Friday, September 12, 2008
Multi-District Workshop Part I: Introduction
Serving Older Adults: From Large Print Books to Gaming
Allan M. Kleiman
Multi-District Workshop
Serving Older Adults
n Good Morning
n Thank You
n Unique Perspective on the Topic
n There is a shift in the Aging population happening all over the world!
n
Serving Older Adults
n Who in this room is a boomer?
n What does that mean to you?
n How do you look at growing older?
n Different from your Parents? Or Grandparents
Serving Older Adults
n Who are “they?”
n Currently, 35 Million Seniors
n By 2030, 78 Million Seniors, close to 20% of the Population
n That’s 1 in 5
n How do we translate this demographic change into positive library services?
n What are the implications?
n But it is more complicated than that?
n Question the notion that there is such a thing as “library services to older adults”
Serving Older Adults
n What is Library Service to older adults now?
n What should it be in the future?
n Is it on the same par as Children’s Services? Teen Services?
Serving Older Adults
n Basis for Service Today……
n
n Established Broad Principles for Service
Serving Older Adults
n How could you turn around your Library and create such a Service?
n Why do we Have to?
n Can’t we just do the same thing we’ve been doing for the last 100 Years?
n Who Would Know the Difference?
n ------The Boomers Would!!!!!!!
Serving Older Adults
n Boomers have always thought that they can change the world
n Shift of what it means to grow older
n Change in what retirement means
n Change in almost all facets of American Life
Serving Older Adults
n What the Boomers are beginning to do is create a New Life Stage Between Careers and Old Age
n Something that really has not previously happened!
n And everyone in this room is going to be an active participant in the process
Serving Older Adults
n ‘the baby boomers will turn their golden years into an intense time of social activism, volunteerism, and lifelong learning.” “In retirement, the
n (Prime Time by Marc Freedman)
Serving Older Adults
n How will this effect our libraries?
n The Boomers “force” us to look at Library Services to Adults and Older Adults in a different way!
n Now--3 Groups of Older Adults
n 40-60, 60-80, 80-100
n Active vs. Inactive
Serving Older Adults
n Now……we need to create library programs that serve the 3 generations:
n Boomers, Older Adults and the Elderly
n We need to continue what we have been doing plus expand to serve this “new generation!”
Serving Older Adults
n The Boomers give us an opportunity to change the library from a passive entity to one which is a catalyst
n The library will become the center of town in every community--
n to be the place for public debate and discussion
n to allow for individual instruction
n allow for group learning and discovery
Serving Older Adults
n We want to
n Many have not used the Library in years
n Re-introduce the Library/Services
n We need to get the Boomers Out of Barnes & Noble!
n Boomers are going to redefine retirement and we want our Libraries to be a part of that
Serving Older Adults
n Boomers will be looking for Places for
n Information
n Recreation
n Education
n Socialization
n What
Serving Older Adults
n Most difficult Boomer to attract?
n Men or Women?
n Have not used the library very much
n Rarely took the kids to the library
n Bought paperbacks at B&N
n Library collections are women oriented
n Men’s Books are Fewer
Serving Older Adults
n What do the Boomers want?
n Want it
n Don’t Want to Wait!
n Expect Good Customer Service!
n Can go Elsewhere!
n Are Internet savvy!
Serving Older Adults
n …..this post-World War II generation, healthier than their parents, will expect the 21st century library to be a cross between the traditional library, a 24/7 learning center and a community college.
Serving Older Adults
n “Boomers won’t be content with a collection of large-print books, and all the library staff will have to be involved in providing services, not just the Outreach Staff. There will be a new kind of adult and older adults services created to lure the Boomers into Libraries.” Allan M. Kleiman
Serving Older Adults
n “Boomers will expect creative, exciting and stimulating programming and exhibits, enhanced technology, small meeting rooms and large spaces for discussions.” Allan M. Kleiman
n Libraries need to acknowledge this new exciting challenge that’s coming and get ready and plan for it………..
Serving Older Adults
n So this is an opportunity for Revolution
n So this is an opportunity to change
n So this is an opportunity for us to develop a new vision of what growing older is
n So this is a new direction in library services to the baby boomers, older adults and the elderly
Serving Older Adults
n Now, we know all the facts—
n What Can we do?
n What are some ideas to rethink your library and the services that we provide?
n Here are some suggestions-----
Ideas--The Physical Library
n Layout
n Circulation/Self-Check Out
n Coffee/Food/Prune Juice Bar/Teas
n Conversation Areas
n Drive-thru window
n Policies….are they “senior” friendly
Ideas--Marketing
n Traditional plus--
n Web based marketing
n E-Mail (not text message)
n RSS Feeds
n Podcasts
n Cell Phones
n Other Technology….we don’t know
Ideas--Marketing, cont.
n Begin Now-----Reaching Out to People at their Workplace
n Begin to borrow ideas from the Boomer Gurus----
n Ken Dychwald, www.agewave.com
n Mary Furlong, www.maryfurlong.com
Ideas--Collections
n How will they Change?
n Traditional plus
n 24/7 Library
n E-Books (According to Overdrive, Readers are 44 Years old and 70% Women)
n E-Music, E-Video
Ideas--Collections, cont.
n Retirement
n Financial Security
n Travel, Leisure
n Caring for Aging Parents
n 2nd Career Information
n Volunteer Opportunities
n Course/School Opportunities
Resources
n Baby Boomer Headquarters (www.bbhq.com)
n Reinventing Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement (Harvard School of Public Health) www.reinventingAging.org
n Civic Ventures (www.civicventures.org)
n Libraries for the Future (www.lff.org)
Resources
n Boomer Project (www.boomerproject.com, Matt Thornhill) Newsletter
n WHCOA 2005 (www.whcoa.gov)
n ALA WHCOA Site (http://cs.ala.org/ra/whiteouse)
n John Beck, Got Game (How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever) and look at OCLC Newsletter No. 267
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