Older Adults & Seniors
Among the many diverse communities that libraries serve, older adults and seniors continue to be a growing population with unique needs. Libraries are adapting programming and outreach strategies, developing senior-friendly spaces, and implementing adaptive technologies for this community. In this section you will find lists of helpful suggestions, case studies of individual libraries, and other resources to help your library provide better services to older adults and seniors.
Self-paced courses and webinar recordings on this topic are freely available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.
Most Recently Added
Outreach Programming: Serving Hidden Patrons
Publish Date: News / 23 January 2020
Perry Memorial Library in Henderson, NC is a rural library serving Vance County where approximately two-thirds of the county's population is either under the age of 18 or over the age of 60. Yet mobility issues and lack of transportation meant these ...
Memory Kits Serve Community Members with Alzheimer’s
Publish Date: News / 25 April 2019
For people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, a remembered moment from the past is a gift. Memory loss and confusion are the hallmarks of dementia and Alzheimer's, as the diseases progressively damage brains cells, but photographs, music, a...
Seniors and Financial Scams: When Traditional Workshops Aren't Working
Publish Date: News / 10 January 2019
Consumers lost a total of $905 million to fraud in 2017, according to the Federal Trade Commission's 2017 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. The FTC fielded 1.1 million fraud reports last year, with fraudulent debt collection, identify theft, and i...
When I’m 64: Financial Literacy Resources for Those Nearing and in Retirement
Publish Date: Webinar / 26 July 2018
This webinar will explore free financial literacy resources for older adults, provided by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, and share library programming ideas for patrons related to financial planning and fraud protection.
How Pie and Bingo was Born
Publish Date: News / 12 July 2018
This is the first in a new series on WebJunction published in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL), highlighting innovative programming from member libraries serving small and rural communities. Thanks to our first ...
Intergenerational Programs at the Library: Connecting Generations for Healthy Communities
Publish Date: Webinar / 29 March 2018
This webinar explores how and why intergenerational relationships are important and develops skills to foster intergenerational communication in libraries.
Serving Older Adults in a Changing World
Publish Date: Webinar / 8 November 2016
This webinar will focus on trends, impacts and strategies for library staff serving older adults in a changing world.
Rural Libraries Services for Older Adults: Summary of Findings
Publish Date: News / 2 September 2016
Each day roughly 10,000 Americans turn 65. How are rural libraries serving these older adults? To find out, I conducted a survey of rural libraries throughout 45 states and two Canadian provinces to see how rural libraries are serving the 65+ demogra...
Program Idea: Golden Girls Trivia
Publish Date: News / 9 June 2016
We couldn't help but notice a Facebook post that mentioned this successful program idea, and we just had to know more. Judith R. Wright, Teen Librarian at Homewood Public Library in Homewood, AL, was kind enough to share more information including th...
Library Spotlight: Senior Programs at Westerville Public Library
Publish Date: News / 21 March 2016
Every community is unique, which of course means that each library is unique. Take, for example, Westerville Public Library in Westerville, Ohio. Westerville is a city of about 37,000, situated fewer than 20 miles north of Columbus, and just a stone'...
