Jessica Bell
Director of the Library and Instructional Design
MGH Institute of Health Professions: Bellack Library
Boston, Massachusetts
“Jessica has contributed significantly to the MGH Institute’s ability to sustain its mission to prepare health professionals grounded in evidence-based practice and promote the creation of new knowledge that advances care of a diverse society.”
Jessica Bell has gone above and beyond to meet the unique needs of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, a graduate school focused on health care teaching and research.
When Jessica began working at the MGH Institute in 2008, she was the campus’s only librarian and oversaw an exclusively virtual library. Over the past 12 years, her leadership, expertise, and innovative vision has expanded the library to include a physical space and a small but mighty team of staff. She has grown to play an indispensable role in student learning and faculty scholarship, from coauthoring academic papers to incorporating information literacy training in 100 percent of the institute’s programs.
During an unprecedented year, Jessica has risen to the occasion, working to meet the unique needs facing health care students and faculty during the pandemic. With students no longer able to receive clinical training on-site at local hospitals, she invested in top-quality medical database access to ensure learners wouldn’t fall behind in their path to licensure. Jessica has also created extensive online instructional content and has hosted virtual community building events to relieve stress and keep students connected.
“She is committed to making the library central to the mission of the MGH Institute, constantly adapting it to address new academic and societal needs,” her nominators wrote. “The array of task forces, committees, and working groups Jessica is invited to serve on attest to how much faculty and staff value her input.”