Our Mission Statement

As an academic department, the Hostos Community College Library functions as a dynamic center of teaching and learning. The Library provides information literacy tools that enhance the pursuit of knowledge by teaching our college community to retrieve, critically evaluate and synthesize information for academic, professional and personal pursuits.

In this thriving urban environment, we partner with each academic department to broaden and contextualize all areas of study, selecting and using the necessary instructional materials, related equipment and services that will assist the college in meeting its educational, cultural and social obligations.

As vanguards of information, the library faculty supports an environment of free and critical thought to realize the goals of a bilingual, metropolitan and multicultural community college.

More on our Mission and Vision

Knowledge and freedom were what Eugenio María de Hostos wanted for his own people and for all the people of the world. As the first college in the United States to bear his name, we strive for no less. As the library that serves this college, we are passionately dedicated to the mission of our institution and have designed all of our programs and initiatives around helping our college meet its’ institutional and community goals. In this regard, we have developed a mission statement that bolsters our commitment to supporting our students in the acquisition of English and the critical academic literacy skills that will serve to break down the barriers that have contributed to the exclusion of our community from higher education in the past.

Thus, in 2003/04 we revised our mission statement to reflect an emphasis on teaching and defining ourselves as a teaching library. At the heart of our mission is our Information Literacy initiative, which we view as the driving force behind our vision for the Library. We believe it is our duty and role to provide our students with these critical skills in order to be successful in their academic and life pursuits and all of our programming, collection development and instructional activities are founded on this belief.

As the library that bears the Hostos name, we have also claimed our role as a research and community resource for information by and about Eugenio María de Hostos in the United States. By establishing a comprehensive collection for research and study on Hostos at Hostos, we strive to provide a unique opportunity for our students, faculty and our surrounding communities from the Bronx and all of New York City to explore with us the rich threads that are brought together in the life experience and works of this extraordinary man.

College Mission Statement

Consistent with the mission of The City University of New York to provide access to higher education for all who seek it, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College was established in the South Bronx to meet the higher educational needs of people from this and similar communities who historically have been excluded from higher education.

The mission of Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is to offer access to higher education leading to intellectual growth and socio-economic mobility through the development of linguistic, mathematical, technological, and critical thinking proficiencies needed for lifelong learning and for success in a variety of programs including careers, liberal arts, transfer, and those professional programs leading to licensure.

The College takes pride in its historical role in educating students from diverse ethnic, racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, particularly Hispanics and African Americans. An integral part of fulfilling its mission is to provide transitional language instruction for all English-as-a-Second-Language learners along with Spanish/English bilingual education offerings to foster a multicultural environment for all students. Hostos Community College, in addition to offering degree programs, is determined to be a resource to the South Bronx and other communities served by the College by providing continuing education, cultural events, and expertise for the further development of the communities it serves.

Strategic Objectives

The five strategic objective areas below were identified by the library faculty and staff during a strategic planning retreat in June 2005. Management teams were formed to further develop each area and identify specific objectives, key activities, a timeline and expected outcomes and measurables. The teams worked throughout the 2005/06 academic year drafting, sharing and revising each strategic area and produced a final overall 3-year strategic plan for the library for 2006-2009. Excerpted below are the goal statements developed for each area. Click here for a compete version of Library Department 2006/07-2000/09 Strategic Plan.

GOAL: To develop an outstanding collection in all formats that engages the Hostos community and meets their curricular and informational needs. This effort must be supported by a flexible, proactive, interactive collection development structure that is informed by library faculty and the Hostos community. The collection should reflect the uniqueness and diversity of the Hostos community and current best professional practices.

GOAL: To establish the library as the place for innovation and new technology by being proactive in defining technology within the library landscape and all of its components. We aim to inform and educate the Hostos community as to our expertise and experience in technology and increase our involvement in technology decision-making on campus.

GOAL: To create new forums for and methods of communication that will improve interpersonal relationships and the working atmosphere for all. These efforts will foster collaboration and bi-directional conversation.

GOAL: To establish innovative, proactive faculty partnerships, promote better communication between Library and other disciplinary faculty and foster a better understanding of Library faculty’s professional contributions to the life of the College.

GOAL: To develop a cohesive, targeted instructional program that integrates information literacy into disciplinary curricula that supports the development of General Education competencies (critical thinking, academic readiness skills) and is aligned with the Mission of the College. This program will be informed by a variety of dynamic instructional offerings and pedagogical perspectives.