Josef A. Salem Jr., a nationally recognized expert in information literacy and university library administration, has been appointed the Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs at Duke University. Salem, bringing extensive experience and a collaborative leadership style, will assume his new role on August 15th, 2022.
Salem comes to Duke from Michigan State University (MSU), where he served as Dean of Libraries and Interim Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation. He succeeds Deborah Jakubs, who retired after a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades at Duke, including 17 years as University Librarian. Associate University Librarian Dracine Hodges served as interim university librarian until Salem’s arrival.
Salem’s appointment marks a significant moment for Duke University Libraries, which comprise the Perkins, Bostock, and Rubenstein Libraries on West Campus, the Lilly and Music Libraries on East Campus, and the Pearse Memorial Library at the Duke Marine Lab. These, along with the libraries serving the schools of business, divinity, law, and medicine, constitute one of the nation’s top ten private research library systems. Josef Salem’s leadership is anticipated to guide these libraries into a new era of innovation and service.
At MSU, Salem spearheaded a strategic planning process and reorganization of the libraries, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as enhanced faculty and student engagement. He also played a key role in the development of the university-wide MSU 2030 Strategic Plan. His leadership at MSU also witnessed the naming of the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections and the securing of the largest cash gift in the history of MSU Libraries, facilitating the move of these collections to climate-controlled storage.
Salem’s expertise extends beyond library administration. He is a recognized authority on information literacy, having served as a psychometrician on two national initiatives: Project SAILS (Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) and the K-12 TRAILS (Tool for Real-Time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills). His research interests also encompass open educational resources, student engagement, teaching and learning, and library assessment.
Salem’s active involvement in national library affairs includes chairing the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Research & Analytics Committee and serving on the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Big Collection Steering Committee and Library Director Executive Team. He is also a former leadership fellow of the Association of Research Libraries.
Provost Sally Kornbluth expressed confidence in Salem’s ability to lead Duke University Libraries, highlighting his collaborative leadership style and vision for the role of university libraries in supporting learning and scholarship. Patrick Charbonneau, chair of the search committee, emphasized Salem’s planning and visioning experience as crucial for maintaining Duke University Libraries’ prominent position among university library systems.
Salem earned his Ph.D. in evaluation and measurement, a Master of Library Science, and a Master of Arts in Literature and Writing from Kent State University, along with an undergraduate degree in English from Cleveland State University. His alma mater recognized him as the Kent State School of Library and Information Science Alumnus of the Year in 2017. With his impressive credentials and experience, Josef Salem is poised to lead Duke University Libraries into a future of innovation and continued excellence.