1. Quality Policy – Art Library
(Quality, Environment, Occupational Health and Safety and Social Accountability)
Introductory Note:
This Policy establishes guidelines for the work of the Art Library and has been drafted
on the basis of the Quality Policy of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG). It
should accordingly be taken as a complementary document to be followed by all
employees involved in this work.
The FCG wishes the Art Library to serve as a vehicle for promotion, research and
dissemination of information in architecture and the visual arts, by making its collection
available to specialised external users and by supporting internal units in the
Foundation’s work and activities.
Aware of the importance of this role, the FCG has established the following strategic
guidelines for the services to be provided by the Art Library:
Constant prospecting and careful and consistent selection of contents so as to
offer up-to-date and comprehensive information resources;
Development of collections and services, in line with the needs of its different
users;
Provision of a coherent set of dissemination and access services, using systems
and resources consistent with constant technological state-of-the-art;
Proactive promotion of information resources, especially those comprising heritage
collections, through specific outreach services and projects which help make the
most of the library unique potential and enrich the knowledge of its users.
In order to achieve the aims described above, the FCG establishes the following
principles of daily conduct:
Professional Pride

2. All employees working in the Art Library shall have the necessary skills for their work
and strive to perform their duties so as to meet the high standards of service required.
They shall be attentive to the needs of their different users, in accordance with the
principles of intellectual freedom, free access to information and freedom of
expression. All employees must also recognise privacy rights in the use of services and
resources and contribute proactively to identify and implement opportunities for
improvement.
All employees shall be aware that their attitude is important to the satisfaction of the
different users and to the success of the Art Library.
Team Spirit
The Art Library management shall cultivate team spirit amongst the employees, so that
each member is actively involved in achieving the mission and aims of the group and in
cooperating with other departments so as to contribute to the success of all activities.
Compliance with Requirements
The Art Library shall assure that services are provided in a manner consistent with all
the applicable requirements, including legal rules and regulations concerning storage,
management and provision of information, together with any specific requirements
conveyed by users, including those relating to citizens with special needs, in
accordance with the internal procedures.
Public Satisfaction
The Art Library shall implement procedures and actions that contribute to the
satisfaction of its different users, in particular with regard to the range of information
offered and forms of access. In order to identify potential opportunities for
improvement, arrangements shall be put in place for pro-actively and systematically
listening to users and collecting their opinions, allowing for analysis of these findings.
Environmental Protection
The Art Library shall implement procedures and actions which help reduce the wasting
of resources, in particular in the use of paper and specific products for the conservation

3. and preservation of documentary resources, and which help to prevent pollution
resulting from these uses.
The materials to be used shall be chosen when possible on the basis of environmental
criteria and materials shall be reused.
All employees involved are required to comply with the applicable good practice in
environmental management and to assure that waste from their work is properly
separated and disposed of.
Occupational Health and Safety Prevention
The Art Library management shall work in conjunction with all the organizational units
involved in these issues on establishing procedures and implementing the actions
needed for its employees and users to enjoy optimum conditions for the preservation of
their occupational health and safety.
All employees are required to comply with the current procedures.
Continuous Improvement
The management of the Art Library shall systematically plan actions and set goals
which contribute to continuous improvement in the effectiveness and efficiency of the
applicable quality management system, both from an internal perspective and from that
of its different users, in order to assure that the guidelines contained in this Quality
Policy are successfully implemented.
January 2012