Region 6 Partnerships

Partnerships

Region 6 has developed two unique partnerships with members across our region to support the mission of NNLM: to provide U.S. researchers, health professionals, public health workforce, educators, and the public with equal access to biomedical and health information resources and data. If you would like to learn more about a partnership opportunity please email region6-rml@uiowa.edu.

Partner Outreach Program (POP)

POP Badge The purpose of the NNLM Region 6 Partner Outreach Program 2021-2026 is to support health equity by providing health information access throughout Region 6 by the formation and practice of the Partner Outreach Program (POP). POP objectives include the following:

Provide health information resources and training to underserved and underrepresented groups, including tribal communities and institutions, that are priority populations of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Act as ambassadors for NNLM services and resources, communicating health information needs to the RML, and work with the RML in remediation of those needs, whether through direct training or utilizing a train-the-trainer model.
Act as a field force in their state to identify potential partners for outreach.

Our POP Ambassador Organizations

Chicago State University (IL)
Ebling Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Geneseo Public Library District (IL) (Paused for Year 4)
Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries (WI)
Trinity Health Western Michigan (MI)
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition (NEOBHC) (OH)
Restored Visions (OH)

Ruth Lilly Medical Library, Indiana University School of Medicine (IN)
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Medical Library (IL)
The Ohio State University Health Sciences Library (OH)
University of Cincinnati Health Sciences Library (OH)
University of Illinois Chicago – Library of the Health Sciences (IL)
University of Iowa – Hardin Library for the Health Sciences (IA)
University of Minnesota Health Sciences Library (MN)
Wayne State University (MI)

State Advisory Groups (SAG)

State Advisory Group Badge The Region 6 State Advisory Groups (SAG) were desinged to provide leadership guidance for each state’s outreach and engagement activities conducted by Region 6 staff and Partner Outreach Program (POP) members. SAG were in operation from 2022-2025 and formed groups from each of Region 6's states.

Each SAG reported on their state's health needs and developed a state action plan to meet those needs. Detailed information regarding their initiatives is located on the Region 6 State Advisory Groups (SAG) guide.

In addition, Region 6 compiled a brief history of the State Advisory Group program, projects funded, and lessons learned: Health Information Outreach Using an Interdisciplinary Model: Region 6 State Advisory Groups (SAG). This document was shared at the October 2025 Conference of the Midwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association.

Student Engagement

Student Internship for Community Health Information Region 6 is dedicated to supporting future health sciences librarians, and we are eager to connect with LIS and iSchool students, educators, and administrators to identify new engagement opportunities.

Region 6 offers a 12-week virtual internship each Spring, entitled Mapping Health to Empower Communities. Focused on health literacy, health statistics resources, and mapping analytics software, students use the knowledge and skills they acquire to create a new county story for the Community Guide to Advance Health Information. We recognize that each student and each program is different, and we will do our best to tailor our engagement opportunities to meet your requirements, interests, and goals.