About the UTC Library

The UTC Library services all UTC students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as the local community. The UTC Library is well equipped to support the research and scholarship needs of the UTC community with an operating budget of over 4.1 million dollars, a dynamic and engaged faculty and staff, a new library building that opened in January 2015, and a broad collection of diverse materials including 300,000+ print books, 900,000+ e-books, 150,000+ e-journals, 299 databases, and more.

Mission

The UTC Library connects our community with the information, skills, and resources needed to discover, create, and share knowledge. We provide access to high quality services and materials in a welcoming environment that supports the journey toward academic success and lifelong learning.

Values

UTC Library’s values statement serves as the foundation for our organizational culture, shapes our decisions, and informs how we design and deliver services. Our core values guide us in carrying out our mission, envisioning our future, and informing strategic planning, budget decisions, hiring, collection development, and service provision. We recognize and commit to growth in areas where our current reality does not reflect our aspirations. As the UTC Library evolves, we will refine these values to reflect those of our community, our employees, and our profession.

We value the success of students, faculty, and staff

We build user-centered collections and services that promote lifelong learning and achievement of educational, personal, and professional goals. We foster curiosity and inquiry, critical thinking and self-efficacy. We design, implement, and maintain physical and technological infrastructure that supports discovery and accessibility of library resources.

We strive for equity, diversity, and inclusion

We believe that a broad diversity of identities, backgrounds, lived experiences, and viewpoints within the library allows us to best serve the members of the UTC community. We are driven to provide equitable access to information and resources by meeting the unique needs of each individual. We encourage all to bring their authentic selves in their engagement with the library and strive to include and represent these diverse perspectives in our administration, services, and collections.

We serve with integrity

We honor the trust placed in us to be careful stewards of human, financial, and physical resources. We invest in the professional growth of all library employees and celebrate their contributions to the UTC community. We protect intellectual freedom, privacy, and confidentiality. We resist censorship.

We foster empathy and respect

We meet our community, inside and outside of our organization, with a spirit of humility, collaboration, and understanding.  We commit to making decisions transparently, communicating clearly and honestly, and valuing each person’s perspective and experience.

Focusing on the Future

As the UTC Library evolves to meet the future needs of students, faculty, and the greater Chattanooga community; we will focus on four strategic pillars to be our guides:

1. Foster a Student-Centered Learning Environment: Foster the central campus environment that promotes student learning, instills a sense of belonging, and empowers students to thrive as their best and most authentic selves.
2. Engage with Diverse Perspectives: Equip students with the ability to analyze how different backgrounds and beliefs influence the way information is understood and interpreted.
3. Advance AI for Knowledge Innovation: Serve as a model for leveraging artificial intelligence as a positive force in advancing the frontiers of knowledge and innovation.
4. Strengthen Community Connections: Build meaningful relationships with campus, Chattanooga, and Hamilton County communities to empower citizens of all backgrounds in developing their unique strengths and potential.