Michelle Zafron Promoted to Rank of Full Librarian at UB

by DENISE WOLFE

Michelle Zafron, an associate librarian in Health Sciences Library Services at the University at Buffalo Libraries, has been promoted to the rank of librarian, also known as full librarian, effective Sept. 1, 2026.

Promotion to librarian is the highest professional rank a librarian can achieve at UB, recognizing superior contributions across four areas: excellence throughout a candidate's career, impact on the communities served, research or scholarship that has influenced the field and a national or international reputation among peers.

"Michelle is someone who demonstrates excellence in librarianship to her core. She is a wonderful colleague and collaborator who is always willing to help others, whether it be through providing in-depth research consultations, creating a new workshop to meet the needs of her constituents, or serving as a mentor to her colleagues. While many mentors take on one or two mentees, Michelle regularly works with three at a time. She's been a big part of my own career at UB. She hired me as a graduate student assistant while I was earning my MLS, and I owe much of where I am today to her guidance. I feel very lucky to work with Michelle, and her promotion to librarian is so well deserved," said Elizabeth Stellrecht, head of Health Sciences Library Services.

Zafron has served in Health Sciences Library Services since 2003, first as senior assistant librarian, then in her current rank since 2009. She coordinates reference services for the Health Sciences Information Team and is library liaison to the School of Public Health and Health Professions, where she also has been an adjunct instructor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science since 2011 and has co-taught Evidence-Based Practice I from 2004 to 2025. 

Zafron's scholarship reflects deep, sustained collaboration with health sciences faculty: she has co-authored more than 20 refereed journal articles, many of them systematic reviews and meta-analyses spanning concussion care, COVID-19 recovery, pediatric transport safety and nutrition, published in journals including the Journal of the Medical Library Association and Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She holds Distinguished Member status in the Academy of Health Information Professionals and won UB's Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship in 2015.

Her national reputation is anchored in the Medical Library Association, where she recently chaired the Academic Librarians Caucus and has served on the National Program Committee, the Professional Recruitment & Retention Committee, as well as multiple juries, including for the Doe Lectureship and Rising Stars awards. She is one of the recipients for the 2026 Medical Library Association President's Award. At UB, she has chaired the Libraries' Bylaws Committee, chaired the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee, and led multiple search committees, reflecting the trust her colleagues have placed in her leadership.