How do you solve a problem like Michael?

Purpose Celebrate Michael Buckland's impressive legacy to LIS by showing his humanity, generosity and versatility. Design/methodology/approach This article is walk through a scientific career in LIS. Through personal anecdotes and life history and building upon Michael Buckland's legacy, it summarises the author’s own work seen through the prism of her interactions with Buckland, leading to scholarly contributions articulating significant statements about the field of LIS as well as pointers to past relevant publications. Findings Michael Buckland has a unique way of putting an end to thorny LIS issues as well as being a documentator extraordinaire. Originality/value It is a personal account, as such cannot be evaluated through the classical norms of empirical research as there is no ground truth. This account shows how chance encounters with fellow scholars can have a lasting influence on one's academic career as well as wider impact in a field.