today’s webinar is brought to you by go...• born between 1946-1964 – oldest now 64, youngest...
TRANSCRIPT
Today’s webinar is broughtto you by:
Kendra Morgan
Today’s Presenter
Jennifer Peterson
Producers:
Douglas C. LordLSTA coordinator for Connecticut, Division of Library Development at the Connecticut State Library, co-chairof the Connecticut Library Consortium’s Services to Older Adults Roundtable, moderator the national and Connecticut WebJunction forums on Services to Older Adults, presenter, reviewer, author and father.
Libraries Go Boom! Library Service to Older Adults and Baby BoomersDouglas C. Lord, Connecticut State Library
April 6, 2010
• “Aging is not so bad when you consider the alternative.” - Maurice Chevalier
• “If you live to be one hundred, you've got it made. Very few people die past that age.” - George Burns
• “He's so old that when he orders a 3-minute egg, they ask for the money up front.” - Milton Berle
• “Old age is always 15 years older than I am.” - Bernard Baruch
John Glenn, astronaut, 77 George H.W. Bush, skydiver, 85!
GenerationsSilent Generation (1925-1941)Baby Boomers (leading and trailing) 1946-1964Gen X / MTV Gen (1958-1981)Gen Y / Echo Boomers (1976-2001)Gen Z / New Silent Gen / Neo-Disneys (1996 –)
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Generation Jones (specifically 1954-1965) New term, sharply differentiates ‘leading’ from ‘trailing’ boomersStill Boomers, but have much in common with Xers
Baby Boomers (leading and trailing) 1946-1964
Boomers• Born between 1946-1964
– Oldest now 64, youngest now 46• The largest population cohort
that the USA ever produced• Tremendous consumer power
their whole lives– Economic strength– Social power– Educational achievement– ‘Individual freedoms’
racial/civil rights feminismgay rights handicapped rightsprivacy concerns
Use the arrow tool on the map to show what state you are from.
Snapshot: ‘Older Adult’ Library Services
• Collections• Special Services• 9 out of 10 do not charge fines• Disadvantaged older adults • Technology• Stakeholders• Space• Staffing• Partners
NEXT: the 800-pound gorilla: PROGRAMMING
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The reality is:The reality is:
Libraries consistently rank 6Libraries consistently rank 6thth (maybe 5(maybe 5thth) of ) of 8 8 ‘‘classicclassic’’ municipal services in terms of municipal services in terms of ‘‘importanceimportance’’That wonThat won’’t change unless we change itt change unless we change itServant leadership vs. Community leadershipServant leadership vs. Community leadership
Lack of programming
OA programming challenges• Programming for a population of
superlatives is impossible• They’re the wealthiest, healthiest,
successfulest, most educated, most giving, most concerned, most this, most that – the mostest superlative generation
• How do you program for the Steppenwolf Born to be Wild generation?
Unfortunately…
• There is no single ‘mature market’• It’s NOT a simple, one-size fits all market
– Gender– Race– Socio-economic indicators– Political and religious stances– Physical condition
• Segmented population with diverse needsIvy Group, 2007
Competencies: OA Librarians
http://www.webjunction.org/competencies
NCCoLLE
Ning ring with blog and forum
Web site
Patron age - as perceived by CT libraries
Patrons by age (perceived)
46%
22%
18%
11% 3%
55 or less55 to 6465 to 7475 to 8485+
Nexus: Older Adults, Adaptive Technology
• Level 1: ~85%
• Level 4: >10%
Usability guidelines: print
• Font size• Glare-free background color/paper• Clear organization• ‘White’ space• Short sentences• Include jargon-free, definitions of medical terms• Information in short segments• Meaningful images
Challenge: To do this month• Establish a Services to Older Adult group• Use your state’s library association, a
consortium, whatever you’ve got• Use WebJunction and other free tools
(e.g., Google groups)
Avoid Silos
Distributed effort is far more effective than individual effort!
The national WJ OA forum
http://www.webjunction.org/older-adults/resources/discussion
NYPL 50+ blog
New Haven Free Public Library50+ Transition Center
Phoenix Public Library
NE Mass Regional Library System
Russell Library, Middletown: Joe Lunchbox• Homebound cards, large print collections• Programs
– lunch + learns, discussion-based educational programming on films & books
– computer classes• Adaptive technology – simple
– ZoomText - WindowEyes– Optelec reader - Wheelchair– book cart
Russell’s Jackson Pollack Program* Cooperative * Communal * Educational * Patron-centered * Active
HPL
Library amidst an upscale shopping center, hard to access, no parkingSeniors don't/can't/won’t contend with thisLibrary set up a "virtual branch" in the senior center
Pierce County, East Tacoma Washington
• Library Use by Age GroupGen Y (18-30) 62%Gen X (31-42) 59%Boomers (trailing)* 57%Boomers (leading)* 46%Matures (62-71) 42%After Work (72+) 32%
Trailing boomers (age 43-52)Leading boomers (age 53-61)
• % of adults with internet accessGen Y (18-30) 91%Gen X (31-42) 90%Boomers (43 – 61) 79%Matures (62-71) 56%After Work (72+) 29%
Data source: Pew Study of Information Behavior
Usability for the web
• Mouse-free controls• High contrast• No blue highlighted text (hyperlinks)
• No flashing images or distractions• Step-by-step navigation
Compared with teens & Gen Y, older generations use the internet:
• As a tool (info searches, email, product purchases)• Less for socializing and entertainment • In particular, older internet users are significantly more
likely than younger generations to look online for health information
• Health questions drive internet users age 73 and older to the internet just as frequently as they drive Gen Y users.
• Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project, December 2008
Health programming
• The ISSUE is much more important than the deliverer of the information (IMLS)
• e.g., high blood pressure is the #1 topic
Low Health Literacy• Low health literacy is a HUGE issue;
– $ is often attached to this issue
Extrapolation: future interest in
• Issues– Elder law, Geriatrics
• Place– Retirement communities – Nursing homes– Aging in Place
Other programming ideas• Wii• Exercise• Relationships/dating• Drug information• Medicare• Choosing nursing
homes/assisted living• Memory issues/keeping
mind active• Local initiatives, orgs• Legal issues
• Caregiving• End of Life planning• Managing medications• Health Fraud• Advanced directives• Hospice• Alternative medicines• Sexual Health
Make technology friendlier
• Laptops @ circulation / ref desk
• Real devices: iPods, MP3 players, video, smart phones, etc. for circulation
Be the table
Things to do in the next 3 months
• Form (or join) a community coalition for services to the aging population /elders/ boomers/ whomever
• Start gradually and build. Build it slowly and carefully.
Things to do in the next month
• Talk! – With your partners – With people, organizations, and agencies you
don’t know and who don’t know you
Things to do today
• High Blood Pressure screening– People GO to these things– The # 1 rated type of health program– Attendees will go anywhere for this– Schedule one at your library, see what
happens
Remember
• Libraries don’t ‘make’ anything • We connect people with information locally• Our strength is our ability to improve service• Improves the connection with the user
Q&A
Please submit your questions via Chat!
Stay Involved
On WebJunctionwebjunction.org/older-adults
BlogJunctionblog.webjunctionworks.org
Crossroads (monthly newsletter)
webjunction.org/crossroads
