Prior to his tenure as University Librarian at Columbia, Haas held positions at Johns Hopkins University, the Council of Higher Education, and the University of Pennsylvania. Haas was appointed University Librarian at Columbia in 1970 and was named Vice President of Information Services in 1972.

Haas departed Columbia for the Council on Library Resources (CLR), of which he served as President from 1978 through 1990.

“All who worked with him, all who were touched by the programs and initiatives of CLR, and all who benefit every day from the more accessible digital library owe Jim Haas a debt of gratitude,” wrote Deanna Marcum, former Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress, in a tribute to Haas in the journal CLIR Issues.

Haas – and his myriad contributions to Columbia Libraries – are remembered fondly.