Active, engaged, valued: older people and public libraries

Latter years - decisions

2011-10-20T23:10:00.002+11:00

Legal Aid NSW and the Benevolent Society have published a guide for seniors on planning their future. It's called Speaking for myself. It includes information about powers of attorney, enduring guardianship issues and making wills, among other issues.

Why we should embrace our age

2011-09-25T19:31:00.002+10:00

A wonderful post by Loretta Laroche. This article first appeared in Huffington Post. Loretta is full of joy and practical wisdom, including practical tips on aging well by:

making each day feel like a new beginning
reinventing yourself on some level so that you don’t become your own “Groundhog Day”
spend time in community with others
become more involved in the pursuit of altruism
find the bless in the mess
laugh as often as possible
keep a positive outlook: “if you think the worst and get the worst, you suffer twice; if you think the best and get the worst, you only suffer once.”

Loretta has a PBS special about "juicy living, juicy aging" -

How will local government cope with ageing communities?

2011-09-19T17:55:00.003+10:00

The purpose of the Local Government and Ageing Project was "to identify the magnitude of costs for Local Government of an ageing population, including the size of any financial impact, the range of council services affected, and potential impacts on council's revenue raising capacity as a result of population ageing. The study also documented the growing social and economic contribution older people are making to their local communities. "

A tool kit is available.

Older Australians vulnerable to fraud

2011-08-29T22:01:00.001+10:00

A recent survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has indicated that older people are more vulnerable to fraud than the general population. See the full report on the AIC website.

Global Age-friendly Cities

2011-07-20T06:12:00.006+10:00

The World Health Organisation has an active ageing framework. "Active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age." This mission would apply equally well to the services for 50+ years in a public library. Building on this framework, WHO published a Global age friendly cities guide in 2007 which includes some goals that could also articulate quite effectively the goals of libraries in serving older people:

"In an age-friendly city, policies, services, settings and structures support and enable people to age actively by:

recognizing the wide range of capacities and resources among older people;
anticipating and responding flexibly to ageing-related needs and preferences;
respecting their decisions and lifestyle choices;
protecting those who are most vulnerable; and
promoting their inclusion in and contribution to all areas of community life."

References:

Active ageing: a policy framework. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2002 (http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/who_nmh_nph_02.8.pdf)
Global age-friendly cities : a guide. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2007 (http://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf)

Interacting with library collections

2011-06-16T07:31:00.005+10:00

One really interesting development comes from the DOKLAB (DOK public library in Delft, Netherlands).

DOKLAB Project P from DOKLAB on Vimeo.

How many ways could this type of technology be used to allow older library clients to:

contribute their own photos or memories to the library collections
curate their own stories using material already in the library collection
add information to what is already known about photos and images
explore technology without needing to master a mouse or keyboard

I think it would be very interesting to collect the migration stories from a local community in this way, after all 25% of Australians were born overseas ... that's a lot of stories to tell.

Growing older?

2011-06-13T21:32:00.003+10:00

Day 13/30 #blogeverydayinjune #blogjune

The more astute reader will realise Day 12 is missing ... (oops) ... but here we are again, considering the startling fact that in Australia over the next decade 25% of teachers will retire. There are similarly large figures of library workers projected to retire. This raises a number of issues for public libraries:

local studies expertise - is it possible to be mentored by / shadow an experienced local studies librarian and assimilate years of knowledge and experience?
children's librarians - this highly creative area demands a range of performance skills, boundless energy and enthusiasm and is sometimes subject to burnout ... will we have enough experts to keep offering the highly valued baby bounce and rhyme times, storytimes and other programs in future?
a lot of library work is quite physical ... how will an ageing workforce handle shelving and other tasks?
can an ageing library workforce keep pace with the rapid development of technology?

I think library workers are creative, flexible and accept that theirs is a lifelong learning profession ... I just hope we have the numbers to keep it all going.

The challenge of blogging daily

2011-06-11T23:38:00.009+10:00

When I decided to participate in the #blogeverydayinjune (#blogjune) internet meme this year, I never imagined how hard it would be to find daily inspiration for a topic and the discipline to sit down and write about it. I've opted for a scattered array of ideas around ageing communities and public libraries, a narrow topic but a vital one as our population in Australia ages.

Young for life

2011-06-11T22:48:00.006+10:00

Day 11/30 #blogjune

There is a great initiative in Singapore, an annual Active Ageing Festival coordinated by the Council for Third Age (C3A). It is their goal to "introduce seniors to a variety of activities and experiences that will lead them on the journey to an active lifestyle."

Are there opportunities for public libraries to initiate their own local active ageing festivals? There are many health care providers, physical activity opportunities, clubs and organisations seeking to engage with seniors and a combined annual event could create quite a bit of momentum in a community.

There is a great example of a library based festival: The Hills Shire Library Service in Sydney's west won an award in 2010 for its "Festival of Active Living" at the Castle Hill Library. "The three-day Festival included hobbies, health and wellbeing and lifestyle options and talks by gardening guru Sandra Ross, meditation expert Kevin Hume, media personality Ita Buttrose and author Mary Moody... Objectives of the festival were: to change perceptions about libraries and increase awareness and usage; open opportunities for seniors to remain active and enhance their quality of life; to help build a vibrant, healthy and active community; and to provide avenues for seniors to connect and be part of their community.”

Grey nomads and flying pigs?

2011-06-10T20:59:00.006+10:00

Day 10/30 #blogjune

A colleague sent me a link to this intriguing blog, Pigs will fly. It is an Australia-wide network that focusses on "small business, tourism and community information that we hope helps concerned Australians balance the ‘sustainability quadruple bottom line’ of socio-cultural, economic, environmental and governance elements that we deal with on a daily basis."

Of particular interest to me is their focus on the 'grey nomads', retirees with an interest in travel in the Australian outback. They connect grey nomads with skills and property owners in outback Australia in need of an experienced electrician, plumber, painter, builder/carpenter.

Picture credit: Doing the grey nomad thing in style by JohnBanbury

How are public libraries meeting the needs of grey nomads?

is wifi free or low cost?
do you have to be a local resident to use the public access internet and pcs?
can they borrow from your library?
is a temporary membership available?
is the library advertising at the local tourist information office?
does the library have local tourism information available?

Healthy ageing - stay physically active

2011-06-09T20:22:00.003+10:00

Day 9/30 #blogjune

As the excellent folk at Better Health Channe l have said, "Physical activity (exercise) can help older people maintain independence, recover from illness and reduce their risk of disease. Muscle mass and bone strength can be improved with regular exercise. Walking, swimming, dancing and cycling are all good forms of exercise which can also be sociable"

So where do libraries fit into this picture?

DVDs (tai chi, yoga, zumba, stretching, dancing, seated exercises, pilates.... )
classes - why not have a tai chi class in the library or offer a 'try before you buy' seniors session for a variety of activities
festivals of healthy ageing featuring health providers
community directories listing physical activity options for over 50's

Recycled careers?

2011-06-08T23:52:00.005+10:00

Day 8/30 #blogjune

One of the challenges facing any professional is remaining relevant and 'at the top of their game'. In the library profession, one that is dominated by technology, there is an ongoing need to maintain and develop skills.

This article: How to Remain Relevant When You’re Over 40 includes some tips that have particular application for knowledge workers:

1. Community building.
2. Information processing.
3. Bridge building.
4. Manage your personal brand.
5. Commit to life-long learning.

Good advice for librarians ... but perhaps also good advice for libraries?

Grandma's Superhero therapy

2011-06-06T18:53:00.002+10:00

Day 6/30 #blogjune

"A few years ago, French photographer Sacha Goldberger found his 91-year-old Hungarian grandmother Frederika feeling lonely and depressed. To cheer her up, he suggested that they shoot a series of outrageous photographs in unusual costumes, poses, and locations. Grandma reluctantly agreed, but once they got rolling, she couldn't stop smiling." Source: Grandma's Superhero Therapy

I would love to see a library use photos like this in their marketing to older people!

Reflect: libraries and ageing well

2011-06-05T10:21:00.001+10:00

Day 5/30 #blogjune

There are many opportunities for public libraries to support the many interests and life stages we experience as we age, here are just a few examples:

Collections:

This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity / Susan Moon
Rules for Aging: A Wry and Witty Guide to Life / Roger Rosenblatt
Healing Walks for Hard Times: Quiet Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Get Your Life Back / Carolyn Scott Kortge
Your life matters / Petrea King
Gifts From the Heart : Meditations on Caring for Aging Parents / Bonni Goldberg and Geo Kendall
Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life / Marc Freedman

Programs:

Creative writing and memoir writing workshops
Philosophers club
Author talks
toolkit for Friends groups on attracting and keeping baby boomer volunteers

Bridging the generation gap in the workplace

2011-06-04T08:21:00.003+10:00

Day 4/30 #blogjune

The idea of "digital natives" and "digital immigrants" has been largely debunked. Research shows that while age is not a determining factor in digital lives, the key factors are familiarity and experience using technology. Yet there are some different ways of approaching work and this video highlights how often technology can be a point of difference. This can be a particular challenge in the libray workforce, as early adopters of technology in a heavily tech based industry with an ageing workforce.

Books on prescription

2011-06-03T10:48:00.001+10:00

Day 3/30 #blogjune

There is an exciting new project in development in the Central and Western areas of NSW where a Library Development Grant of $71,000 will be used to establish an innovative program called Books on Prescription to help local people with common mental health disorders.

"Books on Prescription schemes are a form of Bibliotherapy, which, when high-quality books are used, can bring many of the benefits of conventional medication without the potential side-effects associated with drugs, and often achieves good results more quickly." Source

It's fairly rare for public libraries in NSW to have close working relationships with GPs and mental health workers in their communities so this project will look to examples in the UK where Books on Prescription programs have proved very successful for inspiration.

A Place for Us? Baby boomers, their elders, and the public library

2011-06-02T09:17:00.002+10:00

Day 2/30 #blogjune

This looks like a very interesting research proposal from Canada, to take a closer look at the role public libraries play in the lives of older people who are also carers for a family member.

"The key research questions this study will attempt to answer are:

What role does the public library play as a place in the lives of baby boomers who provide care and/or companionship to elders?

What are the characteristics, needs, and behaviours of this growing segment of the population served by public libraries?

The exploratory nature of the research questions suggests that a qualitative methodological approach to research design is appropriate."

Read more:
Wendy Robbins, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
A Place for Us? Baby boomers, their elders, and the public library: a proposal for the Research round table

Blog every day in June! 1/30

2011-06-01T08:57:00.009+10:00

Day 1/30 #blogjune

I've decided to join library colleagues everywhere around Australia who have taken up the challenge to blog every day in june #blogjune .... so here we are on day one.

I'm interested in five themes for healthy ageing - neatly summarised from Dan Buettner's TEDx talk by Garr Reynolds as

I think these five themes may offer a framework for public libraries in planning collections and services for older people and supporting healthy and fulfilling ageing in their communities.

Are we the champions?

2011-05-31T20:43:00.003+10:00

One of the challenges facing many people as they age is hearing loss. This week the news broke that Roger Taylor, drummer for the legendary band Queen has severe hearing loss. "Taylor revealed that he has joined the ranks of Who guitarist Pete Townshend and former Genesis drummer Phil Collins as the latest casualty of mega-volume stadium concerts."

It's food for thought ... after all, how well do public libraries meet the needs of clients experiencing degrees of hearing loss?

Are hearing aid loops available in meeting spaces and at customer service points?
Are quiet study rooms available away from the noise of the busy library floor? (yes, that's right public libraries can be noisy places)
Does the collection include information about hearing loss and local support groups and services?

And here is a clip of Queen performing "We will rock you".

Challenging the ageing stereotype - with dance!

2011-05-22T18:21:00.003+10:00

Sarah Paddy Jones is not only a Guiness book of records holder, she's also a grandmother and didn't take up salsa dancing 'til she was older. She was discovered on a Spanish TV show called "Tu Si Que Vales" ...

Older, Wiser, Feeling Younger

2010-11-17T18:44:00.007+11:00

This is a clip from the Australian Pay TV program "Older, Wiser, Feeling Younger" and features older cyclists touring the the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.

Look. Snap. Connect - exercises to boost the ageing brain

2010-09-30T09:18:00.004+10:00

"As human brains age, they lose their ability to recall memories. Our memory peaks at the age of 30, and then it declines gradually with time.... Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry and aging at UCLA, says there are ways that we can reduce the effects of this kind of memory loss by exercising our brains—training our neurons the same way that we can exercise our muscles at the gym using relatively simple techniques. He distills the basics of these down to three concepts: "look, snap, connect."

Look = focusing attention. The biggest reason that people don’t remember things is they’re simply not paying attention.
Snap = create a mental snapshot of information you want to recall later.
Connect = linking up those mental snapshots eg. "if I’m running out quickly and I have two errands, pick up eggs and go to the post office. I might visualize in my mind and egg with a stamp on it."

Source: Neural Exercises Boost the Aging Brain

This article is part of a series in the Big Think's Month of Going Mental

Alzheimer's Australia National TV Campaign

2010-09-21T20:54:00.007+10:00

There's a difference between forgetting and memory loss.

Resources for your library:
Alzheimers affects whole families, loved ones, carers and the patient themselves. What resources are available in your public library? Here are just a few:

Alzheimer's : what you must know to protect your brain and improve your memory : Dr Sandra Cabot's ground breaking 4-point program / Sandra Cabot
The best friends approach to Alzheimer's care / Virginia Bell and David Troxel
The best friends book of Alzheimer's activities : 147 fun, easy, and enriching activities / Virginia Bell

Festival of active living - Library Stars

2010-09-16T20:34:00.004+10:00

The winner of this year's Health and Aging category of the ALIA Library Stars was the "Festival of Active Living" held by The Hills Shire Library Service in NSW.

The three-day Festival included hobbies, health and wellbeing and lifestyle options and talks by gardening guru Sandra Ross, meditation expert Kevin Hume, media personality Ita Buttrose and author Mary Moody. Stalls were provided by community groups such as artists, knitters, yoga instructors and chiropractors. The Rock n Soul Choir really showed just how loud and vibrant libraries can be.

Objectives of the festival were:

to change perceptions about libraries and increase awareness and usage;
open opportunities for seniors to remain active and enhance their quality of life;
to help build a vibrant, healthy and active community; and
to provide avenues for seniors to connect and be part of their community.

Also worthy of a mention - the judges highly commended the Burnside Library, South Australia for "The 5 P’s of Public Libraries – Progressive Promotion, Partnerships and Popular Programs". A range of programs have been introduced to entice baby boomers into the library, where they can use their leisure time in a productive, creative and meaningful way.
The services have been categorised into three streams:

Progressive Promotion; using technology such as Vodcasts and Podcasts, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to promote library services.
Partnerships; linking with a wide range of groups to provide programs of interest to baby boomers. One example of a partnership is the library working with the State Theatre Company to promote selected plays under the umbrella of the Scene It? program.
Partnerships with local book stores to host author visits and the Book of The Year presentation have also been included in the partnerships program.
Popular Programs; Many services of interest to baby boomers are offered, including a range of computer classes, social classes such as art and craft and languages and reader advisory and general entertainment programs.

Extreme Seniors

2010-09-11T19:12:00.000+10:00

This clip featuring the athletic adventures of some of Whistler's most extreme senior citizens really speaks for itself.

Challenging Ageing Stereotypes

2010-09-11T19:08:00.003+10:00

My mother always said you should never judge a person til you'd walked a mile in their shoes. That's exactly what a Glasgow actress did - she tried on the face and hair of an older woman and travelled around the city centre shops, cafes, train stations and streets - to see how differently the public treated her.

Find out more at www.seetheperson.info

First aid readiness

2010-09-11T18:39:00.000+10:00

It is rare for me to visit my local shopping centre around midday during the week. But this week I did just that. In the space of just a couple of hours, I saw two teams of paramedics assisting elderly shoppers who were injured or had collapsed. The shopping centre staff handled each situation calmly, they knew their procedures and even had screens at the ready to shield an elderly man who'd collapsed on the main concourse from view.

It made me wonder how ready most public library staff might be to handle a similar situation. Are procedures in place? Have staff been trained to handle common incidents? In a crisis how will they react?

As our community ages and the numbers of older people using libraries increases accordingly we need to start thinking about our first aid readiness.

Dementia Awareness Week

2010-09-06T22:04:00.001+10:00

Perhaps one of the most frightening aspects of ageing is memory loss. How often have you heard someone refer to having a 'senior moment'? There are even computer games marketed with the promise that they will 'help you improve your brain'.

Why not find out what you can do to help yourself during Dementia Awareness Week from September 16-26. Check out the Mind your Mind program from Alzheimers Australia.

The seven Mind your Mind signposts are:

Mind your Brain – Keep your brain active
Mind your Diet – Eat healthily
Mind your Body – Be physically active
Mind your Health Checks – Manage blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood sugar and weight
Mind your Social Life – Participate in social activities
Mind your Habits – Avoid tobacco smoke and only drink alcohol in moderation
Mind your Head- Protect your head from serious injury

Research indicates that these seven steps may help reduce risk and may even delay the onset of dementia.

Ageing and diversity

2010-09-06T21:47:00.001+10:00

A couple of years ago the Seniors in Focus @ your library seminar featured a panel discussion: Ageing issues for specific groups including CALD, Indigenous and GLBTIQ community members.

The presenters included Jan Aitken from Ten Forty Matrix. Jan posed some thought provoking questions and issues for all home library service providers to consider to ensure our services are inclusive of members of the Lesbian and Gay Community.

Issues for ageing gay community members:

Invisibility, being in the closet still, living in a setting such as a nursing home, hostel or retirement village where ‘coming out’ may be difficult.
Lack of information about and access to gay/lesbian resources.
Dealing with aged care staff whose attitudes are not known and may be negative.

Issues for libraries:

Collection policies: how does gay/lesbian literature make it into the library?
How does this extend to other media: CDs, videos, DVDs etc?
What about magazines: does your library have LOTL ( Lesbians on the Loose) and Sydney Star Observer?
Reading lists: Do you have a lesbian/gay reading list?
If the answer is no to all or most of these what is the reason for the lack?
Internet access: rapidly becoming important – can you assist clients’ access?

Sydney based resources:

Advocacy

2009-04-10T16:00:00.000+10:00

To advocate for something is to provide active support of an idea or cause. When we talk about advocating for older people as valued library clients perhaps we need to spend some time exploring the idea. After all, aren’t all library clients valuable and isn’t the mission of a public library to be all things to all people? Why are older people special and what would “active support” look like?

Older people are rapidly increasing in numbers and proportionately in all communities in developed countries. Research tells us that people over the age of 65 use public libraries five times as much as other people. Their needs (and demands) must be part of our planning.

One of the great roles a public library plays in a community is building social capital. Libraries do this in a variety of ways, including:

providing a meeting place for people from a diverse array of ages, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds
minimizing barriers that prevent people from engaging with their library via housebound services, online services, mobile libraries, information in community languages
matching services to the needs in their community
building and facilitating communities

Active support for services to older people would include activities and collections targeting older people, but perhaps more importantly considering the 'senior angle' in all planning, for example:

is advertising age neutral or senior friendly? (eg. consider the wording, images used)
are programs accessible to older people? (eg. consider suitable venues, locations, times)
is the technology available to assist participation? (eg. consider hearing aid loops in meeting rooms and at service counters, the screen and font size of presentations)
are there opportunities for seniors to volunteer or participate?

Busting stereotypes

2007-08-19T00:32:00.000+10:00

There is a fabulous video on YouTube featuring the song "My Generation" performed by The Zimmers [Released: 28/05/07] If you feel the need to challenge some stereotypes it's recommended viewing!

Financial information for Aussie retirees, or people who will be retiring soon

2007-08-08T14:14:00.000+10:00

Australian Securities and Investments Commission provides information for retirees, or people who will be retiring soon. The website includes a range of useful calculators as well as a variety of topics including:

Planning for retirement
Getting a clear picture of what your current super fund offers
Retirement income products
Reverse mortgages and other equity release products
Insurance
Warnings
ASIC research report into decision making at retirement

Go for your life!

2007-08-07T18:15:00.001+10:00

What a fabulous title for a health and fitness program for the over 50's ... Go for your life! This is a Victorian Government initative and includes tips on simple ideas and activities to help older adults improve their eating habits, become more physically active and involved in their communitites. The tip sheets are also available in five community languages [Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian and Vietnamese].

Baby Boomers and the age wave

2007-07-31T14:00:00.000+10:00

Australian economist, Ross Gittins has some interesting observations to make about the much maligned baby boomers and their effect on the imminent age wave.

"increasing longevity and declining fertility are the two dominant influences over population ageing... had there been no baby boom, population ageing would have started a lot earlier than it did, with the age dependency rate (the ratio of those aged 65 and over to those aged 15 to 64) higher than projected until the mid-2030s... so the main effect of the baby boom has been to defer population ageing and make its onset more pronounced."

For a fuller and much more eloquent explanation see Ross Gittins (2007) Gittinomics, Chap 10 "Our ageing population" ISBN 978 1 74175 0928

Boomers in the library

2007-07-24T17:45:00.000+10:00

Beth Dempsey's article "What boomers want" in Library Journal [ 15/July/2007] draws attention to the opportunities that libraries must seize to effectively reach and serve boomer clients. When she says "Rather than believe our years are advancing, we boomers simply redefine: 60 is the new 30." there's a key message for both programming and marketing library activities - boomers may not relate to library activities branded in any way to appeal to 'older adults', 'the elderly' or 'retirees'.

Even more useful is her summary of "What boomers need"

Help plotting retirement that includes work (maybe an entirely new career), volunteerism, leisure, travel, and continued learning
Retirement extends to the business community at large—businesses need help preparing for the “brain drain” that occurs when boomers retire
Financial planning and job training for women at risk of poverty
Healthy living and fitness workshops
Arts, culture, lectures, and programs for mental agility
Genealogy and support in capturing life stories

What's in a name?

2007-07-05T09:47:00.001+10:00

One of my 'hobbies' is chasing down the more positive terms used to describe older people in our communities and their engagement. When Active, engaged, valued: older people and NSW public libraries was published I deliberately chose the ambiguous "active, engaged, valued" to describe both the people and the libraries.

The US based Purpose Prize uses the tag "Leading with experience" but the best one I've seen was in the July issue of the Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association Newsletter - "YOPPIE" - A youthful older person positively interested in everything.

Super senior!

2007-07-05T09:36:00.000+10:00

Olive Riley is the world's oldest blogger at a spritely 107 years young. Her blog All About Olive is very popular with about 10, 000 hits a day. Olive is an Aussie, born in the outback town of Broken Hill in 1889 and now lives in a hostel in Woy Woy which is about 80 kilometres north of Sydney.

Olive also co-directed a film with Mike Rubbo "All About Olive" (2005).

Mature employment options

2007-06-20T09:48:00.000+10:00

Mature workers have much to contribute to the workforce, yet many still find 'ageism' is an issue when job seeking. There are a number of resources that target mature workers seeking paid employment or volunteer work.

Adage is a careers centre and job board for mature age professionals in Australia.
Fido provides a skilled volunteer search
Australian volunteer search
Seek volunteer
Go volunteer
The centre for volunteering (NSW)

Ageing is a verb

2007-06-20T09:33:00.001+10:00

A new campaign has been launched by the Aging Services of California which highlights that "Aging is an active verb". It includes TV public service announcements featuring astronaut John Glenn returning to space at 77 and Mother Teresa receiving the Nobel Peace Prize at 69. One of the aims of the program is to encourage people of all ages to plan now to help ensure their future will be healthy, safe, independent and active. Learn more at http://www.aging.org.

Aging and spirituality

2007-04-16T17:03:00.000+10:00

Almeda County Library ran an intriguing program entitled: "Aging and spirituality: my neighbor's faith" which focused on healing through diverse faith traditions. Perhaps it's an inevitable part of aging that we become more interested in faith and health?

Everything old is new again - or is it?

2007-04-10T18:19:00.000+10:00

Public libraries have served older clients for decades, catering for their needs with large print, talking books, hearing aid loops and housebound library services. It's easy to think that the ageing of the baby boomers is going to mean more of the same.

But the real question is, will they be like the older adults before them? Will libraries have to adapt to a new type of "older client"?

These are some of the issues that this blog will consider, along with the services, collections, programming, building design and other ways public libraries are catering for the specific needs of older adults.