Bobbi L. Newman, MLIS, MA
Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, Region 6
She/Her pronouns
Bobbi Newman is the Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist at Region 6 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine at the University of Iowa Libraries. She is a Senior Librarian and Wellness Ambassador. She helps libraries meet the health information needs of their communities.
She is the author of Fostering Wellness in the Workplace: A Guide for Libraries (ALA Editions) and editor for the forthcoming A Manager’s Guide to Creating a Flourishing Workplace: Strategies for Fostering Wellness in Libraries (ALA Editions). She developed several NNLM classes, including the popular “Wellness in the Library Workplace.” Bobbi is a mindfulness student and a body acceptance advocate.
Bobbi holds a Master of Arts in Information Research and Library Science, a Master of Arts in Political Science, and a Graduate Certificate in Public Management. She serves on the Advisory Board for Let’s Move in Libraries. She has been involved in national library initiatives, including past service on the Steering committee for the OCLC and PLA project Public Libraries Respond to the Opioid Crisis with their Community, the National Information Standards Organization committee to develop a Consensus Framework to Support Patron Privacy in Digital Library and Information Systems and the Pew Internet & American Life Project research on Libraries in the Digital Age. She has received awards for her service and teaching.
Classes I Teach
| Event Title | Summary |
|---|---|
| Exploring Complementary and Integrative Health: Information, Resources, and Evaluation | This class will explore the definitions of Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH), encompassing both Eastern and Western medicine perspectives. We will delve into various approaches to CIH, discussing their associated risks and benefits. We will also equip you with strategies to help your users discern trustworthy CIH information and avoid fraudulent claims. |
| Fostering Connection: Addressing Library Employee Loneliness, a Region 6 Spotlight Speaker Webinar | Join guest speaker Alejandro Marquez (he/him) to learn about loneliness among library staff and practical strategies to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment. |
| Holding Space to Discuss a Complicated Past: Exploring Medical Libraries’ Role in Perpetuating Racial Science, A Region 6 Spotlight Speaker Webinar | Join Raymond Pun, Nicollette Davis, and Patrice R. Green for a webinar presentation based on their recent commentary in the Journal of Medical Library Association (JMLA) titled "Medical Libraries and Their Complicated Past: An Exploration of the Historical Connections Between Medical Collections and Racial Science." The presentation will explore the historical ties between medical libraries and racial science, focusing on empire-building. Attendees, particularly those involved in library instruction, will gain valuable insights into how medical sciences and collections have been influenced by racial science discourse, which continues to impact today's medical practices for patients who identify as Black, Indigenous, or persons of color. |
| Public Library Connections, Region 6, February 2024 | This meeting is for public librarians and library workers who work in public libraries in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. |
| Region 6 Public Libraries Connections November 2023 | This meeting is for librarians and library workers who work in public libraries in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. |
| Wellness in the Library Workplace (February 5-16, 2024) | Join us for this 2-week, 4 credit-hour online class to discover ways to improve your own personal well-being and create a healthy workplace. We will discuss ways to increase overall wellness for all staff in libraries so that we have happy, healthy, and safe work environments. This class meets the NLM national initiative of environmental determinants of health by addressing aspects of the work environment by providing health information resources available through MedlinePlus and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and increasing health information access. |
| Wellness in the Library Workplace (November 2023) | Join us for this 2-week, 4 credit-hour online class to discover ways to improve your own personal well-being and create a healthy workplace. We will discuss ways to increase overall wellness for all staff in libraries so that we have happy, healthy, and safe work environments. |
