Get to know the members of West's dedicated Librarian Relations Team.

Meet Renee Cullmann, West Librarian Relations Manager

Renee Cullmann is a Librarian Relations Manager in New York, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh. She has worked as an attorney, a judicial law clerk, and a nonprofit fund-raiser. She is an active member of the Law Library Association of Greater New York (LLAGNY) and the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), and is a past president of the New Jersey Law Librarians Association (NJLLA).

Renee is a graduate of Rutgers Law School-Camden and has her Master of Library and Information Science degree from Rutgers University. She is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy visiting a large number of libraries and meeting with different librarians. I love the opportunity to see how different libraries are run and observe various best practices in the profession.

What do you like best about working with librarians?

Librarians are sophisticated researchers and they expect in-depth and accurate training and answers. Working with great researchers enables me to stay on top of my game and continue learning about our profession.

What types of environments have you worked in?

As a librarian, I have worked in an academic law library and a large law firm's library. Both of those experiences have really benefitted me as a researcher. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with a broad range of issues and patrons.

How do you see the role of the law librarian changing over the next ten years?

I think law librarians will continue to be expert researchers, but I see their roles expanding in the areas of business development, knowledge management, and education. I see more and more librarians getting involved in providing CLE, vetting technological resources, and assisting with prospecting for new business. I think the profession will continue to move in those directions and librarians will continue to expand into fulfilling those roles.

What is your favorite feature of WestlawNext?

I like the fact that History goes back for one year and is searchable. That makes things so much easier for our customers in terms of productivity, organization, and cost recovery.

Paperback, hardcover, or Kindle?

Paperback. I like to carry a book around with me and paperbacks are easy for travel. Of course, Kindles are too, but I just haven't made the switch yet. I like the feel of a book.

Favorite library?

The main branch of the New York Public Library.

Best research tip?

Start in secondary sources. It will save you time in the long run. And don't forget to use print, as well as online sources. There is a unique serendipity in what can be stumbled upon while browsing through print resources.

Favorite book?

That's a hard one. I have favorite authors more than a favorite book, really. I will pretty much read anything written by Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon, David Sedaris, or John Irving. The experience of reading To Kill a Mockingbird when I was 14 years old was really an eye opener for me. That was the first time I recall being very deeply moved by a work of literature.

People don't know that in my spare time I love to ...

Cook, read, do yoga, and hang out with my husband and our two dogs. I am pretty much a homebody these days.