Bobbi L. Newman’s career spans faculty, practitioner, consulting, and federal grant roles, all oriented toward expanding access to information and supporting the people who provide it. Since joining the University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science as Associate Professor of Practice in 2025, she has taught graduate students, advised degree candidates, and developed new curricula, including a course in funding and grant writing for information organizations.
Prior to moving into faculty work, she spent nearly a decade as Community Engagement and Outreach Manager with the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) at the University of Iowa Libraries, where she led national health information initiatives, managed federal grant projects, and developed continuing education programming that reached thousands of library staff. Since 2008, she has directed Bobbi L. Newman Consulting, providing training, keynotes, and professional development services to libraries and library associations nationwide.
Employment History
Associate Professor of Practice, University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science, Iowa City, IA, August 2025 – present
Director, Bobbi L. Newman Consulting, Iowa, May 2008 – Present
Community Engagement and Outreach Manager, Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 6, University of Iowa Libraries, July 2016 – August 2025
Digital Branch Manager, Chattahoochee Valley Libraries, Columbus, GA, May 2009 – April 2011
Adjunct Instructor, Managing Collections, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, Jan 2009 – May 2009
Digital Services Librarian, Missouri River Regional Library, Jefferson City, MO, Feb 2005 – May 2009
Director of Library Services, Raytheon, Tucson, AZ, Jun 2002 – Feb 2005
Education
Bobbi L. Newman holds advanced degrees in political science, public management, and information resources, providing a foundation in strategic thinking, research, and communication. Her commitment to lifelong learning is reflected in an ongoing record of professional development spanning AI and machine learning, instructional design, grant writing, equity and inclusion, and mental health.
Degrees
- MA, Political Science (Journalism & Mass Communication minor), Iowa State University, 2014
- Graduate Certificate, Public Management, Iowa State University
- MA, Information Resources and Library Science, University of Arizona
- BA, History (Spanish and Anthropology minors), University of Northern Iowa
- AA, Southeastern Community College, Burlington, IA
Continuing Education and Certificates
- Instructional-Track Faculty Peer Mentoring Community, University of Iowa, January–April 2026
- HawkAI Certificate of Proficiency in AI/ML Levels 1–4, University of Iowa Initiative for Artificial Intelligence, 2024–2025
- Executive Leadership Academy – Higher Ed Informational Session, University of Iowa, 2025
- Course Accessibility for Everyone (CAFE): Documents & Files, University of Iowa, August 2025
- Leadership Is Everyone’s Business, University of Iowa, 2024
- National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI): Leadership for Equity & Inclusion, University of Iowa, 2024
- Write Winning Grant Proposals Seminar, University of Iowa, 2023
- Mental Health First Aid, University of Iowa, 2023
- Workplace Racial Equity Symposium, Denver Public Library, Virtual, 2020
- UI LEAD (Leadership Education, Assessment, and Development), University of Iowa, 2019
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, University of Iowa, 2019
Bobbi L. Newman 