Region 6 Midwest Matters

Why is that? To increase awareness and action towards a common goal: a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. A world where the taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation are history. Where everyone has access to quality menstrual products, period education and period-friendly toilets. But Menstrual Hygiene Day is more than an awareness day. Today, more and more of us are... Read More »

Congratulations to the 2024 Movers and Shakers from Library Journal from Region 6. Each year, the Library Journal selects a group of nominees on a variety of topics.  This year’s Movers and Shakers are advocates, innovators, community builders, educators, change agents, and ban battlers. Jenay Dougherty Undergraduate Engagement Librarian, University of Iowa Libraries Zachary Stier... Read More »

May 12 – 19 is National Women’s Health Week!  National Women’s Health Week is a reminder to focus on women’s health. Despite significant advancements in research, women still face disparities in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of various health conditions. The term “women’s health” encompasses a broad range of physical, mental, and social aspects of... Read More »

Embarrassment, a lack of public awareness, and miscommunication can mean that for many women, menopause is endured in silence, perhaps feeling hopeless, confused, or “crazy” and not seeking the support and resources available to them. Stigma surrounding menopause can not only impact a woman’s wellbeing and quality of life, but potentially it can put her... Read More »

It’s May and time for The Medical Library Association’s annual conference being held in Portland, OR this year. Linda Walton and Erica Lake from Region 6 will be at the conference and hope to attend your sessions and view your posters. We always look forward to seeing the impact Region 6 members have on the profession.... Read More »

Exciting news: we’ve expanded our offerings to include seven classes eligible for Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credit, all free of charge. Here’s a list of the classes eligible for CNE: PubMed Essentials On-Demand Assessing Health Education Materials: clearing the way to easy-to-read health materials  (On-Demand) LGBTQIA+ Health Information & Resources (Moodle) Health Literacy on Demand... Read More »

The societal taboo surrounding menstruation, often referred to as period stigma, is a widespread issue transcending cultural, economic, and geographical divides. This natural biological process, experienced by half of the world’s population, has historically been obscured by secrecy and cultural taboos. Various factors, such as cultural norms, religious beliefs, and societal expectations, have perpetuated myths... Read More »

Registration is now open for the NNLM National Update at MLA 2024. In the past, NNLM Day at MLA featured presentations from various regions, offices, and centers. This year, we’re streamlining to a single national update. Join NNLM Project Director, Martha Meacham, as she shares NNLM’s achievements over the past year and outlines future plans. This online... Read More »

During my master’s program at the University of Missouri, I discovered health sciences librarianship through a professional development award given by NNLM Region 3. After that experience, I knew that I wanted to learn more, but I had already exhausted my program’s courses in health and medical librarianship. As a resident of Minnesota, I reached... Read More »

Tuesday, April 9th is National Library Workers Day, a day for everyone to recognize the valuable contributions made by library workers. We wanted to help celebrate some librarians from Region 6 who have received a 2023 Movers & Shakers recognition from Library Journal. Katie Clausen | Movers & Shakers 2023—Educators In addition to being a... Read More »

The theme for National Library Week 2024, “Ready, Set, Library!,” promotes the idea that in our always-online world, libraries give us a green light to something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most. Find your crew at your library’s author talks, workshops, and book clubs.... Read More »

My dream of a Telehealth Room at our library began when I read an article on the Pottsboro Area Library’s Telehealth Space in Texas in the May 2021 issue of American Libraries. I greatly admired the concept of telemedicine at a public library. That was during the pandemic, when our library was closed to the... Read More »

The NNLM Book Discussion program offers librarians, health professionals, and public health workers a unique opportunity to explore health issues affecting their communities while enhancing their health information services and outreach. We recently received feedback about the direct impact of participating in these discussions on health information outreach in public libraries. Shirley Taylor, Library Director... Read More »

Join us March 5-April 2 for the NNLM’s Social Determinants of Environmental Health Webinar Series! This series will feature experts in social determinants of environmental health, who will present on environmental health disparities and populations disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards, share informative resources, and discuss interventions to reduce environmental health disparities. This webinar series explores... Read More »

February is American Heart Month and throughout the month, there are reminders on how we can make the effort to be heart healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) encourages all of us—especially women—to listen to our hearts and speak up for our health. According to... Read More »