Russell Shank's leadership in field of library science was profound. As noted in his American Libraries Magazine obituary, he was the first director of libraries at the Smithsonian Institution and the first vice chancellor for library and information services planning at UCLA Libraries.

His career encompassed many other leadership roles, including president of the American Library Association (ALA) from 1978-79. president of ALA's Association of College and Research Libraries and president of the Information Science and Automation Division (now the Library and Information Technology Association).

As a dedicated academic, Shank taught at the at the University of California, Los Angeles's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, where he was named professor emeritus. He received the Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor Award and the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award n 1990.

Shank was named the iSchool Distinguished Alumnus in 1968. He participated in the iSchool alumni reception at ALA New Orleans in 2011 (pictured above with iSchool Dean Harry Bruce) and most recently at the ALA Anaheim 2012 reception that celebrated the end of the iSchool Centennial. He died on June 26, due to complications from a fall.