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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 Rubenstein Library Technical Services Department operates behind locked doors in Bay 11 of Smith Warehouse. The street address for the building is 114 S. Buchanan Blvd, Duke University, Durham, NC. For the security of our materials, no walk-in visitors are permitted. Bay 11 is where the bulk of Rubenstein’s materials are received, and where collection processing and cataloging occur. Nearby are staff in the Duke Libraries’ Collection Services Division (Bays 9 and 10) and a shipping/receiving space staffed by Duke Libraries’ Facilities and Distribution Services (Bay 10). You can reach Smith Warehouse by taking the C1 bus. A Smith visitor parking lot (charged by the hour) is available near Bay 1 of the building, or for free on surrounding streets.

Exterior and interior views of bay eleven of Rubenstein Library Technical Services Department in Smith Warehouse

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 interested in working with us, check out the library’s Jobs page (for internships or staff positions) or the Duke Student Employment page to see if we’re hiring.

Frequently referenced documentation