Schuman worked at the Brooklyn Public Library, Brandeis High School and New York Technical College and served as senior acquisitions editor for the Book Division and editor of the Library/Education Book Program at R.R.

[4] She served the American Library Association as its first woman treasurer (1984–1988) and led efforts to endow a scholarship fund.

Schuman was a founding member of the ALA's Social Responsibilities Roundtable and the Feminist Task Force.

As President of the American Library Association, Schuman launched a nationwide campaign to focus attention on the public's right to know including censorship and access to government information.

[5] She implemented media training for association leaders, established a speaker's network, and founded the Library Advocacy Now!