Description: A recent Pew study found that health is the number two most searched for information online. Public libraries are on the front lines of health information needs of their communities. Public libraries are often the only access to computers and/or broadband in their communities and are a trusted institution. This session will provide attendees with ideas for getting started with health outreach and programming in their communities (including funding suggestions!). We will look at no-cost resources for evidence-based health information in multiple languages. Attendees will leave with at least one new thing that can do immediately to improve their health services in their communities.
Bio: Bobbi Newman is a librarian, writer, consultant, library advocate, and an international speaker.
She has been involved in national library initiatives
including past service on 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 is a regular speaker at
local, national, and international events covering topics such as the future of
libraries, digital literacy, ebooks, policy, and innovation and change.
Newman has served as an American Library Association (ALA)
Councilor-at-Large, a member of the Office of Information Technology Policy
(OITP) Advisory Committee, and a member of the OITP Digital Literacy Task
Force. She is the author of the award-winning blog, Librarian by Day and in
2011 was named a Mover and Shaker by Library Journal. Her writing is regularly
highlighted by American Libraries Direct. Her work has been featured by the New
York Times, The Guardian, BlogHer, O’Reilly Radar, The L.A. Times, Mental
Floss, Techdirt, and GigaOm, and was used by Facebook in a smear campaign
against Google.
She is currently a Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist at the National Network of Libraries of Medicine where she helps public libraries meet the health information needs of their communities. She serves as the NNLM liason to OITP.”