Deborah Jacobs began her professional career as a Children’s Librarian at the Deschutes County Library System in Bend, Oregon, after which she was responsible for extension services and service to jails at the Sacramento Public Library. This was followed by a move to the Corvallis Public Library, where she worked within the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library system for nineteen years in various positions, including Library Services Manager, Extension Services/Reference Librarian, Extension Services Library Manager, and as Library Director in 1989.
She received her Master of Library Science from the University of Oregon in 1975 following her BA from Mills College.

Her twenty-eight years of public library service have been characterized by a passionate commitment to, and pride in delivery, of library services.
Deborah became City Librarian of the Seattle Public Library in November 1997.
Not long after her appointment to this position, she requested the Library Board take action to amend the title of City Librarian; CEO, to City Librarian to better reflect her belief in the nobility of the profession.
The Seattle Public Library Board unanimously voted to change the title to City Librarian.

As City Librarian of Seattle Public Library, Deborah provides leadership in planning, organizing, and guiding Library operations to serve the informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs of the residents and organizations of the City of Seattle.
Deborah is responsible for nearly 600 employees with an annual operating budget of $34.8 million and she oversees informational materials and services through the Central Library, the Washington Talking Book; Braille Library, 22 neighborhood libraries, and four mobile units.
Her first year as City Librarian of Seattle Public Library was graced by a succession of blessings, which included the passage of the $196 million bond measure by 72% of the vote for a new central library, as well as the renovation, expansion and building of libraries in twenty-seven Seattle neighborhoods; as well as a $20 million donation by Bill and Melinda Gates which will be used for materials, for service to new immigrants, and neighborhood library construction.
Deborah and the Library are currently engaged in implementing the $250 million Libraries for All construction program and in raising $77.5 million from private donors.

In November 2001, Deborah was named one of Governing Magazine’s Public Officials of the Year. She is the first librarian ever to receive this honor.
Deborah was also honored by the Washington State Council of Teachers of English for her lifetime commitment to fighting censorship.
The group awarded her the 2001 National Council of Teachers of English/Support for the Learning and Teaching of English (NCTE/SLATE) Affiliate Intellectual Freedom Award.
In October 1999, Deborah was named by the City of Seattle Management Association “Manager of the Year.”
In 1997 she was the recipient of the Oregon Library Association “Intellectual Freedom Champion of the Year” award and she was named Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year in 1994.
As part of her commitment to and belief in collaborative labor-management partnerships, in March 2001 Deborah initiated the establishment of a Labor Management Partnership Agreement between the Seattle Public Library and the Union.
This innovative Agreement will serve as a firm foundation for the implementation of a new organizational culture and a sustained cooperative labor-management relationship in the future.
Recently, Deborah was proud to have been made a member of the International Network of Public Libraries of the Bertelsmann Foundation.
She is working on a publication entitled “Library Service to Cultural Communities.”