Lorne Richard Buhr was born in on March 25, 1942 in Borden, Saskatchewan. He attended the Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg, earning a Bachelor of Christian Education, prior to enrolling at the University of Saskatchewan where he earned a BA (1969). A scholarship from the University of Saskatchewan enabled him to attend the University of Toronto, where he earned his BLS (1970). He joined the staff of the University of Saskatchewan Library in 1970, working primarily in Government Publications; he also served as acting head of the Reference Department. He left the University in 1977 to accept a position with the Alberta Legislative Library. Buhr died in Edmonton on October 2, 2016.