Duke Libraries Announce Pearse Memorial Library Closure and Transition to New Library Support Model

The following message was sent by University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs Joe Salem to all Duke University Marine Lab faculty, staff, and students on April 4, 2025.

Dear Faculty, Students, and Staff of the Duke Marine Lab:

I am writing to inform you of an important change regarding the Pearse Memorial Library at the Duke Marine Lab and explain how it may affect you. After careful consideration, and in close consultation with Marine Lab and Nicholas School leadership, we have made the difficult decision to close the Marine Lab library location, effective July 1, 2025.

This decision is part of a broader strategy to align our library services with evolving research and teaching needs around climate and sustainability–a strategy that has sadly been accelerated by the expected financial impacts on Duke of reduced federal research funding.

Key Changes and Continued Support

Although the physical library will close, I want to assure you that there will be no interruption or reduction in the essential library services and resources the Marine Lab community relies on, including:

Book and physical material delivery from the Durham campus or through interlibrary loan

In-person or virtual research consultations

In-person or virtual library and research instruction, including RCR workshops

Continued library outreach and engagement with the Marine Lab community by an embedded librarian located in Beaufort

To ensure seamless support, Jodi Psoter, Head of the Marine Lab Library and Librarian for Marine Sciences, will transition into a new role as Climate & Sustainability Strategist and Librarian for Marine Science and Conservation. Jodi will continue to live and work in Beaufort, North Carolina, and will regularly visit the Durham campus, focusing on supporting interdisciplinary teaching and research on climate and sustainability across the university. This new model will enable her to dedicate more time to supporting your academic and research endeavors, without the additional responsibilities of single-handedly managing a physical library space and all the daily duties that entails.

Decision-Making Process

This decision was not made lightly. Discussions about the future of the library space at the Marine Lab had already begun, as in-person usage of the library there has declined over time. The aging facility is also in need of updates and suffers from HVAC issues that threaten the long-term usability of materials on the shelves. We sought input from Marine Lab and Nicholas School leadership to ensure that we could continue to meet the needs of the community without a physical location based in Beaufort. While the closure was likely to happen in the coming years, the threat of significantly decreased federal funding support for Duke’s teaching and research mission hastened this transition. Nevertheless, we are confident that this change will allow us to continue serving you in more focused ways without compromising on mission. It also enables us to advance the goals of the Duke Climate Commitment and Duke Libraries’ strategic plan, while realizing cost savings that are unfortunately necessary for the university.

Future of the Marine Lab Library Space

While the future of the space occupied by the Marine Lab Library is yet to be determined, I want to assure you that you will have an opportunity to provide input on how the space could be repurposed. In the meantime, students and faculty may continue to use the library as usual until July 1, 2025. After that date, the library will close to allow library staff time to relocate onsite collections and materials, with a goal of vacating the space by the start of the fall 2025 semester. We will also find time to host a farewell reception at the library for the Marine Lab community before we close the doors. More details on that to come.

Next Steps and Continued Commitment

We recognize that this transition may raise questions, and we want to assure you that we are committed to providing continued support throughout the process. I will personally be visiting the Marine Lab soon to meet with faculty and answer any questions you may have about these changes. Additionally, we will continue to collaborate with Nicholas School faculty, staff, and students to ensure a smooth transition and to address any needs or concerns that arise.

We want to express our deep appreciation to Jodi for accepting this important new and reimagined assignment, and to all of you for your flexibility and understanding as we work through this transition. We remain fully committed to supporting the teaching and research missions of the Duke Marine Lab, and we look forward to working with you as we continue to evolve and enhance our library services in the years ahead.

Thank you for your continued partnership. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Joseph A. Salem, Jr.
Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs