Tristan M.K. Draper is a student success and engagement librarian at Beloit College in Beloit, WI. Tristan has been a member of ACRL for 5 years and is your ACRL Member of the Week for July 27, 2026.
Describe yourself in three words: Curious, multifaceted, effervescent.
What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device)? I’m currently reading Libricide by Rebecca Knuth for research and Hell’s Heart by Alexis Hall for fun.
Describe ACRL in three words: Connection, engagement, support.
What do you value about ACRL? As a librarian at a small, private college, ACRL has been incredibly valuable for making connections and accessing resources beyond my campus. Having a place to go when I’m feeling uncertain or when I need support has helped me grow in my librarianship and connect with other library professionals who have similar interests and experiences. Whether it’s chatting about gamified instruction at a conference, sharing ideas for assessment at a webinar, or talking about tabletop role-playing game collections, the people I have met through ACRL have made such a positive impact on me. The ACRL College Libraries Section has been especially crucial for finding mentorship, which has helped me to develop professionally and personally.
What do you as an academic librarian contribute to your campus? Librarianship at a small college requires agility (I wear a lot of different hats)! In my role as Student Success & Engagement Librarian, I collaborate with instructors and staff to help students navigate an increasingly complex information landscape. Some days, this means visiting classes to talk about evaluating information, research ethics, or AI. Other days, this means throwing an I Love Data party to help students learn about data resources. I love having critical conversations with students about information and the ways it is created, shared, revised, and censored.
I also work closely with students, clubs, and organizations on campus to create meaningful opportunities for connection and belonging in the library and beyond. My goal is to empower students to take ownership of projects, events, and spaces. I work closely with students to collaborate on exhibits that provide resources for current topics of interest, to create events that bring together people from different areas of campus, and to develop welcoming spaces in the library. These projects also help students develop their communication, collaboration, resilience, professional agility, and other soft skills that they can use after graduating.
In your own words: One of my favorite parts of being an academic librarian is participating in the research process with students. Talking through difficult parts and getting to an “aha” moment is incredibly rewarding. I also get to learn a lot about different topics, from the history of the color pink to the impact of marketing on the stock market in the late 1800s. Often, I’m learning alongside students as they share their expertise in a niche topic, and I share my expertise in the research process. In the current climate, it can be difficult to find moments of joy, but connections with students, whether we’re talking about research or sharing a good book we just read, are what sustain me.
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