Carolyn Klotzbach-Russell Awarded Tenure at UB Libraries

by DENISE WOLFE

Carolyn Klotzbach-Russell, business and social sciences librarian at the University at Buffalo, has been awarded tenure by the UB Libraries in recognition of her outstanding contributions to librarianship, scholarship and service. Her tenure becomes effective Aug. 5, 2025.

Since joining the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Team as the business and government documents librarian, Klotzbach-Russell has revitalized the Libraries’ liaison program with the School of Management, led impactful instruction and outreach initiatives, and played a key role in preserving and enhancing access to the government documents collection. She is widely respected for her collaborative approach and commitment to student and faculty success.

“She revitalized our liaison program with the School of Management, leading thoughtful instruction and outreach initiatives that have strengthened our engagement with faculty and students. And she has been instrumental in the preservation of our government documents collection, making it more accessible and relevant for both UB users and the broader community,” said Laura Taddeo, head of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Team. “From the moment I met her, I knew she would be a stellar librarian.”

A former sales and marketing professional, Klotzbach-Russell brings a practical perspective to her academic work, applying principles such as return on investment and project prioritization to campus initiatives with real-world impact.

As liaison to the School of Management and several social science disciplines, she has built strong relationships with students and faculty and works closely with the Startup and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad. Her support for student entrepreneurs includes research consultations, presentation coaching and mentoring.

Her instruction spans a range of fields, including engineering, public health and gender studies. During the pandemic, she co-authored case studies for virtual study-abroad courses, helping to create meaningful global experiences despite travel restrictions.

Klotzbach-Russell’s scholarship focuses on the evolving role of librarians in developing nontraditional instruction and outreach. Her recent article, “Navigating the Thicket: Transforming Government Documents Collections Through Systematic Assessment,” appeared in Collection Management. She is also part of the Ithaka S+R cohort project on assessing the diversity of library collections, working with GIS and geospatial librarian Sam Kim to test a new assessment tool.

Her service contributions are extensive. As chair of the American Library Association’s Business Reference and Services Section Membership Committee, she led efforts to improve recruitment, retention and mentoring. She also served on the HathiTrust Federal Documents Advisory Committee, helping shape national policies to enhance access and metadata for U.S. government publications.

The University at Buffalo Libraries congratulates Klotzbach-Russell on this milestone and looks forward to her continued contributions to the profession.