Anne Jarvis, the Dean of Libraries and Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian, will retire this summer after nearly a decade at the University. The search for Jarvis’ successor will be led by Dean of the College Michael Gordin, with a goal of being completed in time for the Fall semester.
Jarvis’s role includes overseeing the Princeton University Library (PUL) system, managing digital research services, and supervising renovations of the library system. She is also the current chair of the Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation.
“During my time at Princeton, my senior library colleagues and I have actively fostered a culture of collaboration within Princeton and with other peer institutions to further our goal of democratizing access to information,” Jarvis wrote to The Daily Princetonian.
Before coming to Princeton, Jarvis, a native of Ireland, spent 16 years at the University of Cambridge, where she was the first woman to serve as University Librarian. Jarvis also holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Trinity College Dublin.
During her tenure at Princeton, she oversaw renovations of many campus libraries, including the Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology in the new Princeton University Art Museum complex, and the newly opened Commons Library. She also oversaw the renovation of the Engineering Library in 2020, which now includes the Makerspace — a hub for various equipment, including 3D printers, poster printing, and a sewing station.
“Technological developments have provided some exciting opportunities for libraries to provide content to patrons in ways that we could not have imagined even 10 years ago,” Jarvis wrote.
She specifically cited the Digital Scholarship Program, launched in 2023, the Digital Princeton University Library, and TigerData, launched in 2025, as major technological advancements during her time.
These innovations, she said, have catalyzed “the shift [of the PUL] in becoming a patron-focused, data-informed and active leader in an increasingly digital world.”
“Anne [Jarvis] championed initiatives that expanded access to collections, advanced research and data services, and launched programs that redefined what a modern academic library can be,” Monique Danziger, the PUL Communications Director, wrote to the ‘Prince.’
Jarvis also led an increased focus on user experience and “data-driven decision-making” to increase access to library services for community members and researchers.
A defining moment of Jarvis’s tenure was the COVID-19 pandemic. “While COVID was a challenging time, it was rewarding for me to lead a library service that was able to continue to provide services almost seamlessly and also to provide new services that were at the cutting edge of library technology,” she wrote.
Some of these services included remote consultations with specialists and virtual teaching with collections. She also launched the Office of Research Data and Open Scholarship, with “the goal of streamlining services throughout the entire research cycle,” Danziger wrote.
In fostering these new services, Jarvis said she hopes the library will remain a “reliable resource for all who seek to learn, discover, and create.”
Beyond leading technical development, working with students has been one of the most rewarding parts of the job — “one of the joys of this role,” Jarvis said. She said she specifically valued her time working with the Student Friends of Princeton University Library, a student-run group that engages with the Library’s collections.
“Students help to inform our library priorities, particularly when it comes to the user experience in both digital and physical spaces,” Jarvis wrote.
“I have learnt so much over the past ten years and have never ceased to be impressed by the quality of research and teaching across campus,” Jarvis added.
After retiring, Jarvis plans to return to Ireland.
“I have every confidence that great academic libraries like Princeton University Library will continue to be agile and innovate when it comes to services, spaces, partnerships, and resources for many years to come,” she wrote. “It will also continue to be a proud steward of cultural heritage, a trusted source of information, and a reliable resource for all who seek to learn, discover, and create.”
Clara Docherty is the assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading faculty, graduate students, and alumni coverage. She is from Lafayette, N.J., and can be reached at clara.docherty[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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