April’s installment of 7 Questions With… AAAL Members features Karen Hildebrandt, Assistant Director, Library Services, Concordia University College of Alberta Library.

1. Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad, but it turned out to be for the best? Definitely. In a previous job I ended up working with a workplace bully. It was a year from hell but it forced me to find another job. I knew I wouldn’t leave unless it was going to be something better. I ended up at Concordia and it has been an amazing 14 years! I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities that I would never have had if I had stayed with the previous job. In this case the bully did me a huge favour!

2. What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life? 

• Feels like home – BSB
• Warriors – Imagine Dragons
• Close Your Eyes – Meghan Trainor
• Don’t Bring me down – ELO
• One Life – Hedley
• Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
• Unmistakable – BSB
• Perfect – Hedley

3. If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be? If we’re talking about work it would be one library card to be used in any Alberta library. If we’re talking personally, it would be my kitchen redesign/reno.

4. What is your best piece of career advice? Go beyond your comfort level. Explore opportunities and challenge yourself. I’ve had so many great opportunities by pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. I’ve met so many wonderful people and it would never have happened if I would have stayed within my comfortable little rut/safe place.

5. What is your proudest work-related accomplishment? There are so many and they all involved an amazing team to accomplish. I think implementation of the L Pass and the NEOS Centralized ILL are the two that come to mind. But the Centralized ILL would probably come out as #1 because I had the privilege to be involved with the implementation from the conception stage right through to implementation and it seems to be working really well!

6. What is your proudest non-work related accomplishment? Raising my two sons, Matt and Dave. Both have grown up to accomplished good men with beautiful wives. They are kind, hard working and they both love to cook and bake!

7. What is your favourite quote? And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” ― John Steinbeck, East of Eden