library users
• Listening and acting based on user feedback
• Striving to provide easy-to-use services and a barrier-free environment

Achieving a positive, productive user experience is our highest accomplishment.

Value: Continuous improvement

Being a cutting-edge library requires continuous improvement.

At the Mardigian Library, we must each be change agents, constantly looking for ways to work more efficiently to provide quality services to support teaching, research, and learning. This means that we cannot be satisfied with the status quo. We are committed to finding solutions and achieving results for our users, and everyone in the organization is empowered to recommend and implement change. Everyone is committed to being the best that they can be.

Actively educating ourselves and keeping our skills and knowledge current.

• Proactively sharing knowledge throughout the library
• Fully participating in identifying opportunities for change
• Accepting personal accountability
• Committing to library priorities and decisions
• Collecting feedback and data; analyzing and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of change; adapting, tweaking, or starting over based on analysis

We honor past practices without being handcuffed by them.

Value: Enjoyable place to work, study, and learn

Fun is part of the Mardigian Library experience.

The Mardigian Library is a special place to work because of our ability to enjoy our work. While working together to provide important services to support student success, excellence in teaching, and faculty research, we also want to be able to laugh at ourselves and with others. We want the library to have a distinct personality on campus. This means that we might do some things that are unexpected in a library.

The library is welcoming to all and is not always quiet or strictly scholarly.

• Creating an atmosphere of exploration and innovation through our collections, programs, exhibits, and service approaches
• Welcoming humor and whimsy; encouraging a touch of fun to make life more interesting for everyone
• Caring about each other as individuals; celebrating personal and professional milestones and accomplishments
• Embracing diversity and individuality; encouraging people to express their personality in their work.

We are more innovative and nimble when we can be ourselves in our interactions with each other and in our work.

Value: Flexibility, resourcefulness, and risk taking

Taking risks and making mistakes are part of how we learn and improve

Exploring new ways to meet user needs is essential to how work gets done at the Mardigian Library. Experimentation means accepting that not all projects will go as planned or succeed.

Encouraging each other to take informed risks; learning from the outcomes.

• Documenting lessons learned and recommending future action; debriefing is part of how we operate
• Recognizing and rewarding efforts and building on results
• Embracing opportunities and challenges with an open mind
• Doing more with the resources we have than could ever be thought possible

By having the freedom to be flexible in our approaches and innovative in our solutions, we create opportunities to make a difference.

Value: Quality work

Quality work means meeting both internal expectations and the information needs of library users We actively pursue operational excellence, and believe in working hard and putting in the extra effort required to deliver results. While we are proud of the quality of our work, we are not impeded by the goal of perfection.

Following standards to enhance information access, enable resource sharing, and leverage technologies.

• Establishing and sharing best practices
• Assessing the value and impact of our effects
• Developing shared priorities and projects, and communicating them widely to ensure the best use of library resources

We set and exceed our own high standards to provide quality collections, programs, and services to support research, teaching, and learning.

Value: Respect for Others

Openness, honesty, and respect are requirements for good working relationships.

We value strong relationships throughout the library; with leadership, direct reports, co-workers, library users, vendors, and campus and community partners. We maintain high standards of integrity and foster a harmonious work environment through open, honest communications. By encouraging diverse viewpoints and respecting everyone's ideas and opinions, we are a better organization. Trust is earned when everyone is treated with respect.

• Keeping all lines of communication open
• Creating an environment where it is safe to have differing opinions or to share bad news
• Practicing active listening; acknowledging others' viewpoints, disagreeing with ideas-not engaging in personal attacks or bullying
• Approaching opportunities and challenges in a positive way; avoiding cynicism and negativity
• Delivering on our promises; honoring commitments
• Holding each other accountable and taking responsibility for our decisions and behaviors

The hardest thing to do is to build trust. When trust exists, everyone can accomplish so much more.

Value: Teamwork

Combining our strengths, skills, and passions to reach our goals.

We understand that working as part of a team or task force is just as important as working individually. We believe that we accomplish more when we approach all of our work with a teamwork attitude. To us this means having a positive influence on one another by sharing ideas, talents, and experiences while working together toward shared objectives.

• Giving everyone the opportunity to be a leader; the best leaders are those who lead by example
• Collaborating and sharing knowledge drive our success; "who else needs to know about this" is always on our minds
• Valuing the contribution of each individual; leveraging each person's strengths
• Sharing responsibility and contributing to team efforts
• Stepping up when needed; volunteering, pitching-in when others are bogged down
• Seeking consensus or compromise; expecting commitment and ownership of decisions

Working as collaborative partners in the library, across campus, and within the community increases the value of our work.

Approved by A-Team December 9, 2014