Fontbonne University Archives

The Jack C. Taylor Library continues the heritage of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet by fostering excellence, integrity, respect, diversity, community, justice, service, faith, and Catholic presence.

Excellence: The library is committed to providing access to excellent resources and services.

Integrity: The library demonstrates integrity in its words and actions.

Respect: The library treats all patrons with respect and personal concern.

Diversity: Library collections reveal a diversity of ideas and viewpoints, with an adherence to the principles of the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statements.

Community: The library maintains a position at the center of the Fontbonne community, providing meeting spaces, promoting communication, and participating in service opportunities.

Justice: The library maintains a fair and equitable distribution of scarce resources among the varied competing demands on campus.

Service: The library strives to serve the Fontbonne campus community, the larger communities of Clayton, St. Louis, and Missouri, and the library profession.

Faith: Members of the library staff express their respective faiths in their dedication and commitment to the importance and future value of their service at Fontbonne.

Catholic presence: The library enhances and promotes Fontbonne’s Catholic identity through participation in workshops and events emphasizing the mission and heritage of the institution.

In keeping with these values, the Library makes available the widest possible diversity of views and expressions, including those which are unorthodox or unpopular.

The Jack C. Taylor Library is committed to:

1. Supporting academic and educational excellence
2. Facilitating historical remembrance, critical reflection, and moral resolve
3. Encouraging dialog and creative exchange among diverse ideas and viewpoints
4. Demonstrating care and respect for each member of the community
5. Serving the larger community
6. Preparing individuals to be an ethical and responsible presence in the world.

The Jack C. Taylor Library affirms its identity as a Catholic university library, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The Library supports teaching and learning, through the grace of God, sharing a variety of religious beliefs and united in a commitment to educational excellence, diversity of ideas, and personal concern. The permeating and universal nature of Catholicism gives rise to the mission and vision of the university and its library. Because Fontbonne is Catholic, we embrace openness and inclusiveness. Because Fontbonne is Catholic, we pursue educational excellence. And because Fontbonne is Catholic, we seek to recognize the presence of God in all creation and to participate in the continuing transformation of ourselves and a world in need.

The Jack C. Taylor Library is committed to the common good through the support of transformative education, the dissemination of shared resources, and the preservation of Fontbonne University’s heritage. Library collections and services encourage and inspire students to become global citizens who think critically, act ethically, and serve responsibly.

The Jack C. Taylor Library aspires to be a respected and admired university library, committed to providing a holistic learning experience rooted in excellence, for those seeking to be educated as leaders to serve a world in need and for those dedicated to educating them.