Deborah Barreau

Dr. Deborah Barreau, age 62, died peacefully with family and friends surrounding her on Friday, February 10, 2012. Deborah was a beautiful, gentle spirit whose intelligence, compassion and kindness were felt by everyone she encountered. She leaves behind her mother, Beulah (Jackie) Rich of Kernersville, NC, brother, Richard L. Barreau and wife, Debbie of Colfax, N.C. Nephew. Rick Barreau of Greensboro, N.C. and niece, Kristie B. Hodges of Winston Salem, N.C.; special companion, her Airedale Joy; and thousands of students, colleagues and family members whose lives she has touched. She will be sorely missed.Deborah was the Frances Carroll McColl Term Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science, where she has taught for ten years. She was a masterful teacher, winning the school’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2004 and in 2008, and the Outstanding Information Science Teacher International award from the American Society for information Science and Technology in 2002. Highly respected and regarded by her colleagues and students, she was known for her dedication, commitment and kindness; exceptional mentoring skills-offering time and advice at all hours; and for creating a classroom environment that encouraged creativity while helping her students understand how what they were learning related to their own lives.A prolific researcher and writer, Deborah was principal investigator and collaborator on many research projects. She authored books, numerous journal articles and papers, technical reports and book reviews on information systems, organizational behavior, organizational communication and personal information systems and regularly presented at national conferences and symposia. She served as a leader in professional associations including the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Computing Management, Association for Library and Information Science Education and the Special Libraries Association. She has most recently joined the editorial board of the new digital publication, Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication. She serviced on the UNC at Chapel Hill Faculty Council, Advisory committee for Health Sciences Library Collaboratory, and a myriad of committees and boards- always offering her time, expertise and thoughtful opinions.Deborah earned her Ph.D. in Library and Information services from the University of Maryland at College Park. She received a Master of Science in Library Science, a Master’s in Teaching and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was inducted into the International honorary society, Beta Phi Mu and received the Dean’s Achievement Award for Best Master’s Paper in 1987.Prior to joining SILS, Deborah was Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. ; senior project manager and systems analyst at Aspen Systems Corporation in Rockville, MD; Systems Librarian at Manderino Library, California University in Pennsylvania; a graduate assistant at the UNC at Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library and computer services manager at the UNC at Chapel Hill SILS. She taught 10th and 11th grades for ten years at the Orange Senior High School in Hillsborough, N.C. where she also served at department chair.Deborah was born in Forsyth County, North Carolina on July 9, 1949. She loved reading, watching a good movie, attending interesting lectures, researching and teaching and spending time with friends and family. She was preceded in death by Father, Wilfred T. Barreau, grandparents, James Robah, and Carrie Whitaker.Visitation will be held at Hudson Funeral Home in Durham, NC , on Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. A special memorial tribute to Deborah’s life will be held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Donations can be made to UNC-GYN Oncology Cancer Research Fund, Physician Office, PB 103, 170 Manning Dr., Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7572. Online condolences can be made at www.hudsonfuneralhome.com.