Deputy Dean of Libraries Jon Stroop, who has served in leadership roles at Princeton University Library for 20 years, will become the next dean of libraries and Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian, effective Aug. 1.
Stroop will lead Princeton University Library, which includes the Harvey S. Firestone Library and nine branch libraries. He will succeed Anne Jarvis, who previously announced plans to step down after a decade as University Librarian.
President Christopher L. Eisgruber said on June 2, “Over more than two decades in Princeton’s libraries, Jon Stroop has established himself as an effective leader and valued partner to faculty and staff throughout the University. He is the right person to guide our libraries through their next chapter, and I look forward to working with him as he joins my cabinet.”
Provost Jennifer Rexford said, “Jon combines a deep appreciation for scholarship with a clear vision for how technology is shaping research and teaching. I look forward to working with such a thoughtful, trusted leader who understands both where libraries come from and where they need to go.”
Stroop said he is honored by his appointment: “I’m grateful to the colleagues past and present who have built the Library I’ve now been entrusted to lead.” He added: “Great research libraries are measured not just by the collections they hold, but by what they help create… At Princeton, that work is done by an exceptional staff who provide services that are among the most powerful tools Princeton has for creating new knowledge.”
He continued: “To me, an agile library keeps adding value as the academic landscape shifts and anticipates where scholarship is heading… My focus as dean will be on setting that direction and building the capacity to sustain it.”
Since joining Princeton in 2005, Stroop has held positions of increasing responsibility including director of Library IT; Imaging and Metadata Services; application development manager; digital initiatives developer; assistant music librarian; deputy dean since 2021; chairing several committees related to artificial intelligence and technology integration; developing user experience departments; overseeing multiple library departments such as Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology and East Asian Library.
Stroop helped develop the International Image Interoperability Framework, which changed how digitized resources are presented globally. Before coming to Princeton he worked at Juilliard School as a cataloger and at Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale, where he currently chairs its board.
He holds degrees from Pratt Institute (library science), University of Cincinnati (music), and Hartt School at University of Hartford (bachelor’s in music).
