Shirley Lankford was employed in the Library at the University of West Georgia for 40 years. She began school at West Georgia College (WGC) as a student in 1970. In 1977, she began working at the college after earning her bachelor’s degree in economics. She continued her education at Atlanta University (now Clark University) and got a master’s degree in library science in 1985, and another degree in guidance and counseling from West Georgia College in 1994.

Lankford helped develop UWG’s LIBR 1101 course, which teaches students how to conduct research, becoming one of her most notable contributions to the university. She traveled across the United States and Canada to present the innovative nature of the course, and many libraries have adopted similar courses. In May 2017, Lankford retired with plans of spending time with family and traveling.