Circulation Manual

The Hope College Library connects students, faculty and staff to information in all forms and supports teaching, learning, scholarship and creative endeavors in a liberal arts community. Diverse resources, spaces and services are provided for all stages of the scholarly communication process. The library strives to be an engaging center of lifelong learning that inspires students to question, contemplate and create.

• Offering a welcoming and inclusive environment that affirms the dignity of all persons as bearers of God’s image and where the full humanity of all may flourish.
• Providing varied spaces and services for students to read, research, write, collaborate and create.
• Educating students, faculty and staff to use and think critically about information, technology and digital citizenship.
• Providing access to information via quality metadata and systems so users can find the information they need.
• Preserving intellectual/cultural history and collections that support the undergraduate curriculum.
• Supporting faculty research throughout the scholarly communication process.
• Valuing and empowering employees so that they succeed personally and professionally.
• Practicing good stewardship of college resources.
• Collaborating with others to achieve the broader college mission, including through campus governance, relationships with faculty and bringing our expertise to bear on campus issues.
• Championing the professional tenets articulated by the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries, and the Society of American Archivists; the Library Bill of Rights and the principles of intellectual freedom.