Portrait of Heidi Heilemann, Director

Meet Your Lane Library Staff: Heidi Heilemann

Every month, we are spotlighting an amazing member of our library staff. This month meet Heidi Heilemann, Associate Dean for Knowledge Management and Director.

What do you do at the library?

I am currently the director; but I’ve had the great pleasure of holding a number of positions at Lane Library over the years. In all the various roles, I strive to anticipate and meet the information needs of our students, residents, postdocs, nurses, faculty and staff. Fall is my favorite time of the year when we get to welcome new and returning students. And this fall is particularly exciting as we reopen our physical spaces for the new academic year.

What do you like best about the people who use Lane Library?

I greatly admire the dedication and curiosity of our library users. I learn something new every day from the questions they ask and how they use our vast array of library resources in person and remotely.

What is the most rewarding (or favorite) part of your job?

I’m in awe of the impactful research and outstanding clinical care happening here every single day. Whether I’m in the library working or attending a Stanford Live event on the weekend, it’s not uncommon to hear Life Flight helicopters overhead. They remind me of the critical 24/7 operation I get to be a part of–

How long have you worked at Lane?

I arrived as a newly minted librarian from the University of Washington’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science in 1993. I was originally recruited to oversee Archives and Special Collections and develop and teach Internet searching classes, pre-Google. Needless to say, a lot has changed! Lane Library’s first website debuted in 1994 with about a dozen links and a handful of online resources. Today, the Lane website is our busiest library branch and gateway to an impressive 24/7 digital library of knowledge.

What do you do in your spare time?

I love to walk the Stanford Dish trails and environs. I’ve also recently discovered some great neighborhood walks and been spending more time gardening. Traveling has been more limited of late; but I do look forward to returning to more of that soon and manage to get to Boulder, Colorado as much as I can to visit my two daughters.

Do you prefer…

Coffee or tea? Coffee first thing, then tea the rest of the day.

Cats or dogs? Both

Candy or cake? Pastries

Salty or sweet? Salty 

Print or digital books? Both

Nonfiction or fiction? Both

Summer or winter? Fall

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