Making It REAL!

Where do you fit in the world of library professions?

October 10th, 2008

Coming back from a recent training, we learned that there are now 78 million older adults in the United States clamoring for information, yet few libraries have dedicated staff working to build services to this group of patrons. Working in this niche may be a very rewarding option in adult services.  One library that excels in this area is in Old Bridge, New Jersey.  Their web pages for Seniors are easy to read, full of information and activities for this population. In the experience of  Assistant Director, Allan Kleiman, having a defined space is important. In this open floor plan building, a discrete space was carved out with its own color theme. Plenty of large-print and multimedia materials are on display, and materials located in near proximity to the  seating. A comfortable home porch ambience created by round tables and a couple of rocking chairs makes the entryway very inviting.  Several other libraries nationally have been recognized for their work with older adults. The Phoenix Public Library has a tab for “50 plus” patrons on the home page. Many of their programs are also presented in Spanish. Technology classes for Word Processing,  English classes and bedtime songs and stories in Spanish and Spanglish comprise just a few of the offerings to embrace the needs of the local community. A wiki on this topic is available at: http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Services_for_Older_Adults

Tags: Fifty-five and Up, Older Adult Services, Seniors

Entry Filed under: Library Careers