Bobbi L. Newman

Teaching

Bobbi L. Newman is Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science, where she teaches graduate-level courses and advises students in both standard and accelerated degree tracks. Her teaching is grounded in adult learning theory and a commitment to accessibility, inclusive design, and continuous improvement. She rebuilds and updates courses regularly to meet evolving accessibility standards and to ensure content reflects the full breadth of library and information science careers.

Courses Taught

SLIS 5042: Public Libraries
SLIS 6130: Community Engagement
SLIS 6170: Management, Teams, and Leadership
SLIS 6520: Practicum in Libraries & Information Centers

She is also developing a new course in Funding and Grant Writing for Information Organizations, designed to equip graduate students with practical skills in identifying funding opportunities, writing competitive proposals, and managing awarded grants.

Advising

Bobbi advises graduate students and serves as Undergraduate-to-Graduate (U2G) Coordinator for SLIS, providing individualized guidance to students simultaneously completing undergraduate and graduate coursework in accelerated 4+1 tracks, including the Certificate in Special Collections and Archives.

Professional and Continuing Education

Prior to joining the University of Iowa faculty, Bobbi designed and delivered continuing education programming for library professionals nationwide through the Network of the National Library of Medicine. Courses were developed for asynchronous online, hybrid, and in-person delivery, and credit was awarded through the Medical Library Association toward the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP) certification. Notable courses include:

  • Wellness in the Library Workplace — reached nearly 2,000 library professionals since 2018
  • Stand Up for Health: Health and Wellness Services for Your Community — reached over 600 public librarians across three years
  • Exploring Complementary and Integrative Health: Information, Resources, and Evaluation — launched 2024

She also led the instructional design of two large-scale national virtual symposia: the NNLM Virtual Health Misinformation Symposium (2023, 1,750 registrants) and Library Staff Well-being Symposium (2021, 6,143 registrants).