BRASS Excellence in Business Librarianship sponsored by Mergent Names It’s 2024 Winner – Diane Zabel, Louis and Virginia Benzak Business Librarian; Head of Schreyer Business Library; The Pennsylvania State University (retired February 29, 2024)

Diane’s contributions include a deep commitment to mentorship within the community and substantial authorship on topics related to business librarianship, reference, and information literacy. Diane dedicated years of service within editorial and leadership positions – guiding professional organizations and journals with focuses on librarianship and business literacy. – Award Committee Statement

Diane Zabel just retired as the Louis and Virginia Benzak Business Librarian at The Pennsylvania State University Libraries, where she served as the head of the Schreyer Business Library. Her career within business librarianship – much of which as an endowed professor – spanned over thirty years of service and scholarship.

As a leader, Diane served as RUSA President from 2005-2006 and as an ALA Councilor at Large from 2009-2011. She facilitated efforts in establishing an endowment for RUSA, using her business acumen to help persuade the board’s decision.

Within scholarship, Diane edited the Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ) and Ticker: The Academic Business Librarianship Review. She also served on editorial boards for the Journal of Academic Librarianship and Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship. A frequent author and presenter, her variety of works influenced the profession and reached countless librarians. 

As an ever-present mentor, Diane provided frequent guidance and support for librarians and faculty. She helped mentees navigate tenure processes, research agendas, and the complex realm of scholarly publications. Her dedication to mentorship spans both formal and informal structures.

Her partnerships are many. One highlight was collaborating with business faculty around the development of a Business Information Project, resulting in wide-spread, years-long impacts on student communities. Her ability to foster relationships through this project enabled over ten thousand students to develop fundamental skills around business information and information literacy.

BRASS Excellence in Business Librarianship Award selection committee was Chaired by Jimmy McKee.