We’re excited to welcome Xavier Tilley, our new library developer, whose strong technical background and passion for library science make them a valuable addition to our team. Originally from Booneville, Mississippi, Tilley describes their hometown as “a pretty sleepy town” with a nice local library, which helped spark their lifelong appreciation for books and libraries.
Their academic journey took them from an associate degree in English at Northeast Mississippi Community College to a bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Memphis. Toward the end of their studies, Tilley discovered an interest in American Sign Language. “I really enjoyed learning ASL, but U of M didn’t offer a degree in it until after I graduated,” they said.
Before joining UB Libraries, Tilley made a difference in the tech community by helping to manage the Memphis Technology Foundation. When considering their next career move, the idea of working in an academic setting sounded appealing. A job listing with UB Libraries sparked a research dive into library classification systems—a perfect fit for someone who loves both books and coding! “I stumbled across this job and thought working at a library sounded really cool,” they said. “I’ve always loved libraries, and I fell down a research rabbit hole about classification systems when I was looking for a good way to organize my own book collection.”
In Tilley’s new role as library developer, they’ll be working on software to support library operations and developing a digital asset management system. “I’m looking forward to discovering some really interesting problems to solve,” they said. One of their first projects, called Foundry, is a web application that will host various library tools. The inaugural tool, Gutenberg, will streamline barcode label printing in the Annex.
Outside of work, Tilley enjoys a diverse range of hobbies, from board games to knitting, weaving, and even building custom keyboards. They’re also fascinated by the link between textile manufacturing and early computing— “really nerdy topics like that,” Tilley says. And a fun fact: they’ve been keeping fish for nearly two decades!
Please join us in welcoming Tilley to the team. We’re looking forward to the innovative ideas and fresh perspective they bring to the libraries.
Tilley can be found in 230 Lockwood and reached at xavierti@buffalo.edu.