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Welcome!

The Rubenstein’s Technical Services Department receives, preserves, processes, and creates catalog records and collection guides for rare printed materials and archival collections acquired by the Rubenstein Library and Duke University Archives. We work with all types of materials and formats, including papers, photographs, books, serials and newspapers, ephemera and objects, audiovisual media, born-digital collections, and electronic records. We develop item and collection descriptions for our collection guides, library catalog, and digitized collections in the Duke Digital Repository. Once cataloged, collections are available for research, instruction, exhibition, and digitization.

Collage showing papers, photographs, rare books, and film canisters

Where are we located?

The Technical Services departments of Duke University Libraries (including Rubenstein Technical Services) operate behind locked doors on the first floors of Bays 9, 10, and 11 in Smith Warehouse. For the security of our materials, no walk-in visitors are permitted. We have a large processing space, shelving and storage space for our books and boxes, staff cubicles and meeting rooms, and a designated Shipping and Receiving office that manages all of the incoming packages of books, serials, and archives acquired by the library. You can reach Smith Warehouse by taking either the CSW or the C1 bus.

Exterior and interior image of Smith Warehouse Bay 11

Who works here?

Technical Services staff include professional archivists and rare materials catalogers, library assistants and other full-time staff, interns, and student employees (both graduate students and undergraduates). There are about 15 Duke employees working in Technical Services, and 5-10 students and interns each semester. If you are a Duke student interested in working with us, check out the Libraries' Student Vacancies page to see if we’re hiring.

Frequently referenced documentation