The Elizabeth Huth Coates Library supports and stimulates teaching and learning by providing an environment in which instruction and research can flourish. To fulfill its general purpose, the Coates Library of Trinity University locates, acquires or delivers, organizes, interprets, and preserves information contained in all types of resources. The Library develops information literacy among students and faculty so that they may effectively use all forms of information in teaching and learning. The Library's primary clientele are the students, faculty, and staff of Trinity University. In addition, the Library provides a variety of services to the local community.
Special arrangements allow other selected categories of users to borrow materials.
Materials are also shared through interlibrary loan and available for on-site use. As a depository library for U. S. government documents and Texas State documents, the Library provides access to these publications for the University as well as for the community at large. Because freedom of access to recorded knowledge is essential to teaching, learning, and research, the right and obligation of the Library is to provide a full range of materials on any subject served by the curriculum, however controversial. Collections and services are developed to support the curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate level in such a manner as to make Coates Library one of the strongest among its peers. The Library faculty and staff employ professionally accepted practices to acquire, catalog, house, provide access to, and promote the use of knowledge and information resources.