Transform Lives / Support the Libraries

As a resident of Durham, I've used Duke University Libraries for more than 30 years-and I've been a member of the Friends of the Libraries for several of those.  

In the early days, searching for information meant multiple trips to Perkins Library, where I would thumb through card catalogs, page through indices, and make notes to guide my forays through shelves of books, bound volumes, and microforms.

Today, I am amazed by the sheer number and variety of resources I can use without even setting foot on campus. From my computer at home, I can search the online catalog, locate journal articles, and browse some truly incredible digital collections. If I have a research question, I can instant message, chat, email, or talk with a Duke librarian just by clicking "Ask Us Now" on any page of the Libraries' website.

But of course, going to the library is half the fun of using it. From a terminal in the Library, I can view full-text journal articles and search the many online databases to which Duke subscribes.  

Duke alumni have access to all these resources as well, just by using the "Alumni Portal" link from the Libraries' home page: library.duke.edu. Just because you graduate doesn't mean you have to leave your library behind. It's one of the few parts of Duke you can take with you!

It's not just research that keeps me coming back to the Libraries. Being a member of Friends of the Libraries gives me an opportunity to support special programs and readings throughout the year. At the biannual book collectors' contest, I meet undergraduate and graduate students and learn about their personal book collections. And I enjoy lectures, attend receptions, and meet other like-minded people who appreciate a good library as much as I do!


Mary Dunn Siedow
Past Chair of the Friends of Duke University Libraries Executive Committee