Our Organization

Welcome to the University of Wyoming Libraries!

On behalf of the entire team at UW Libraries, I welcome you to use and enjoy our libraries. Whether you are a new student embarking on your academic journey, a faculty member seeking resources to support your research, or a visitor exploring our extensive collections, you belong here.

The libraries are more than just a place to find books and journals; they are vibrant hubs of learning, collaboration, and innovation. We invite you to take full advantage of our services, explore our diverse collections, and study or relax in our library buildings.

If you need assistance or have questions, please reach out to us. We are here to help you navigate your academic journey and to provide the support you need to succeed.

Once again, welcome to the University of Wyoming Libraries. We look forward to supporting you and celebrating your achievements.

-- Cass Kvenild, Dean of UW Libraries

Mission, Vision, and Values

University Libraries' mission is to provide information resources and services to meet the instructional, research, and outreach needs of UW students, faculty and staff regardless of location. UW Libraries is also open and available within the constraints of available resources to the citizens of Wyoming.

UW Libraries are physical as well as virtual places focused on learning in support of the educational, research, and outreach needs of current and future UW students, faculty, and staff. To contribute to learning, UW Libraries shall:

Create environments that foster reading, inquiry, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Collect and organize print, media, and online resources.
Create, store, and disseminate new information.
Integrate information literacy skills in the broader educational mission of the university.
Assist in locating specific information.
House collections in environments conducive to their use and preservation.
Collect and provide access to University of Wyoming and Wyoming State publications.
Establish and maintain cooperative agreements for interlibrary loan, shared purchasing, and services to our constituency.
Employ current information technology for access and delivery of resources and services.
Make their resources and expertise available to the state, the nation, and the world.

University of Wyoming Libraries supports the University’s vision and mission by fostering the open and unrestricted pursuit of inquiry, discovery and knowledge, and by enhancing teaching, learning and research experiences through collections, services, and study and learning spaces.

The fundamental values of UW Libraries are:

Exploration and Discovery: assuring equitable access to information and library services; upholding individual rights to privacy in seeking and using information; promoting open access to information and learning resources; delivering best practices in space utilization and library services for users borrowing materials, studying and receiving instruction.
Innovation and Application: promoting student success, critical thinking, and lifelong learning; offering spaces and resources for using and creating knowledge.
Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary: providing space for collaboration and partnerships; developing and preserving collections that support research and learning across the broad spectrum of knowledge; advancing scholarly communication through use of print and digital sources.
Integrity and Responsibility: understanding and practicing stewardship of library resources and sustainability; deepening and broadening the learning, teaching, research and discovery experiences of students and faculty; upholding integrity of scholarship and the principles of copyright and intellectual property.
Diversity and Internationalization: upholding respect for diverse perspectives and representing these in our physical and digital collections; preparing students and faculty to engage in an evolving global information economy.
Engagement and Communication: showing the human face of education through care and attention offered library users; promoting professional development of UW Libraries employees; developing and expanding state, regional, national and international library collaborations, and upholding professional standards that advance library resources and services for the University of Wyoming and beyond.