Stand Up for Health, successful preconference at the Association of Rural and Small Libraries

Posted by Bobbi Newman on September 19th, 2018 Posted in: Public Libraries
Tags: ARSL, Association of Rural and Small Libraries, Consumer Health, stand up for health

On September 12 over 70 library staff members from across the US, including as far as Hawaii gathered for a full day preconference of Stand Up for Health: Health and Wellness for Your Community at the Association of Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) in Springfield, IL. The day is divided into four sections:

• introduction to consumer health
• health reference
• health resources,
• health and wellness programming and outreach

with break-out sessions and role-playing.

The in-person version of Stand Up for Health meets for a full-day session and uses a Moodle companion site to assist with introductions, and 2 hours of preconference work, 2 hours of post-conference work, and ongoing discussion.

The response from attendees is overwhelmingly positive. Including this email:

It was great! I look forward to going through the books that we got and to figuring out the best way to implement what I learned in our community. I’ve already had an occasion to use the line, “it’s not a time to talk about our personal stories, but a time to listen and help others.”

The preconference was made possible in part by a funding award from the Greater Midwest Region (GMR). Instructors included:

• Bobbi Newman, Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, NNLM, GMR
• Carolyn Martin, Consumer Health Coordinator, NNLM Pacific Northwest Region;
• Geoff Pettys, Head, Reference & Educational Services, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, NNLM Partner Outreach Library, Greater Midwest Region; and
• Debbie Stanton, Public Services Supervisor – Information & Learning, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka, KS, Consumer Health Information Specialist, Level 1

All participants who attended the in-person preconference session and complete the required pre and post work will receive a 12 credit Continuing Education (CE) certificate from the Medical Library Association (MLA) and be eligible to apply for the Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) from MLA. The NNLM sponsors the application fee.

As part of our ongoing partnership with the Public Library Association and supplement funding from NNLM, the Greater Midwest Region (GMR) has developed a course on health information services for public library staff. To develop this course we partnered with WebJunction and the Public Library Association (PLA) to incorporate feedback from public library participants and best practices for online learning. The final course is designed as a cohort experience for public library staff whether in-person or online.

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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