NNLM Region 6 Speaker Series – Fall Dates

Posted by Miles Dietz-Castel on September 15th, 2023 Posted in: Blog, General

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NNLM Region 6 Speaker Series is an irregularly scheduled webinar series from NNLM Region 6, featuring expert guest speakers presenting on topics of interest to all our users, from librarians to public health practitioners, educators, clinicians, and others who work with health information. Topics will be scheduled according to audience interest, seasonal applicability, and speaker availability. Below please find a listing of our upcoming Fall 2023 webinars.

From Words to Wellness: Exploring the Impact of Expressive Writing
October 12th, 12:00-1:00pm
Expressive writing has been shown to have many benefits for those facing chronic and serious illness. April Stearns, editor of Wildfire Magazine, will discuss the how expressive writing can be helpful in healing and share her experience translating the science about expressive writing into a writing program for young people with breast cancer. Participants will learn about the history of expressive writing in healing, expressive writing’s role in physical healing, and how expressive writing interventions leads to improved outcomes.

 

Fatness and Libraries: Amplifying the Voices of Fat Librarians in DEIA Work
October 19th, 11:00-12:00pm
As both popular and scholarly discussions of weight discrimination, fat representation, and anti-fatness gain momentum, library and information professionals must be prepared to participate in and lead conversations about fatness and our work. This presentation will report on findings from nearly twenty hours of interviews with public-facing librarians, including those from public, school, academic, and special libraries, who shared their wide-ranging experiences navigating the profession in fat bodies. In reflecting on the experiences of these librarians, participants will be asked to consider the extent to which the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts currently underway at their own institutions, as well as in the profession more broadly, incorporate fat voices and meaningfully address anti-fatness.

 

Holding Space to Discuss a Complicated Past: Exploring Medical Libraries’ Role in Perpetuating Racial Science
November 17th, 10:00-11:00am
Based on a recent commentary published in the Journal of Medical Library Association (JMLA) called, “Medical Libraries and Their Complicated Past: An Exploration of the Historical Connections Between Medical Collections and Racial Science,” this webinar presentation will briefly dive into the historical connections between medical libraries and racial science, especially focusing on empire building. This presentation will highlight ways for library workers, particularly those involved in library instruction, to engage their learners critically in understanding how medical sciences and collections have been shaped by racial science discourse that still endure in today’s medical practices experienced by patients who identify as Black, Indigenous, or persons of color.