Lacy is back at the University at Buffalo—but this time, she’s not a student balancing reference shifts and coursework. As the new User Services Information Desk Supervisor at Abbott Library, she’s guiding student workers and helping ensure the library stays responsive, welcoming and efficient.
“I started my current position at the Abbott Library in late January 2025,” Lacy said. “Transitioning to an academic library environment offers me an opportunity to diversify my librarian skills in a trusted and known organization.”
A Western New York native, Lacy grew up in Caledonia and graduated from Buffalo Seminary before heading to UB, where she earned a degree in art history and a master’s in library science with a certificate in records management. She also pursued coursework in the Humanities Interdisciplinary MA program, with a focus on film studies and art history.
Though she didn’t complete her thesis, she still remembers the title: The Female Gaze, Surrealism, and Self-Portraiture: An Examination of the Works of Sofia Coppola and Francesca Woodman. “Obviously, don’t get me talking about gaze theory in photography and film if you have someplace to be,” she joked.
Lacy’s professional journey took her to Jackson, Mississippi, where she worked at the Mississippi Library Commission supporting public libraries statewide. Her work included leadership training, advocacy and even a micro-grant-funded short film about prison literacy. In 2024 she returned to Buffalo to be closer to loved ones and build a new chapter at UB.
“In any library, empowering and supporting frontline staff ensures that the user experience translates positively to patrons,” she said. “Our student workers are the first people to hear about what’s working and what’s not.”
Lacy Ellinwood (center) speaking at the 2016 Mississippi Library Association Conference about the work of Big House Books and how public libraries can support their mission.
Outside of work, Lacy stays busy with advocacy for Big House Books, a nonprofit that sends free books to incarcerated individuals. She’s also part of the ALA’s interest group on library services for patrons with dementia.
“I do my fair share of reading,” she said. “Right now, I’m in a bodice ripper romance phase—because who can handle anything too serious nowadays?”
At home, she’s ruled by Bear, Billie and Boogie—two black dogs and one sassy black cat she rescued as a sick kitten.
While Lacy is still settling into her new role, she’s eager to dive deeper into UB’s library world—and maybe one day, return to that unfinished thesis.