Endorsements

  • "I want to acknowledge Bobbi Newman by name, because her recent work has been so valuable to me as a library worker recovering from burnout and trying to figure out a better way forward."

    - Julie Jurgens

  • “Bobbi is an inspiring speaker whose insights about workplace well-being were incredibly beneficial to the librarians at our professional development retreat! She provided us with useful resources and practical advice to apply in our own work environments.”

    - Carolyn White Gamtso,M.L.I.S., M.A., CAGS, Associate Professor/Library Director

  • "Bobbi did a great job! I learned so much and wish her presentation could have been longer!"

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  • “Bobbi’s presentation on workplace wellness to our group of new, rural library directors was so beneficial. It is a topic that many have not ever considered, and the ideas shared, like simply changing lighting or temperature of the workspace, encouraged group discussion on other things. It also reinforced how important it is to treat ourselves well and advocate for positive change in the workplace.”

    -Brenda Hemmelman, Access & Development Services Manager, South Dakota State Library

  • Working with Bobbi makes me feel supported. With wellness in the workplace, she walks the talk, which makes me feel like I matter to this organization as a person, not just someone who can spit out work. And the concepts we discussed in our initial meeting, including focus and deep work and boundaries with messaging apps, have had a positive impact on all areas of my life, not just work.

    - N.B.

  • Our library association was so happy to have Bobbi speak at our annual conference. Her presentation enlightened us and helped prepare many of our newer librarians for some of the challenges of building a well-balanced culture in their library. Many of our attendees commented that they felt better prepared to work at their library and become a leader for other team members.

    - Kerri Boetcher

“Bobbi Newman’s presentation on well-being in the workplace was the ideal way to wrap up our fall ILS conference!  While our conference typically centers around more technical and ILS-specific topics, Bobbi’s session provided a refreshing and much-needed perspective on a subject often overlooked in our field—well-being. 

Her approach struck a perfect balance between library-wide initiatives and personal self-care, making the topic both enlightening and approachable. In particular, her focus on small, actionable environmental changes, like ergonomics and lighting, felt especially achievable for those in the technical and back offices of the library. Additionally, while challenges like the need for recognition and a lack of autonomy may not be able to be directly addressed by staff, Bobbi’s discussion of these issues made attendees feel seen and validated.

Despite the fact that our fall conference was entirely virtual and Bobbi’s session took place at the end of the day, her session was one of the most attended and it received the highest number of positive comments in our post-conference survey.

I cannot recommend Bobbi enough. She is personable, responsive, and a captivating speaker. Her expertise, combined with her warmth and approachability, makes her not only an expert on the subject of well-being in libraries but also the ideal speaker to address it. Libraries need this conversation, and Bobbi Newman is the perfect person to lead it.”

– Rebecca Pfenning, MLIS (she/her) Head of Materials Management | Plainfield Area Public Library