Meriam Library is the main library for the campus of California State University, Chico, serving 16,000 full-time students, more than 970 instructional faculty, and over 1,000 staff, as well as the communities of Chico and Northeastern California. Meriam Library was named in honor of Ted Meriam and the Meriam Family and is the largest library in California north of Sacramento.

Mission Statement

Meriam Library is a trusted partner and strategic asset for the University in the advancement of knowledge, providing intellectual leadership, vital collections, and essential expertise.

The Library supports the University’s education, research, and public service missions by providing access to and preservation of physical and digital materials; spaces and tools that allow collaborative and individual learning; and expertise to help the communities we serve connect to, engage with, and contribute to the world of knowledge and new ideas.

Vision

Meriam Library will be the academic heart of Chico State, empowering and inspiring the campus community by providing access to information, knowledge, and culture for all, supporting development, learning, creativity, and innovation.

Meriam Library will provide a welcoming, aesthetically pleasing environment that includes dynamic learning environments and emerging technologies supporting independent learning, group collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Building relationships with campus community members, the Library will play a leadership role in integrating information literacy into teaching and learning and become the center of campus intellectual pursuits and the celebration of scholarly achievements.

Core Values

Learning, Research, and Scholarship

Meriam Library values individual inquiry, curiosity, and learning as an educational practice and a lifelong endeavor. We value the process of research as inquiry directed toward achieving a goal. We value the contribution of research to scholarship as the open sharing and communication of knowledge among the community of scholars and the world. We value adherence to the ethical and methodological standards of the academic community regarding the creation, use, and sharing of scholarship. We value the Library’s role in assuring access to information resources as the basis for learning, research, and scholarship.

Freedom of Inquiry

Meriam Library is committed to protecting the intellectual freedom of all patrons. We fully support the freedom of inquiry of every individual to research, explore, and express ideas, and to access and use materials and resources without restriction, censorship, or judgment.

Equitable Access to Resources

Meriam Library promotes intellectual freedom through the uncensored access to physical and digital materials, technology, and resources that support learning, discovery, and the creation of new knowledge.

Privacy

Meriam Library supports patron privacy by limiting the collection, retention, and distribution of patron information, including resources used and communications with librarians and library staff. By maintaining patron privacy, we create an environment in which freedom of inquiry and intellectual freedom are allowed to flourish.

Inclusion

Meriam Library practices the core value of inclusion by fostering a culturally inclusive environment that supports diversity of thought and expression. We are committed to establishing, prioritizing, and fulfilling goals that increase the diversity of our workforce and recognize the diversity of our service community.

Community

Meriam Library values outreach to all members of the Chico State community in order to encourage collaborative engagement with library resources, spaces, personnel, and services.

Professionalism

Meriam Library operates on a strong foundation of professional integrity and ethical principles. We promote professionalism through ongoing education, training, and development of our work force and adherence to national standards and best practices.

Library as Place

We affirm the value of Meriam Library as a welcoming, safe environment conducive to a variety of learning­ centered activities, study, and discovery.