MLGSCA/NCNMLG 2026 Joint Meeting | All In: Betting on the Future of Medical Libraries

Plenary Presenter

Emma Frances Bloomfield, PhD

Associate Professor, Communication Studies

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Emma Frances Bloomfield (PhD, University of Southern California) is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a rhetorician who studies science communication about controversial topics. She has published two books: Science v Story: Narrative Strategies for Science Communicators (University of California Press, 2024) and Communication Strategies for Climate Skepticism: Religion and the Environment (Routledge, 2019). She is the founder and director of the Public Communication Initiative, which fosters community partnerships around addressing local needs such as heat resilience and environmental justice.

Narrative Strategies to Intervene in Science and Medical Controversies

Sunday January 18, 2026, 9:00a-10:00a, 50 minute presentation, 10 minute Q&A

Medical crises such as COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy challenge public trust in scientific and medical institutions. One strategy for regaining public trust is to emphasize the power of storytelling. In this talk, Emma Frances Bloomfield examines communication strategies such as storytelling, dialogue, and collaboration as vehicles for engaging people in controversial topics surrounding health, medicine, and bodies.

After her presentation, attendees will have the chance to meet, continue the conversation and discuss her new book Science v. Story: Narrative Strategies for Science Communicators. Copies will be able for purchase on-site.

For more information and to register:

MLGSCA/NCNMLG 2026 Joint Meeting | All In: Betting on the Future of Medical Libraries