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Library mission and policies

Library Mission

Approved by the University's Library Advisory Committee, August 2, 2006

The mission of the Chan Shun Centennial Library is to help Southwestern Adventist University's faculty and students find and use the scholarly resources needed to succeed in their academic pursuits; the spiritual and inspirational resources they desire to develop a vibrant Christian life; and the recreational resources they enjoy to develop lifelong habits of curiosity and learning.

In support of this mission, the library staff makes these commitments to Southwestern:

  • To acquire, organize, preserve, and provide access to scholarly material in all media and to help patrons find information available at the university's Library and elsewhere. First and foremost, the library supports the curriculum at Southwestern.
  • To create an environment that supports vigorous academic and spiritual inquiry by developing whole Christians, who are focused on service and the pursuit of truth. The library will include a diversity of materials necessary to successful critical analysis of the questions raised in the disciplines explored at Southwestern. Among these resources will be a strong selection of materials that explain and advocate the Seventh-day Adventist Christian understanding of life and mission.
  • To support scholarship by embracing the American Library Association's principles of ethical conduct for library staff, intellectual freedom, and access to information. The staff is committed to providing professional, high quality service by integrating the profession's best practices, standards, guidelines, and codes of ethics into each aspect of the library's services.
  • To enhance the quality of academic programs and achievement on campus through exceptional library staff, facilities, resources, and services. The library staff is committed to an ongoing process of review and evaluation to ensure that our services, resources, and staff are creating an optimal learning environment for Southwestern's students.
  • To guide the Southwestern community into the 21st century information world of accessing with confidence the recorded knowledge of millennia. The library staff recognizes the increasing need for information literacy instruction and will work with all departments on campus to provide individual, course-based, discipline- based, or university-wide instruction as requested.
  • To provide parity of service to all members of the Southwestern academic community, including our distance learning students. The needs of each member of the University community will be taken into account when providing services, with the goal of parity of service to all members.

Website Tracking Notice

The staff of Chan Shun Centennial Library at Southwestern Adventist University is committed to protecting the right of access to materials and the privacy of all its users: students, faculty, staff and others, and the confidential relationship which exists between these users and the Library. See our Freedom of Access and Privacy policy for more information on library services and your privacy.

The library uses a Google Analytics cookie that collects anonymous traffic data. Such data include which website visitors come from, how long they stay, and the kind of computer they are using. The tracking information helps us better profile site users and what pages they are reading. This allows us to make better decisions about design and writing.

Occasionally, we compile aggregate statistics about the number of visitors the library website receives and browsers being used. No personally identifying data is included in this type of reporting. All of this tracking activity falls within the bounds of the Google Analytics Terms of Service.

It is possible for users to opt out of Google's advertising tracking cookie or use a browser plugin to opt out of all Google Analytics tracking software.

Adventist Heritage Room

Reservations for this room are only available during hours when it is not open to the general public. See the Heritage Center Access Policy for more information.

Instruction Classroom

Information literacy presentations, regular class sessions and the Write Spot English tutoring program have priority in that order over all other events in this room.

Meadows Gallery

To schedule events in Meadows Gallery, see calendar.swau.edu..  The library is not responsible for reserving this room.

Chet Edwards Room

To schedule events in the Chet Edwards Conference Room from 8 am-5 pm, see calendar.swau.edu..  The library is not responsible for reserving this room.  After 5 pm and on weekends, the room is available on a first-come first-served basis.  Ask at the front desk if you need to have it unlocked.

Study Rooms

  • Unless there is a reservation, usage of study rooms is on a first-come-first-served basis.
  • Groups have priority over single users.
  • Faculty and department tutors have priority.
  • Large groups may be given preference over smaller ones in using study rooms on the third floor.
  • Watching movies, playing games, and other forms of entertainment are not acceptable uses of study rooms.
  • Library staff may request users occupying study rooms to relocate to another part of the library in order to ensure their most efficient and effective use

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