Public Library Services for Older Adults

1
Public Library Services for Older Adults
Seniors. . .
Seniors and the Library
Are a growing demographic
Guidelines for Library and Information Services
to Older Adults

• (from http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/resou
  rces/guidelines/libraryservices.cfm)
• Acquire current data about the older population
  and incorporate it into planning and budgeting.
• Ensure that the special needs and interests of
  older adults in your community are reflected in
  the library's collections, programs, and services
• Make the library's collections and physical
  facilities safe, comfortable and inviting for all
  older adults.
• Make the library a focal point for information
  services to older adults.
• Target the older population in library
  programming.

Library Services/programs for older adults
Examples Loaning assistive living devices like
reachers, magnifiers, etc. Celebration of Older
American Month (in May) Computer skills
training Volunteering opportunities for older
adults to help other older adults Intergenerationa
l programming Book clubs Newsletter for
seniors Oral history projects Movie
nights Special library webpage for older
adults containing Links to special catalog
searches like books for grandparents and
grandchildren, large print books, closed
captioned DVDs, retirement,
fitness, Resource lists of websites, on topics of
particular interest to seniors in the community
such as finances, estate planning, end
of life issues,
Outreach to seniors in nursing homes
Have many different abilities and interests

• Possible programs
• Storytelling
• Reminiscing
• Bifolkal kitsdesigned to elicit
  memories of the past through
• pictures, music, things to touch,
  recipes for things to taste, and
• even scented stickers.
• Book talks/discussions
• Reading aloud
• Computer training

Active, healthy, independent seniors Full-time or
part-time workers or business owners Raising
grandchildren Retired and engaged in various
hobbies such as travelling, crafts, gardening, or
volunteering Generally healthy, but have some
mobility, visual, or hearing impairments Dependen
t or institutionalized seniorsNursing home or
adult foster care residents Alzheimers or other
forms of dementia Healthy mind but need
significant assistance with activities of daily
living due to physical illnesses
Living in Nursing Home
Percent Employed
Accommodations

• Good lighting
• Low glare
• Desk lamps in task areas
• Large font, high contrast in publications,
  signage
• Handheld magnifiers available
• Computer stations with assistive technology
• Screen readers
• Screen magnifiers
• Large monitors (at least 15) with easily
  adjustable
• contrast and brightness
• Monitor able to be adjusted for height and
  tilt
• Large print keyboard
• Audio books including cassettes, CDs,
  downloadable books
• Large print books
• Accessibly designed OPAC and Website
• Staff training in serving patrons with a visual
  impairment

• Use sound absorbing materials in buildings
• Minimize sounds from air and heating units
• Keep ambient noise to a minimum
• Provide assistive listening systems
• Provide TTY access
• Close-captioned DVDs, video tapes in collection
• Make DVDs searchable by presence of
  close-captioning in OPAC
• Provide adaptive computer software that provides
  visual clues to auditory events
• Staff training for working with patrons who have
  hearing impairments

For Visual Impairments
For Hearing Impairments

For Mobility, Dexterity
Impairments

• Wide aisles and doorways
• Many comfortable chairs available
• Higher seat heights
• Straight backs, some with arms
• Floor is even with no loose mats
• Doorknobs, faucets, switches are easy to operate
• Bookstands for those who find books too heavy to
  hold for long periods
• Rolling shopping basket available to carry
  items
• Paperback books are less heavy to
  carry
• Computer adaptive technology
• Alternatives to standard mouse
  trackball, touch pad
• Ergonomic keyboards
• Staff training in serving patrons with mobility,
  dexterity impairments

Use the Internet
Percent online by age
Top five uses of the Internet for adults
45 Email Search engine Get health
information Research products Get News
Useful Sources
Administration on Aging. United States Health and
Human Services. (2001) Achieving cultural
competence A guidebook for providers of services
to older Americans and their families.
Retrieved March 28, 2009 from
http//www.aoa.gov/PROF/adddiv/cultural/CC-guidebo
ok.pdf Ahlvers, A. (2006). Older adults and
readers advisory. Reference User Services
Quarterly 45(4) 305-312. Dempsey, B. (2007) What
boomers want. Library Journal 132(12)
36-39.. Kleiman, A. (2008). Senior Spaces the
library place for baby boomers, older adults
their families 74th IFLA General Conference and
Council. http//www.ifla.org/IV/ifla74/papers/072-
Kleiman-en.pdf Mabry, C. (2003). Serving seniors
Dos and donts at the desk. American Librarians
34(11) 64-65. Mates,B. T. (2003). 5-Star
Programming and Services for Your 55 Library
Customers. Chicago American Library
Association.. Pipher, M. (1999). Another
country Navigating the emotional terrain of our
elders. New York Riverhead Books. Reference and
User Services Association, American Library
Association. Guidelines for library and
information services to older adults.
Retrieved March 23, 2009 from
http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/resources/g
uidelines/libraryservices.cfm  Schull, D. (2008)
50 services Opportunities and challenges.
http//www.lifelonglibraries.org/documents/Schull_
50Plus.pdf Tang, J.(2004) Never Too old a
"Reading Program" for Nursing and Assisted Living
Home Residents. Colorado Libraries 30(4) 16-17. 
Van Fleet, C., et. al.(2002). Creating
cyberseniors older adult learning and its
implications for computer training. Public
Libraries 41(3) 149-55. Watkins, J. (2006).
Grandparents raising grandchildren The growing
task facing a new generation. Children
Libraries 4(1) 12-14. Wicks, D. A. (2004). Older
adults and their information seeking. Behavioral
Social Sciences Librarian. 22(2),
1-26.   Statistics Administration on Aging.
United States Department of Health and Human
Services (n.d.) Statistics on the aging
population. Retrieved March 23,
2009 from http//www.aoa.gov/prof/statistics/stati
stics.aspx Administration on Aging. United
States Department of Health and Human Services
(n.d.). Statistics Projections of future growth
of the older population.
Retrieved March 24, 2009 from http//www.aoa.gov/p
rof/statistics/future_growth/future_growth.aspx F
ederal Interagency Forum on Aging Related
Statistics. Aging Stats.gov. http//www.agingstat
s.gov/agingstatsdotnet/main_site/default.aspx Pew
Internet and American Life Project (2009).
Generations online in 2009. Retrieved March 24,
2009 from http//www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009
/Generations-Online-in-2009.aspx  
Ages
Are increasing in diversity
65 Population by Race and Hispanic Origin for
2006 and 2050 (projected)
Are of three different generations

• GI Generation
• Born 1901-1924
• 18 living in nursing homes
• Formative events
• World War I
• Roaring Twenties, prohibition
• Lindbergh flight
• Great Depression
• World War II
• Believe in responsibility, hard work
• Opinionated and vocal
• Some book preferences
• classics, best sellers, sentimental
  stories

• Silent Generation
• Born 1925-1945
• Formative events
• Lindbergh flight
• Great Depression
• World War II
• Korean War
• McCarthy Era
• Space Race, Cold War
• Value security
• Often reserved
• Value expert opinion
• Some book preferences
• recommendations from experts
• and friends, mystery, romance.

• Baby Boomers
• Born 1946-1964
• Formative events
• Television
• Space race, Cold War
• Moon landing
• Vietnam War, civil rights struggles
• Personal computers
• More technologically savvy
• Greater expectations of fast, reliable service
• Want to be trend makers, not followers
• Expect to be more active in retirement
• Some book preferences
• thrillers, tell-all books

Some public library web pages designed for
seniors
Brooklyn Public Library brooklynpubliclibrary.org
/seniors Cleveland Public Library
seniorsconnect.org Hennepin County Library
hclib.org/55plus
King County Library www.kcls.org/seniors Pikes
Peak Library District www.ppld.org/seniorconnecti
on