Melissa Brennan
About Melissa Brennan
Melissa Brennan is an Archivist Librarian and Online Content Specialist at the National Institutes of Health, where she curates public health emergency data to support COVID-19 research. With a background in archival administration and extensive experience in data management, she has contributed significantly to the PubMed Central repository since 2015.
Work at National Institutes of Health
Melissa Brennan has served as an Archivist-Librarian and Online Content Specialist for PubMed Central at the National Institutes of Health since 2015. In this role, she curates and processes Public Health Emergency data, specifically aimed at supporting COVID-19 research. She manages the deposit of over 600 digital medical journals into the PubMed Central repository, ensuring that the archiving process is efficient and comprehensive. Additionally, she collaborates with the PubMed team to maintain data integrity across databases and assists with policy questions by providing reference links and resources to stakeholders.
Education and Expertise
Melissa Brennan holds a Masters of Library Science from the University of Maryland, where she studied Archives and Archival Administration from 2012 to 2014. She also completed a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing at Purchase College, SUNY, from 2000 to 2003. Her educational background includes a Technical Theater Internship at The Juilliard School, focusing on Electrics and Lighting. This diverse educational experience equips her with a unique skill set applicable to her current role in archiving and content management.
Background in Previous Roles
Before her tenure at the National Institutes of Health, Melissa Brennan held various positions that contributed to her professional development. She worked as a Marketing Coordinator, Office Manager, and Executive Assistant at JLC Environmental Consultants, Inc. from 2009 to 2010. Additionally, she served as a Field Organizer for Kuster for Congress for two months in 2010 and as a Team Leader at HeadCount Org from 2008 to 2018. Her experience also includes a role as a Recruiter at Core Medical Group from 2010 to 2012 and a Graduate Assistant at McKeldin Library at the University of Maryland in 2014.
Achievements and Contributions
Melissa Brennan was awarded the 2020 National Library of Medicine Special Acts of Service Award for her contributions to COVID-19 research. Her work involves conducting visual quality assurance for content accuracy and clarity, troubleshooting XML conversion errors, and managing back data projects to ensure a complete archive in PubMed Central. She also provides training and mentorship to new team members, enhancing operational efficiency and integrating them into data management processes.
Skills in Data Management and Collaboration
In her role at the National Institutes of Health, Melissa Brennan demonstrates strong skills in data management and collaboration. She works with publishers to establish new journals for inclusion in the PubMed Central repository and maintains relationships with vendors to facilitate journal archiving. Her responsibilities include developing internal tools and workflows to improve data management systems, as well as managing missing data projects to ensure a complete archive.