Brigitte Burnham
University Libraries
Years at Stanford
35
Honored
2023
What is one fun fact about you?
I grew up in a small town in Southern Germany and spent a lot of my childhood roaming the countryside, playing on the remnants of Roman walls and exploring Neanderthal caves (for real!). We grew everything we ate and canned and preserved all these fruits and vegetables for the long winters. My dream and heart's desire as a kid was to go and buy a can of Del Monte fruit cocktail with those Maraschino cherries (that seemed like the most exotic thing on the grocery store shelf!) and eat storebought jam. Never did!
What is one thing that you like about working at Stanford?
Working with a wonderful and diverse group of people and developing lifelong friendships over the years; serving the larger Stanford community of students, staff and faculty in the libraries and being part of such an amazing institution and very beautiful place.
Tell us briefly about an event, project, program or initiative you were involved with at Stanford that you're most proud of.
Weathering the 1989 earthquake - we picked up thousands of books off the floors in Green Library Stacks and re-shelved them; the flood of 1998 - getting a call at 3 a.m., driving in through the storm, putting on the rain boots and rescuing as many books as we could from the flood waters on the bottom floor of the Green Stacks; and last but not least, keeping the books and journals coming for all the many libraries on campus - year after year, day in and day out.
What is one of your favorite memories while working at Stanford?
Bowdoin Street in full spring bloom and glorious fall colors; the stunning view of Memorial Church coming up Palm Drive (it still gets me every time!); the serene beauty of lake Lagunita; the Stone River; AND the sea of bicycles in front of Green and Lathrop Libraries during finals week - it gives me great joy to see that the books we put in there are getting used
Leave your Legacy: What piece of guidance would you give a new hire at Stanford?
Take time to appreciate and enjoy this beautiful place and all it has to offer. Take advantage of the many opportunities here - a huge selection of exercise and health related classes, continuing studies and technology classes, concerts, plays and a plethora of sporting events. Go Cardinal! Always remind yourself that you are part of something pretty special and are contributing in your own way to promote and further education and research at this exceptional university.
Other Career Celebrations
