Nicole Beck was the first Mellon supported Librarian in Residence. She served in her role from December 1, 1998 to November 30, 2000. Nicole came to us with a Master's degree in Art History and a MLS degree from the Catholic University of America. Additionally, her BA was obtained at Pennsylvania State University in Art History.

Nicole's placement at Yale included the Arts Library, Preservation, and Manuscripts & Archives. Working in the Visual Resources Collection of the Arts Library, Nicole pioneered the application of the SGML-based encoded archival description model of the Arts Library photographic study collections. This project advanced significantly Yale's planning of the new Arts Library.

One of her projects was organizing the exhibit, "Blacks in the Arts: An Unearthed Sanctuary of Black Achievement, Courage, Strength, and Pride." The exhibit, mounted in the Sterling Memorial Library, brought university and citywide attention. A significant number of community members view the exhibit and were made aware of Yale's rich holdings in African Americana. This was the first exhibit for Nicole, therefore she learned a great deal in planning, organizing, and arranging an exhibition.