Hesburgh Libraries

Overview

The Hesburgh Libraries is a dynamic organization that features the flagship Hesburgh Library which, along with the Main Building and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, is one of three iconic buildings that define the skyline of the Notre Dame campus. Nearly 60 years ago, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., envisioned that the library would serve as the intellectual heart of the University. The Hesburgh Library and its world-famous Word of Life mural still stand as a symbol of academic excellence and the pursuit of truth both on Notre Dame’s storied Indiana campus and with scholarly communities around the world.

The Hesburgh Library building houses the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship, the Medieval Institute Library, Rare Books & Special Collections, University Archives, and the Visual Resources Center. The Hesburgh Libraries organization also includes three specialty libraries located across the Notre Dame campus (Architecture Library, Business Library, and Music Library). Whether online or within the nearly 500,000 square feet of library spaces, the Hesburgh Libraries engages scholars, inspires intellectual inquiry, and advances teaching and research on campus and beyond.

The Hesburgh Libraries’ mission, vision, and strategic framework are designed to help advance Notre Dame’s aspirations to be recognized as one of the world’s leading research universities while prioritizing human and professional flourishing.

Each member of the library community plays a key role in advancing strategic goals and objectives, sustaining critical operations, and defining shared values. Together, the organization is building an inclusive, diverse, and dynamic culture as we partner across the University to elevate Notre Dame’s teaching and research agenda and simultaneously advance student and faculty work in a networked, digital, and collaborative environment.

Mission

Hesburgh Libraries cultivates curiosity and discovery as a hub for intellectual life. We advance the University’s research, teaching, and learning goals while fostering Notre Dame’s engagement with the global scholarly community.

Vision

Hesburgh Libraries will be a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive community that advances human flourishing. Collectively, we will shift the paradigm on how research libraries further the creation, understanding, and use of knowledge.

Together, the organization is building an inclusive, diverse, and dynamic culture as we partner across the University to elevate Notre Dame’s research and teaching agenda and simultaneously advance student and faculty work in a networked, digital, and collaborative environment.

Goals

1. Culture: Foster an inclusive and dynamic organizational culture, grounded in shared purpose, to advance intellectual inquiry and scholarly engagement.

Objectives

Develop shared expectations, clear documentation, and efficient administrative processes to support faculty and staff as they advance their careers.
Build library-wide programs and structures to leverage expertise, share best practices, and create vibrant learning communities.

2. Technology: Develop foundational technologies and cultivate best practices to support Library and University priorities.

Objectives

Update our technological infrastructure to increase organizational effectiveness and offer exceptional teaching and research tools.
Reimagine our web properties to improve user experience and facilitate discovery.

3. Collections and Services: Promote scholarly success via exceptional services, collections, and facilities that equip users to access, create, and share knowledge.

Objectives

Assess facilities, services, and collections to identify needs and guide future investment.
Develop a digital collections strategy to improve access to unique assets.
Plan capital improvements to expand our capacity for teaching, outreach, and scholarship.

4. Partnerships: Position the library as a leader and trusted partner in teaching and research across the curriculum and throughout the research lifecycle.

Objectives

Forge effective partnerships across campus to advance the University’s teaching and research mission.
Identify needs and develop collections and services to promote discovery and engagement among students, faculty, and staff.
Empower the library and its faculty to generate unique learning opportunities and original scholarship.

Learn more about the Hesburgh Libraries by visiting library.nd.edu.