Love of language and libraries leads KU graduate to Rubinstein/Mason scholarship

LAWRENCE — What started as a fondness for libraries and a curiosity about Korean hangul — the writing system and alphabet used for Korean language — has grown into a calling. University of Kansas graduate Daphne Tibbetts has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Rubinstein/Mason Award to support graduate study in library science, with her sights set on becoming a Korean studies librarian.  

Tibbetts, from Auburn, will be awarded the $1,000 scholarship to pursue her master’s in library and information in honor of the late Joseph Rubinstein and the late Alexandra Mason, who contributed many years of principled service to KU Libraries.  

A love of language combined with study abroad opportunities, as well as counsel and encouragement from KU librarians Cecilia Zhang, Chinese studies, and Michiko Ito, Japanese studies, contributed to Tibbetts’ passion for East Asian studies librarianship.  

“I fell into a lot of my decisions based on lighthearted interests, almost whims, even, and those interests have grown deeper and deeper, so it's worked out well,” Tibbetts said. “I became so interested in Korean language and culture that now I want to be a Korean studies librarian specifically. I want to use my language skills in my work and help other scholars in my field.” 

Tibbetts is finishing a master’s degree in East Asian studies with concentration in Korean studies at KU this summer, and she was a 2024 KU graduate with bachelor’s degrees in both East Asian studies and linguistics.  

As an undergraduate, Tibbetts achieved universitywide recognition for her work as an archive coordinator for the History of Black Writing project. She served as a liaison for digitization efforts between the project and the Smithsonian Institute and acted as a team lead for the project’s move to Indiana University, receiving KU’s Student Employee of the Year Award in 2024 for her efforts. 

Since September 2024, she has also been pursuing her interest in libraries as a public services specialist at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. Tibbetts plans to attend Indiana University-Bloomington in the fall, where she already has a position to work with IU’s Korean language collection during the first year of her library studies. 

“The fact that I have been selected (for the Rubinstein/Mason award) makes me feel like even more people are putting their faith in me that I will be a good librarian someday, and ‘someday’ feels so soon now,” she said.  

“One of the joys of serving on the Rubinstein/Mason Award committee is that we get to see what a bright future there is for the field of libraries given the talents, skills and passions of those pursing a master of library and information science degree,” said Elspeth Healey, special collections curator at Spencer Research Library. “Getting to know Daphne’s accomplishments and reading all of the Rubinstein/Mason applications each year leaves me excited for the next generation of librarians.” 

The Rubinstein/Mason award is made possible by private funds and managed by KU Endowment. Rubinstein was the first head of KU Libraries' Department of Special Collections, and Mason was a distinguished librarian at KU from 1957 until she retired in 1999.