Full Circle: Saadia Iqbal's Path Leads Back to Buffalo

by DENISE WOLFE

After 12 years away, Saadia Iqbal has returned to where it all began: the University at Buffalo Libraries.

Iqbal rejoined UB in December 2025 as reference and instruction librarian at the Charles B. Sears Law Library, a homecoming that feels both familiar and fresh. It's a position that brings together her dual expertise in law and library science, earned through UB's combined J.D./MLS program, which she completed in 2013. 

"I always intended to return to Buffalo at some point," she said. "After 12 years of working in other parts of New York, an opportunity to work at the UB Law Library came up, so I applied."

The opportunity was worth the wait. In her current role, Iqbal will teach legal research to first-year law students starting in fall 2026 while also staffing the reference desk as needed. It's work she's passionate about and well-prepared for, having taught for-credit research classes for several years at previous institutions. 

"I'm excited for the teaching itself. I enjoy legal research, so most of the subjects I cover I enjoy teaching," she said. "I really look forward to interacting with students while teaching."

Her journey to law librarianship began during her first year of law school in Pittsburgh. When she learned UB offered a combined degree program, she transferred back to Buffalo — a city she's called home since age 5, when her family eventually settled here after moving from St. Louis, where she was born. 

"I missed Buffalo, and I learned that there was a combined program to earn a J.D./MLS at UB," she explained.

The return to UB wasn't just about academics. From 2011 to 2013, Iqbal worked as a student assistant in the Law Library, then stayed on as an assistant librarian for a year after graduation. It was during that time she discovered where she wanted to focus her career. 

"The place I enjoyed working the most was UB," she said.

Her path eventually led elsewhere, though. With a BA in History from the University of Florida already under her belt, Iqbal spent the next 12 years at Texas Tech University, Albany Law School and St. John's University. Her path was marked by evolution: At Texas Tech, she worked in technical services, a role completely different from her subsequent positions. At Albany Law School and St. John's, she worked with smaller teams focusing on reference and instruction. 

Her UB position represents another milestone — her first tenure-track role.

Throughout those years, one constant remained: her love for the research and reference aspects of librarianship. 

Now back at UB, Iqbal appreciates the collaborative environment. She's already diving into new initiatives, recently volunteering for the AI Advisory Group, drawn by artificial intelligence's emergence as an essential tool in the legal field.

"It seems important to grow my understanding of this technology and think about its implications," she said. 

Outside the library, Iqbal pursues various textile-based hobbies including reading, knitting, cross-stitch, weaving and sewing. She shares her Buffalo home with three siblings and three cats.

For Iqbal, returning to UB means more than just a new position — it's a return to community, family and the institution that helped shape her career path.