In Memoriam

Amy J. Vilz was one of 11 librarians selected this year to receive the New York State Outstanding Librarian Award recognizing service to their communities. It was a bittersweet recognition, coming a month after her death at 47 from cancer on March 4.

Vilz accomplished a great deal in her 47 years.

A native of Buffalo, she received a BA in history in 1995, and a MLS in 2006, both from UB. Before joining the University Libraries as UB’s archivist in 2013, she held archival positions at Rochester Institute of Technology, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, D’Youville College and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Rare Book Room.

Vilz worked tirelessly to make the UB Libraries a more effective service organization, and demonstrated leadership, guidance and innovative efforts that will have a lasting impact on the university, particularly her work to digitize UB’s vast audiovisual holdings.
Evviva Weinraub Lajoie, vice provost for UB Libraries, noted:  “Amy’s commitment to the profession and her collaborative, creative spirit brought a thoughtful and forward-thinking perspective to her leadership of the University Archives.”

Vilz served as co-editor-in-chief of the open access journal she co-founded, The Reading Room. She was a member of the Western New York/Ontario Association of College and Research Libraries.

She was determined to live life to the fullest. After receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, she traveled to Europe, bought a house, planted a perennial garden, toured Buffalo as if she were a tourist and wrote her own obituary.