Public Library Spotlight: Tina Viglucci, Hispanic Services Director, Gail Borden Public Library

Posted by Bobbi Newman on September 11th, 2018 Posted in: Public Libraries, Public Libraries Spotlight
Tags: Gail Borden Public Library, health4libs, public libraries and health

Name: Tina Viglucci

Title: Hispanic Services Director

Education: MSIS University at Albany, SUNY

How did you become interested in focusing on Health and Wellness?

Through collaborations with partners in our community including the two major hospitals in the area, Presence St. Joseph and Advocate Sherman. They are leading efforts to bring together organizations to actively engage our Latino community in being aware of health related issues including nutrition information and diabetes prevention and treatment.

Why is health literacy important in your community?

We all lead incredibly busy lives and focus our attention on jobs, errands, what needs to be done to survive each day. Yet we know being proactive about our health is essential, so we must look for ways to provide information in relevant, engaging and accessible ways.

What’s the impact that you hope to make in your community?

To prevent disease and promote physical and mental health for ourselves and our children.

What is your favorite health-related program or outreach that you’ve done? 

The 6-week workshops we held with Presence St. Joseph Hospital to help reduce obesity in children were particularly informative and enjoyable. Children participated in cooking and exercise activities while their parents learned about nutrition and healthy eating habits. They all came together at the end of each program to eat what the kids had prepared and talk about what they experienced and learned. The kids received chefs hats at the end and the parents took home binders with all the week’s lessons and recipes. Everyone had a great time!

ABOUT Bobbi Newman
Bobbi Newman (MLIS, MA) is the Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist for NNLM R6 at the University of Iowa. She is the author of Fostering Wellness in the Workplace: A Guide for Libraries. She developed the popular NNLM course “Wellness in the Library Workplace.” Bobbi is a mindfulness student and a member of Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). She currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board for Let’s Move in Libraries. She divides her time between her dog, reading fantasy and nonfiction, playing video games, crafting, kayaking, biking, and gardening.

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