WebJunction

Have you had a successful program targeting older adults? Have a notion for a great program? Libraries of all kinds and sizes out there in libraryland have a strong need for practical, doable, replicable programs. If you have ideas or needs you'd like to share, this is the place. If you have a great program you'd like to share, you get a gold star!

I just stumbled across this organization called OASIS, which identifies itself as "a national nonprofit educational organization designed to enhance the quality of life for mature adults. Offering challenging programs in the arts, humanities, wellness, technology and volunteer service, OASIS creates opportunities for older adults to continue their personal growth and provide meaningful service to the community." http://www.oasisnet.org/index.htm.

Has anyone heard of it/used it? It's national, in large cities like Rochester, Phoenix, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, LA, San Diego etc.

I'd love to hear anyones thoughts or experiences.


Message was edited by: fishrocker

I usually post on the services for Spanish speakers board. Anyway, I work in the Public Information Department at my library and was working on some promotion for one of our senior programs today. In June we are starting a memoir writing workshop for older men. It's a six-week program and one of our Readers' Services people who also happens to be a writer is conducting it. This program is a result of the very successful memoir writing class for older women. Participants record and share their lives. Other than the great history, they also practice their computer skills.

Margie

The women's sessions came first. They were modeled after an established program with a feminine slant. The fellow running the men's workshop also attributes it to men and women having different "presentation styles." The topics of interest are different. The senior center runs into the same thing with their discussion groups. Though they aren't gender specific, they workout that way. People go where they'll feel comfortable. I would also venture to guess that the size of the workshops--10 participants had something to do with it. Another thought just dawned on me. We have no trouble attracting "older" women to our programs. We WANT/NEED to attract "older" men.

Margie

How great to have that much enthusiasm from patrons, albeit predominantly female ones (my formula for attracting older men to library programs: golf, cars, naps). Btw, I know that other libraries have pulled in an intergenerational component with programs similar to this by having YA’s ‘publish’ the memoirs on the internet via school web projects etc.

Doug

Margie/all;

FYI, Lori Bell of the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center (http://www.mitbc.org/) is sponsoring this online workshop on June 16 9-11 A.M. Info below, and thanks, Lori, for putting this together - VERY exciting.

Today's "senior citizens" are comprised of several generations who have different needs and demands. The baby-boom generation born after World War II is retiring to do the things they have put off while working and raising families, and they are seeking informational resources to plan for the "golden years". Their parents, the "Greatest Generation" that fought in Korea and World War II are finding that their grandchildren may only communicate through e-mail, and Grandma and Grandpa are lacking in computer skills. Libraries are a venue that can help fulfill these needs. We will hold a workshop June 16 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. central time online to provide an overview of aging, talk about ageism, programming ideas and working with older adults. Participants will learn how and where to market their programs, and hopefully will leave with ideas for creating meaningful programs both inside the library and off-site.

Speakers include Barbara Mates, Head, Cleveland Public Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and Sharon Ruda, Director, Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service. Barbara Mates has won several ALA awards for her excellent work in serving the senior population and has written a number of books and articles on the topic.

The workshop is sponsored by the Alliance Library System, Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center, and the Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service. To attend go to the online auditorium at

http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0

type your name and press enter. All you need to participate is an Internet connection, sound card and speakers. If you have questions, contact Lori Bell at lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com. Please register by emailing Lori Bell.

Lori adds: To participate all you need is an Internet connection, a sound card and speakers. Although a microphone is not required for participation, if you would like to interact via audio, you can purchase a pc microphone at Wal-Mart for $10. Some people purchase headsets, especially if their computer is in an open area where the audio from the online room may interrupt someone else. If you don’t have a microphone, you can participate via text chat.

If you have problems with the software, please contact Tom Peters at tapinformation@yahoo.com or me.

Thank you for posting this up, Lori - I'll be attending with bells on!

Howdy

I’ve seen in print and various online places the opinion that Boomers “are not accumulating enough private savings to finance their retirement,” aren’t really prepared for retirement, that they’re all planning to work to age 70 (!) to accommodate themselves, their kids, and their aging parents.

Of course, as the Christian Science Monitor points out, the fact that “the number of Fortune 100 companies supplying fixed-rate pensions has dropped to 50 percent” (from http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0227/p01s01-usec.html) doesn’t help matters.

The Congressional Budget Office notes that “there is no widely accepted standard of what constitutes ‘enough’ savings, mainly because retirement preparations are largely a matter of personal choice” (from http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=5195&sequence=0).

I figure what this actually means to we librarians is that programs and materials on retirement planning will be warmly received by our Boomer patrons.

Ken Dychtwald of Age Wave (a firm created to guide Fortune 500 companies and government groups in product/service development for boomers and mature adults, itself a Boomer concept) penned this interesting essay: “ Demography is De$tiny: Like a Pig Moving Through a Python” at: http://www.agewave.com/media_files/demography.html

Your tax dollars at work: The Bureau of Labor Statistics has some dox with a lot of blah blah but also really solid numbers: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2004/02/art1full.pdf and http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2003/winter/art05.pdf

The AARP chimes in with "An Older Workforce is on the Horizon" at http://research.aarp.org/econ/boomers_envision_1.pdf

SeniorJournal claims that "Baby Boomers Get an 'F' in Planning for Old Age" at http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Retirement/07-02-1BoomerF.htm

and Del Webb, a company that makes retirement complexes that I'd like to live in reports that "half of those who have retired say they plan to return to work. The main reason given is financial, followed by a need to stay active" at http://www.retirementliving.com/RLart166.htm

Lastly, http://home.att.net/~coachthee/Archives/babyboomerstoday.html isn't a bad site, with quick facts and some links that (gasp!) actually seem helpful.

Guten tag,

Amid scores of print sources, Libraries for the Future's (http://www.lff.org/) "Reading America Toolkit" mentions this site - looks promising:

Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning http://www.temple.edu/cil/. The propaganda for this noble venture reads, in part, that it "helps organizations integrate intergenerational approaches into their program services" and "is dedicated to strengthening communities by bringing generations together to meet the needs of individuals and families throughout the life cycle."

Danke schön

That's according to the US Administration on Aging.

They have a pdf of 4 postcards (print and cut) that might be useful for a display depicting happy, healthy folks.

The site talks a lot about preventive screenings and Medicare.

http://www.aoa.gov.