UNMC College of Public Health students, faculty and staff have likely noticed the addition of a blue cart full of books near the break room.
The bookmobile (or colloquially, the COPHmobile) is a new book exchange initiative launched by the College’s wellness council, a group focused on supporting the well-being of students and employees alike.
College of Public Health members are welcome to donate and take books as they wish, similar to the rules of a Little Free Library. Complimentary to the book exchange program, the council also arranged for the College’s students, faculty and staff to receive a 20% discount at local bookstores The Bookworm and Jackson Street Booksellers.
“The discount is a great way to access a wider variety of books than can fit on the cart, and once you finish those books, you could donate them to the cart,” said Marissa Hardin, a student at the College of Public Health and member of the wellness council leadership.
The wellness council meets monthly at the Maurer Center for Public Health and via Zoom to discuss well-being topics and plan events.
The council paused much of its efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, then revamped its organization in early 2022. Since then, it has hosted 10 events including a fresh produce exchange during the Welcome Back Gathering, a leftover candy party after Halloween and a wellness campaign during the winter holidays.
The council also recently helped instate “Meeting-free First Fridays,” an opportunity for the College’s members to focus on their work without interruptions from meetings on the first Friday of every month.
“When we talk about health and well-being, especially in public health, we often prioritize physical health or mental and behavioral health,” Hardin said. “As we use the social determinants of health to describe the impact that various environmental and situational factors have on health, it is important to consider the whole person when working to improve overall quality of life.”
Interested in joining the wellness council? Reach out to Mel Gaj or Danielle Thies or fill out this online membership form.