Emily LeGrand

My indexing specialties are in life sciences, social sciences and humanities, psychology, environmental studies, child and youth studies, philosophy, spirituality, education and anything that grapples with where we are headed as a society. I work on academic books, trade books, reports, textbooks, periodicals and non-fiction for children and youth. I also enjoy doing information description projects such as metadata construction, abstracting and cataloguing.

As an indexer, I have a knack for seeing multiple layers of themes within the text and following them throughout the text. I also focus on  expressing them in multiple ways in the index, making it more likely that a reader will discover them.  This creates indexes that have been called insightful, sensitive, thorough and well-structured.  Making new connections is my favourite creative thought process, which means my indexes have cross references that expand a reader’s entry into the work, as well as offering insights into how the different topics and concepts in the book are connected.

I grew up in intellectual debates with my dad, an evolutionary immunologist and naturalist, before formally studying biology, ecology and environmental studies at Carleton College, a liberal arts college for nerdy kids in Minnesota. Learning is my primary hobby, and I have had longstanding interests in self-directed and learner-centred education, social justice and movements, native plants, evolution, conservation, medicine, psychology, personal development and spirituality.

My paid work aside from indexing has been primarily in community-based environmental projects, focusing on nature connection, environmental education and risky nature play for kids, as a project coordinator, curriculum writer, program leader and trainer/facilitator. I also have a masters degree in Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I trained in indexing at University of California at Berkeley Extension in 2019.

I would love to learn how I might be a part of your project so that readers can get the most out of an author’s passion and insights.

Please contact me at emilylegrandindexing@gmail.com or

Visit my website to learn more about what it would be like to work with me:  www.emilylegrand.com