CV

Curriculum vitae of Bella Ratmelia, Senior Librarian in Research & Data Services at SMU Libraries.

Senior Librarian, Research & Data Services (April 2024 - Present)
Data Services Librarian (June 2021 - March 2024)

Provide research and data support to the SMU community across the research lifecycle, with a focus on data collection, analysis, reproducible workflows, and research communication.
Design and deliver coding-for-research workshops in Python and R, with consistently positive participant feedback (>86% of participants would recommend the workshops to others).
Develop and support research-facing initiatives on AI-enabled research workflows, including AI-powered search, literature discovery, transcription, and responsible use of emerging tools.
Led and coordinated SMU Libraries’ inaugural AI hackathon in 2023, which resulted in a research project to implement the winning prototype.
Founding member of the SMU Researcher Club, an initiative that engages research staff at SMU and fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, and community-building among researchers.

Librarian (February 2019 - June 2021)
Assistant Librarian (August 2015 - January 2019)

Designed and developed more than 30 information and digital literacy classes for undergraduates and postgraduates. On average, the classes received a 95% satisfaction rating based on student feedback.
Led a User Experience (UX) research project evaluating the usability of the Library’s discovery platform and Subject Guides.
Developed and executed social media campaigns with the outreach team to promote the Library’s resources. The campaigns generated a 98% increase in followers for NTU Library’s Instagram account in one year.
Developed a final year project (FYP) collection database for the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), in collaboration with the communication subject librarian.
Helped expand collaboration with NTU faculty to create and customise at least 100 course blogs and research websites supporting the university’s teaching and research activities.

Library Executive (January 2013 - July 2015)

Contributed to the migration of blogs@NTU from in-house hosting to a cloud-hosted solution; drafted ITQ technical requirements, conducted vendor evaluation, and developed and executed the change communication plan.
Developed WordPress self-help guides and conducted at least 10 customised WordPress workshops for NTU faculty, staff, and students.
Provided technical customisation services and consultations for blogs@NTU projects.

Game Developer (September 2011 - December 2012)

Worked as part of a small agile team of three developers on the Facebook game Social Life.
Developed integration with players’ Facebook accounts using the Facebook API.
Developed parts of the gameplay mechanics using ActionScript 3, PHP, and JavaScript.
Developed frontend user interface components using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Designed and developed the tutorial section of the game to introduce and guide new players.

Programming and technical skills: Python, R, SQL, PHP, JavaScript, HTML/CSS.
Research and data services: research data lifecycle support, data collection and analysis, reproducible research workflows, and research methods in the social sciences.
AI-enabled research workflows: AI-powered search, literature discovery, transcription workflows, and practical evaluation of emerging research tools.
Teaching and facilitation: workshop design, coding-for-research instruction, lesson planning, and hands-on technical training.
Tools and platforms: GitHub, Quarto, WordPress, LibGuides.
Academic library practice: liaison librarianship, library instruction, scholarly communication, researcher engagement, and open scholarship.

See the Talks & Publications page for selected presentations, papers, and articles.

Vice President, FORCE11 (2026–2027)
Co-chair, FORCE2026 Conference Organising Committee (2026)
Council Member and IT Committee Chair, Library Association Singapore (2019–2023)
Organiser, LAS-PPM Conference 2021
Organiser, Library Association Singapore Conference 2019
Organiser, WordCamp Singapore 2019
Organiser, WordCamp Singapore 2016