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Jackie Belanger
Director, Libraries Assessment and Planning Year Nominated: 2021-2022
Jackie Belanger leads the Libraries in large scale assessment and planning projects that guide improvement and decision-making, aligning the services, programs, and resources of the UW Libraries to the ever-evolving needs of UW students, staff, and faculty. Jackie plays a leadership role in Libraries’ strategic planning process, including managing the development of the 2018-2023 Libraries strategic plan and evaluating progress towards the stated goals.
Jackie works collaboratively and in partnership across the organization, establishing and sustaining structures that are effective, open, and equitable. She has transformed the assessment program to include both large-scale surveys as well as student-centered, values-driven methods like Design Thinking and Participatory Design.
As a member of the steering committee, Jackie has co-organized the Library Assessment Conference since 2014 (co-sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and UW Libraries). Her collaborative work and co-authored article "Towards a Critical Library Assessment Program" has significantly impacted the field, bringing a critical and reflective lens to assessment methodologies and practices.
Which project have you found to be most rewarding/enjoyable and why?
One of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on was a Spring 2020 cross-departmental effort exploring the needs of students enrolled in UW online programs. It was a quarter-long project that involved not just understanding the challenges and needs of online students, but also co-designing solutions to these challenges in partnership with students. The project was in development before COVID-19. However, with the March 2020 shift to remote teaching and learning, the project took on a new importance, informing several changes to support students that have continued to shape our services. For me, this project was incredibly rewarding because it aligned so well with important values around collaboration, creativity, and equity and inclusion – It was incredibly meaningful to work together with colleagues and students to find creative ways to address our challenges and center student voices in our work. As a result of participating in the project, students reported increased awareness of Libraries and campus services, improved collaboration skills, and a greater sense of belonging – which was so vital for all of us during that challenging Spring of 2020.
(author Deb Raftus)
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