The Ames Library provides a setting conducive to interaction, consultation, study and reflection and is dedicated to serving the scholarly needs of the 91ºÚÁÏרÇø University community. Library faculty and staff develop and maintain collections that enhance the university curriculum and provide access to global information networks that assist research. They provide expertise in the management of the creation, organization, and distribution of knowledge in a changing environment. Library faculty promote information literacy by teaching the use of the tools of scholarship. In keeping with the mission of 91ºÚÁÏרÇø University, The Ames Library fosters inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge, intellectual and ethical integrity, excellence in teaching and learning, and respect for diverse points of view.
(March 2004)

As the intellectual heart of the campus, The Ames Library transforms individuals in their quest for wisdom and knowledge and the 91ºÚÁÏרÇø University community in its pursuit of excellence.

• Students trust that their needs are the library's top priority.
• Faculty eagerly seek the library as an ally in their teaching and research.
• Individuals and groups investigating new ideas and researching new fields turn to the library first for support, consultation and collaboration.
• Members of the IWU community rely on the library and its staff as a key resource for encouragement, innovation, and service in fulfilling the goals and ideals of the highest quality liberal education.
• Graduates leave the university with the realization that the library was indispensable to their academic accomplishments.

With our people, services, collections, and facilities, The Ames Library makes it easy for our users to navigate the research process and access the highest quality information resources. Motivated by our desire to understand, anticipate, and fulfill the research and information needs of our community, we continually evolve in our efforts to meet those needs. Our passion and commitment for our work inspire a zeal for inquiry in others and is central to our drive to excel. We enthusiastically reach out beyond the walls of the library, initiating and joining cooperative endeavors with others and delivering our services to individuals where they work and live.
(April 2004)

Informing and guiding our everyday work are the following enduring values:

• We value intellectual freedom as described in the : “Educa