Samantha LeGrand is a clinical assistant professor and instruction and design librarian at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Samantha has been a member of ACRL for 6 years and is your ACRL Member of the Week for July 20, 2026.
Describe yourself in three words: Adaptable, hopeful, genuine.
What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device)? Listening to audiobooks is one of the main ways I de-stress (and make chores enjoyable)! Right now, I’m in the middle of a long string of “romantacies,” but I venture widely over the fiction genre map, from historical fiction to sci fi. I also sometimes seek out books by specific narrators – some of my favorites are Fiona Hardingham and Steve West.
Describe ACRL in three words: Opportunity, diversity, growth.
What do you value about ACRL? With ACRL, there are so many different ways to be involved, and there are resources and communities to engage in different ways whenever you’re ready. When I was new to the profession, it took some time to figure out where my place might be in such a large organization. So, I attended webinars to learn, and I joined the New Members Roundtable and benefitted from the expertise of colleagues further along in their careers. Now that I’ve been in several types of library jobs over ten years, I am finding new ways to contribute the experience I’ve cultivated. I have presented at an ACRL conference, and I will join a new Instruction Section committee this July. I appreciate that ACRL provides opportunities for library and information professionals to form communities of support and meet us where we are.
What do you as an academic librarian contribute to your campus? My particular role is very pedagogically focused – I get to work with faculty, staff, and students across the university in many different contexts, usually facilitating course development or undergraduate research experiences. As an academic librarian, I bring the mindsets, values, and practices of information literacy to each interaction. I also contribute the interdisciplinary and collaborative ways of working that librarians develop over time, working with so many different populations. Specifically, as an academic librarian, I have the connections to bridge disciplines and roles to facilitate conversations between people who might never otherwise get the opportunity to learn from one another as peers – for example, co-leading faculty development initiatives with undergraduate students.
In your own words: I’ve loved all the different kinds of librarian jobs I’ve had over the years, in community colleges, elementary schools, and now at a research university. Each position has uniquely grown and challenged me, and I’ve been so fortunate in the colleagues I’ve learned from. My current position as a clinical professor and librarian focused on information literacy pedagogy has given me new levels of freedom and creativity. It has pushed me to pursue scholarship and grow my teaching practice in ways I never expected. Working with faculty to develop their pedagogy and working with students to develop their strengths and goals is exciting and rewarding, as I get to spend each day exploring how information literacy can shape collaborative teaching and learning.
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