Mission
The Arthur A. Wishart Library staff and resources are critical supports for delivering high quality education to Algoma University students and for ensuring student success. The scope of collections and instructional capacity of the library are areas that require constant improvements in order to meet the needs of a new, growing university.
The Library is an integral part of the overall academic experience, serving as the access hub to learning resources, and especially through providing learner-centered programs in research skills and information access. These services must be systematically built and delivered by trained staff and librarians in order to meet the goals of improving opportunity and access, improving student success rates, and expanding teaching and research capacity.
The Library also facilitates the university’s legislated mission to “cultivate cross-cultural learning between aboriginal communities and other communities, in keeping with the history of Algoma University College and its geographic site” by organizing and supporting the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre for the University and its partner the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association.
Additionally, the Library plays important provincial and national roles as a member of scholarly research networks such as OMNI, the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) and the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN). Algoma’s librarians participate in strategic planning, budgeting, granting writing, administration and other activities for these networks, which benefit the university system as a whole. Finally, the Library has, as part of its mission, promoted its resources and services heavily to area high schools to enhance research skills at the secondary school level as well as to introduce secondary school students to university.