Degrees
Graduated from the Royal School of Library and Information Science, Denmark in 1977. Additional management training.

Job position, Career
Director of Citizens' Services and Libraries Aarhus, 2006 -
Library director, Aarhus Public Libraries, 1994 - 2006
Deputy manager, Aalborg Public Library, 1990 - 94.
Librarian, Frederikshavn Library 1978 -1990.
Librarian, Hjoerring Library, 1977 - 78

Recent publications
Future-oriented Internet-based services in public libraries, Bertelsmann Foundation 2001/ Rolf Hapel, Thierry Giappiconi, Volker Pirsich

Virtual impact on the physical library, Bertelsmann Foundation 2002, - /Rolf Hapel, Maija Berndtsson, Henk Das

Personalization of Electronic Network-based Library Services, Bertelsmann Foundation 2004/ Christopher Chia, Rolf Hapel, Susan Kent

Honorary positions
Member of several committees, management boards, steering groups, e.g. “Assocition of Municipalities Contact Forum for Libraries”, “Landmark Libraries”, “Aarhus City Museum”, “Local History Foundation” etc.

Awards
Aarhus Public Libraries received the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations “Access to Learning Award”, 2004. Aarhus Public Libraries received the Prize of Equal Opportunities from the municipality, 2000. Rolf Hapel was knighted by Her Majesty the Danish Queen, 2000.