McCormick Earns Tenure for Excellence in Librarianship, Scholarship and Service

by DENISE WOLFE

The University at Buffalo Libraries has granted tenure to Amanda McCormick, faculty services librarian at the Charles B. Sears Law Library, in recognition of her significant accomplishments in librarianship, scholarship and service. Her tenure takes effect July 29, 2025.

“I’m absolutely thrilled about Amanda’s promotion to associate librarian with tenure. It’s a well-earned recognition for all she has accomplished at UB. Her record speaks volumes about her dedication, talent and impact,” said Beth Adelman, director of the Law Library, vice dean for legal information services and associate university librarian for law. “Before her transfer to the Law Library, Amanda served as liaison to several science and social science departments. In every new role, she quickly immerses herself in the subject matter and builds meaningful connections with faculty and students. Simply stated, Amanda is a Renaissance librarian.”

McCormick’s research focuses on librarianship in practice, with an emphasis on increasing the profession’s impact and equity. Her work examines issues such as the limitations of the terminal master’s degree, tenure pressures for academic librarians, and the legal and institutional challenges librarians face in their work.

“My research centers on how the profession can better meet the needs of both librarians and our users,” McCormick said. “I try to bring attention to the real-world implications of our structures and policies—and how we can improve them.”

Her recent scholarship includes a study with Erin Rowley, engineering librarian and head of Science and Engineering Library Services, on SUNY’s cancellation of the Elsevier ScienceDirect journal package. Conducted with Ithaka S+R, the project examined faculty use of scholarly content and was presented at the SUNY Librarians Association and UKSG, formerly the United Kingdom Serials Group. The study was published in Practical Academic Librarianship.

She has co-authored a study on doctoral students’ use of preprints in scientific research. Published in Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, the article contributes to conversations on open access, scholarly communication and information literacy.

McCormick has also supported student learning through initiatives such as the UB Women in STEM Cooperative, where she coached students in the “STEM for Everyone” competition. She also served as an evaluator for the Buffalo Niagara Mock Trial Competition.

She is currently preparing a follow-up to her earlier article, “Copyright, Fair Use and the Digital Age in Academic Libraries: A Review of the Literature.” Her research now focuses on how copyright law continues to shape academic librarians’ responsibilities in course reserves and repository development.

To earn tenure at the University at Buffalo Libraries, candidates must demonstrate excellence in librarianship, scholarship and service through original work and contributions to the university and professional community.

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