Saskia Scheltjens

Saskia Scheltjens has extensive experience in the field of arts and cultural heritage. Saskia has served as the Head of the Research Services Department and Chief Librarian at the Rijksmuseum, where they managed internationally renowned collections and focused on conservation, research, and accessibility. Additionally, Saskia has held various board and committee positions, including being a Board Member at the Tiele-Stichting, Cultural AI Lab, and meemoo, Flemish Institute for Archives. Saskia has also been a Member of the Board of Directors at the Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL) and the International Museum Auditing Committee at the Department of Culture, Youth, and Media. Saskia's involvement in organizations like Flanders Arts Institute, Europeana, and the European Library Automation Group (ELAG) further demonstrates their commitment to promoting international collaboration and exchange among artists, art professionals, and policy-makers. Their work experience also includes roles at Ghent University, where they served on the Faculty Council and as the Head of the Faculty Library for Arts & Philosophy.

Saskia Scheltjens has a diverse education background. Saskia obtained a Master's degree in Informatie- en Bibliotheekwetenschap (IBW) from the University of Antwerp, from 2001 to 2003. In 1998, they completed a Graduaat Bibliotheekwezen en Documentaire Informatiekunde, specializing in the afdeling Wetenschappelijke Bibliotheken en Archieven, from Stedelijk CVO "Pestalozzi." Prior to that, in 1994, Saskia obtained an Akte van Bekwaamheid in het kader van het Openbaar Bibliotheekwerk, focusing on Library and Information Science. Lastly, they earned a Master's degree in Taal- en Letterkunde - Nederlands-Engels from the University of Antwerp, spanning from 1989 to 1994. In 2017, they also completed the Emerging Leaders Programme, which emphasized leadership development and strategic planning, at LIBER - Associaton of European Research Libraries.