“I was always a history nerd,” says Sarah Leveille ’26MS, who pursued the Master of Library and Information Science: Libraries and Librarianship Concentration at Simmons School of Library and Information Science (SLIS).
With her earlier educational background in classical civilizations and archaeology, Leveille initially thought she would become an archaeologist. She soon realized, however, that the constant travel required by archaeological excavations would not be an easy lifestyle.
For a time, she flirted with nonprofit management, tutoring, and museum work, and eventually fell into a part-time role at the Grafton Public Library — in her hometown of Grafton, Massachusetts — where she now serves as reference librarian.
“I am much happier getting a group of kids together, chatting with them about my favorite Greek myths, and getting them excited about the topic,” she says. Indeed, Leveille feels drawn to the “informal” education/educator role of librarians, as well as the opportunity to connect with her community in a meaningful way.
Holistic Training at Simmons SLIS
While working part-time in Grafton during the COVID-19 pandemic, Leveille searched for hybrid and American Library Association-accredited library and information science (LIS) programs in the area, and discovered Simmons.
“Simmons offered many courses that addressed the societal questions around LIS, as well as practical courses. I really wanted to get that more behind-the-scenes-aspect,” she says. “I had very little management experience, and I found the libraries and librarianship concentration to be well-rounded and well-guided, with just enough freedom to have fun with the electives.”
The first Simmons course Leveille took was “Information Sources and Services” (LIS 407). “I took this course online, and it resonated with my interest in community and so many of the major issues of our day,” she says. “I just thought, ‘Yes, this is what I want to do.’”
One of Leveille’s favorite SLIS courses was “Storytelling” (LIS 423), taught by Associate Professor Melanie Kimball. “This class was a great way to regain my confidence in speaking publicly, and Professor Kimball was wonderful in the classroom,” she says. “It was the most fun I had at Simmons, and I recommend this course to everyone.”
An especially useful course for Leveille was “Collections Development and Management” (LIS 453), which covers how to review an existing collection and deaccession out-of-date editions. “Since I finished that class in May 2025, I have been continuously reviewing the non-fiction collection at Grafton. I applied that coursework within days of finishing the class,” she notes.
At SLIS, Leveille enjoyed working with her advisor, Professor Lisa Hussey, as well as Dr. Lisa Davis (who teaches medieval manuscripts) and Professor Daniel Joudrey (who teaches cataloging).
“They are all very passionate about what they teach, and that is incredibly infectious — even with something as technical as subject cataloging. It makes me happy to take classes with them to see that enthusiasm and passion,” she says.
Public Librarianship and Leadership
As someone who worked for a public library while she was a graduate student at Simmons, Leveille believes that SLIS provided a significant professionalization opportunity.
“The librarians and librarianship concentration is designed to prepare you for leadership and management in libraries,” she says. “It changed how I think about the behind-the-scenes aspects of libraries, including cataloging, budgeting, and strategic goals. Most importantly, Simmons taught me about the library’s role in a community.”
Moreover, Leveille appreciates SLIS’s partnership with Greenfield Community College through the SLIS West program.
“I took one class there, ‘Public Libraries’ (LIS 450), and it was a very different experience. It was in person, and you are exposed to all these little towns and their libraries in Western Massachusetts that are in need of good, trained librarians,” she says. “It’s important for librarians to spread out beyond Boston.”
Studying public librarianship has empowered Leveille to envision greater goals.
“When taking the course at SLIS West, I began to think it was possible for me to become a library director one day,” she recalls. “I had never even considered it before, but now I see that as a reasonable goal, once I have accrued more experience. I would say that building confidence was a big thing that the SLIS program has done for me. And it has given me a big view into the many aspects of librarianship, which is extremely important for anyone who wants to have a leadership role.”
Creating LibGuides, Ancient and Contemporary
During her studies at SLIS, Leveille created two LibGuides for the Simmons University Library.
A LibGuide, she explains, “is a type of digital research or subject guide, presenting background information, links to available resources, and advice for those interested in pursuing further research. They are especially common in academic libraries, often serving to introduce new students to the tools and resources the library provides.”
As part of her final project for “Information Sources and Services,” Leveille compiled a LibGuide on Ancient Greek Drama.
“I wanted to do something from one of the fields with which I was familiar, so Greek drama just came to me,” she says. “It also fits the [condensed] format of a LibGuide very well, given that we have a limited number of plays and playwrights from that period.”
This guide is designed especially for individuals in education, literature, and theater. It includes biographical information on individual playwrights, an annotated bibliography on recent scholarship, and video clips. Leveille begins by introducing readers to available editions and translations, then highlights the deeper themes within Greek drama.
Leveille’s second Simmons LibGuide is Book Bans in America. She is passionate about this topic, and her library features banned book displays every year. At Hussey’s suggestion, Leveille created this LibGuide as part of an independent study course. After spending a semester researching book bans, she organized the LibGuide into categories, including an overview of the current state of book bans, the legal theory behind them, the relevant statistics, and the effects the bans have on communities.
“We need to reach people who don’t already know about this issue, to create more community input and build a wider awareness,” she explains. “Many people think of book banning as a single book issue [i.e., the parent and child involved in the complaint], but it’s actually this huge-scale problem with very distinct trends. It affects people of color and LGBTQ communities more than others.”
Writing for a general audience, Leveille employs accessible language to explain microaggressions and systemic racism, as well as “hermeneutic injustices,” or instances “where you start changing the language in how you refer to a specific thing, and it disrupts the conversation that you could be having with people in these communities,” she explains. “This was my first attempt in building a bridge to repair some of that.”
Leveille’s contributions resonate with librarians’ stewardship of intellectual freedom.
“People have a right to read and to decide for themselves what to read. In the contemporary moment, the issue of representation is really critical. Do we have books where people of color or members of the LGBTQ community can see themselves?” she asks. “Librarians try to embrace intellectual freedom and equity so that people can make their own decisions.”
The Joys of Community-Building
Leveille loves the community aspect of working in libraries.
“I have lived in this town pretty much my whole life, but I have felt much more connected to Grafton since I started working at the library,” she explains.
On any given day, Leveille might help a teenager figure out their summer reading list, assist another patron in locating an obscure horror novel, or instruct someone on how to use the library printers, scanners, and fax machines.
“I really love the informal education aspect of librarianship,” she says. “And I value these connections with members of my community.”