Columbia University Libraries Remembers University Librarian Emeritus Warren J. Haas (1924-2016)
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.
Columbia University Libraries is one of the top five academic research library systems in North America. The collections include over 13 million volumes, over 160,000 journals and serials, as well as extensive electronic resources, manuscripts, rare books, microforms, maps, and graphic and audio-visual materials. The Libraries employs more than 400 professional and support staff and hosts over 4.7 million visitors each year. The website of the Libraries is the gateway to its services and resources: library.columbia.edu.