Rosemont College Archives and Special Collections

Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library is the campus center for academic research, study, and collaboration, and provides exemplary library services and information resources which are fully integrated with the College’s curriculum. Kistler’s librarians educate students to become skilled, effective, and ethical information users and work in close partnership with faculty and staff to support a holistic academic experience in and out of the classroom. Kistler’s Learning Commons model cultivates a welcoming environment staffed by effective, caring, and patron-focused professionals and a multitude of diverse, technology-enhanced spaces for learning, leisure, and collaboration. The Library responds effectively and innovatively to fast-paced changes at the College, within the higher education environment, and in the greater information science field. Through both its physical presence as well as its online resources, Kistler Library is the heart of Rosemont’s campus: a center for teaching and learning; a place to create, investigate, collaborate, discover, and grow; and a home for our entire community of lifelong learners.

The following goals support the College’s mission & strategic objectives: 

• Support academic excellence in the classroom and beyond through comprehensive information literacy instruction, close collaboration with teaching faculty, and robust access to information and technology resources necessary for academic achievement.
• Provide safe, welcoming, and varied spaces where students can freely pursue academic research, independent work, and leisure according to their individual needs and aspirations.
• Foster equity, inclusion, and belonging in our community by partnering with affinity groups to develop responsive educational programs, exhibits, and collections which uplift diverse and underrepresented identities.
• Develop collections and services to support the intellectual growth of our students and the teaching and research capacity of our faculty.
• Increase the accessibility and attainability of higher education by supporting reduction in overall course costs and providing critical academic support to improve student success, persistence, and retention.
• Preserve and promote the College’s history, mission, and identity through the work of the Rosemont College Archives by documenting the experiences of Rosemont’s students and following best practices for records management, storage, and digitization.
• Design informative, engaging, and entertaining programming—including exhibits, displays, lectures, and discussions—on topics of interest to the wider Rosemont community, in close collaboration with the Friends of the Library and other partners and in overall support of the College’s mission and values.

Empowering through Diversity and Inclusion 

Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and safe environment for all students, faculty, staff, and community members, regardless of their race, gender or sexual identity, ethnicity, disability status, or creed. The Library provides access to information, spaces, programs, and work-study opportunities that promote equity, diversity, and inclusivity. We cultivate intercultural communication and exchanges of knowledge, with emphasis on uplifting underrepresented voices.  

Upholding Academic Freedom

Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library wholeheartedly endorses the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights, which outlines guiding principles for upholding the integrity of intellectual freedom in an academic library setting. Privacy, freedom of inquiry and expression, and accessibility are key tenets of the Library Bill of Rights and are reflected throughout Kistler Library’s policies, plans, and services.

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/intellectual