The Facility
The library began in the basement of Smyth Hall. When it became apparent the collection would continue to grow, the current library building was commissioned. Designed in the collegiate gothic style by architects Waasdorp and Northrup and built by A. W. Hopeman and Sons, the library was officially dedicated on November 3, 1957. When the original collection was moved, a human chain of faculty, staff and students transferred approximately 40,000 volumes from Smyth Hall into the Library building.

The Dedication of the Lorette Wilmot Library
On April 25, 1978, the library was dedicated and named after Lorette Wilmot (1927-1976). Longtime friend and benefactor of Nazareth College, she was a devoted wife of former college trustee James P. Wilmot and a loving mother to their four children. She was described by her only daughter, Judy Wilmot Linehan '76, as having "the quiet calm of a library with all its knowledge." A warm and gracious person, Mrs. Wilmot was an avid reader whose wide-ranging interest in literature enriched her life and those whose lives she touched.

Paintings of longtime library benefactors James and Lorette Wilmot hang in the main lobby.

• We are fundamentally a service organization and our highest priority is to meet the needs of our users in a professional, proactive, friendly, and enthusiastic way.
• We exist to advance learning and scholarship in support of both the curriculum and the personal and professional development that fosters a commitment for lifelong learning.
• We are professional in our dealings with each other, treating co-workers with respect, expecting communication and collaboration, and recognizing that each of us have unique talents and responsibilities that allow us to work together to help our users to excel.
• We strive for excellence in all we do and recognize that creativity and risk-taking are essential to progress, growth, and surpassing our users' expectations.
• We operate within a formal departmental structure, but recognize that, at times, autonomous decision making and action may provide the best service for our users.
• We provide a welcoming, comfortable environment that embraces technology and maintains the inclusiveness and accommodation that are the hallmarks of the Nazareth community.
• We support and defend intellectual freedom and privacy rights, as articulated in “Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries” and other statements and policies endorsed by the American Library Association.

The Library is at the heart of a vibrant, engaging and exciting educational experience for students at Nazareth University and an essential contributor to academic excellence.  A progressive academic library, it is fully integrated with the teaching, learning and research at Nazareth.  As the catalyst at the intersection of the scholarly, research and social elements of the Nazareth learning community the Library is:

• A learning commons that blends virtual and in-place experiences, physical and digital resources, local and global interactions, and instructional technology with in-person expertise.
• The home of a media laboratory that enables students and faculty to transform various types of information, media, concepts and content into learning objects, course assignments, research components, and experiential learning outcomes.
• A place for students to build the range of information literacies required to effectively navigate the 21st Century information-intense environment.
• Collaborating with faculty to integrate resources and information competencies into courses.
• Providing faculty professional development to effectively use technologies
• Known for its long-standing high-quality customer service.
• Helping students discover and develop the answers they need to advance their studies.
• Curating digital collections that underpin the learning and teaching environments as well as help Nazareth and Rochester tell their stories.
• Constantly assessing its processes and services and a partner in the University's assessment of learning outcomes.