We like to think of ourselves as the community living room where friends gather to relax, imaginations soar, and creativity grows. We’re here to inspire you to explore new ideas and become the best version of you – at home, on the job, and in your community — regardless of what you’ve got going on in your life. We’re with you every step of the way.
Our Mission
We strengthen the community by advancing literacy, connecting people, and encouraging exploration.
Our Vision
A thriving, literate, equitable community.
Our Values
We uphold the core principles of public librarianship as outlined by the American Library Association. Some of these include access, confidentiality, privacy, and intellectual freedom. In addition to these professional principles, we also are guided by the following values:
Respect
We treat each person with dignity and cultivate civility among staff and patrons.
Inclusion
We embrace diversity, invite multiple points of view, and foster an environment of belonging.
Stewardship
We ensure the responsible management of our human, financial, and physical resources.
Progress
We empower staff to learn, innovate, and lead as we proactively adapt to meet our community's present and future needs.
Open to All
At Stark Library, we are committed to providing a welcoming atmosphere for all people. We recognize that each person is complex with a unique set of characteristics and identities, and we continue to build and nurture an inclusive environment that represents, supports, values, and celebrates the community we serve.
Diversity
is the sum of the ways that people are both alike and different. Diverse identities evolve, overlap, and intersect, and cannot be captured in a single definition.
Equity
recognizes that some groups were (and are) disadvantaged in accessing opportunities and have been underrepresented or marginalized. Equity promotes fairness through deliberate actions to remove barriers that hinder opportunities. Equity works toward fair outcomes by adjusting action based on need, circumstance, and historical and systemic disparities. (This differs from equality, in which all individuals are treated the same, regardless of need and circumstance.)
Inclusion
is actively creating a dynamic, welcoming environment in which all individuals are treated respectfully; are valued for their distinctive skills, experiences, and perspectives; have equitable access to resources and opportunities; and feel a sense of belonging.
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