Under the helm of Deborah Jakubs, Rita Giallonardo Holloway University Librarian and vice provost for library affairs, the Perkins Library System has solidified its integral place within the University community and continued to fulfill its mission of connecting people and ideas.
For this reason, we are excited that, after a glowing review from faculty and administrators alike, Provost Peter Lange has reappointed Jakubs to a second six-year term as University Librarian.
A quality library system plays an important role at a research university like Duke, and Jakubs has gone above and beyond to make the University’s libraries a locus of everyday life, a repository of knowledge, a driver in the use of new technology, and a place to learn, interact, grow and share.
During her tenure, Jakubs has overseen the completion of physical renovations and additions that have pumped new life into the library system. The opening of Bostock Library and von der Heyden Pavilion, the facelift to Perkins Library and the construction of The Link have provided beautiful and functional reading rooms, classrooms to go along with individual and group study areas. This space is available for students, faculty and outside community members to conduct research, converse and pursue their intellectual passions.
Aside from ensuring a quality library system in the physical sense, Jakubs has also led our libraries into a new technological frontier. Although it would have been easy to hold off on other projects while completing large-scale renovations, the library has boosted its online presence and creatively pursued new ways of sharing information.
Under Jakubs, the Perkins Library System has augmented its digital holdings. The library recently launched an online database of television commercials called Ad Views, and it will host the newly announced DukeSpace open access database. Both of these initiatives demonstrate a concerted effort to use the power of the Internet to increase access to the library’s information and resources.
Above all else, Jakubs has overseen a library system that has fostered and built an academic community. Collaborating with student groups to throw the annual library party, scheduling recitals and speeches in the Rare Book Room and creating beautiful open spaces for interpersonal interaction has transformed the libraries into a vibrant place of discovery and exchange.
Jakub’s many accomplishments are a testament to her vision and leadership, but also to dedication and hard work of the hundreds of employees that, day in and day out, make the library system function. The University’s librarians deserve praise for always going the extra mile to make themselves available—in person or via instant message—to connect students and faculty with vital resources for their academic work.
As our world becomes increasingly digitized and reliant on electronic media over traditional printed books and journals, the Perkins Library System will continue to face the challenge of adapting to a new information landscape. But with Jakubs at its helm—and wonderful employees behind her—the University’s libraries are well positioned for success.
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