Farewell & Best Wishes Bobbi!

Posted by Miles Dietz-Castel on June 23rd, 2025 Posted in: Blog

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After over eight years with the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) at the University of Iowa, Bobbi Newman will depart the organization on August 4. Since joining in June 2016, Bobbi has been a driving force in connecting public libraries with trusted health information and championing community well-being through innovative national projects.

Bobbi recently launched a monthly Public Libraries Online column to spotlight NNLM and NLM services for public library audiences. She led the planning and execution of two major virtual events: the 2023 NNLM Health Misinformation Symposium, which showcased underrepresented voices and earned the 2024 vFairs Best Education Fair Award; and the 2021 Library Staff Health and Well-being Symposium, which drew 6,000 registrants and delivered NNLM’s first dedicated session for BIPOC attendees. Both events earned performance awards for their impact and excellence.

She also spearheaded strategic partnerships that expanded NNLM’s national reach. These included the 2019 collaboration with the Public Library Association (PLA) to integrate health-related questions into Project Outcome, and managing the 2017 “Promoting Healthy Communities” $150,000 subaward from NNLM to PLA, which established a national partnership and reached thousands of public librarians nationwide.

Bobbi co-wrote the winning application and managed the 2017 $125,000 “Equipping Public Library Staff with Quality Consumer Health Resources” grant to Region 6 from the National Library of Medicine, which resulted in the Stand Up for Health course. In 2018, she managed the subaward and delivery of a pre-conference workshop for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL), providing 100 scholarships through a $30,000 NNLM federal subaward to ARSL.

Bobbi’s leadership has made a lasting contribution to the intersection of public libraries, health literacy, and professional wellness. Her creativity, dedication, and collaborative spirit will be deeply missed. Please join us in thanking Bobbi for her service and wishing her well in her next chapter.