AARP Library Services for Older Adults Award

2008

Northland Public Library | Boomer Connections

In an effort to appeal to and better serve the baby boomer generation we started Boomer Connections. The goal was to develop innovative, model programs that highlight services and resources that would connect active adults with new opportunities for learning, work, community service and social interaction. The Northland Public Library concentrated its efforts in three areas: recareering, civic engagement and the "sandwich generation."

Members of the public were invited to use our Boomer Connections website to tell us about the types of programming and services they would like to see in our community. Interested parties were invited to join our committee to see that this information was put to use. One of the outcomes was the Volunteer SpeedMatch event. Modeled after speed dating, this event provided an opportunity for older adults, as well as other interested parties to "interview" with a number of nonprofit organizations in a space of several hours. Boomer Connections has helped other local libraries and non-profit organizations rethink their volunteer activities for boomers. Boomer Connections has helped local libraries and over 30 community organizations build their volunteer base.

2007

Carnegie Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped | Outreach to Seniors

As baby boomers age, more and more are reaching a point at which they can no longer read standard-size print or comfortably hold a book and turn pages. Carnegie Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) addresses this need by offering large print publications and books-on-tape. To inform the publish of their materials, LBPH launched an ambitious and successful outreach program. Utilizing Mobile LBPH, the library�s special outreach van, staff attended events that targeted older adults, such as health and senior expos. Staff informed seniors and the professional who serve them about large print books, recorded materials and described narrated videos that LBPH provides free through the mail. LBPH collaborates with professional organizations that serve seniors such as Therapeutic Recreational Institute and the Pennsylvania Activities Professional Association to ensure that they are kept abreast of LBPH offerings. LBPH sends outreach personnel to legislators' health and senior expos on an ongoing basis. The goal is to increase awareness that reading can continue as sight fails. These senior events offer opportunities to discuss our program and provide applications on the spot. One special opportunity the library offers is a way for grandparents to continue to enjoy reading with their grandchildren using large print books and recorded books. LBPH staff takes copies of Three Rivers News Jr., the library's large print publication, to senior expos so that older visitors may take and issue to share with their grandchildren. For more information contact Kathi Kappel, 412.687.2440 or kappelk@carnegielibrary.org.

Andrew Bayne Memorial Library | Discussion Forums for 50+ Patrons

Discussion Forums for 50+ Patrons includes a monthly mystery book discussion, a monthly fiction book discussion and a weekly movie discussion. During the book discussions, participants are free to speak about anything regarding the month's selected titles. The session are moderated by staff members who read the books and provide questions as an outline for discussion. The weekly movies consist of popular and older titles that members of the group help select. The movies often tie in with monthly book selections. Each group has participated in trips to local coffee houses as well as to other libraries and bookstores in the area to hear authors speak.

The community has been heavily involved in the implementation of the discussion forums. Local newspapers were used to keep the community abreast of dates, times, books and movies for discussions. Area coffee houses and restaurants provide space for discussion field trips and local bookstores invite the participants to author lectures. For more information contact Sharon Helfrich, 412-766-7447 or helfrichs@einetwork.net.

2006

Whitehall Public Library | Senior Health Series: Take "10"

The Senior Health Series was an educational series promoting health and wellness to older library patrons. The Series covered topics such as heart health, nutrition, fitness, disease prevention and stress reduction. The goal of the Series was to raise awareness of the importance of healthy living among older adults. Each session ended with a question and answer period, during which patrons could privately voice concerns or questions to the health care expert. This Series provided approximately 25-30 older adults the opportunity to obtain free medical information from health care professionals and receive related educational materials provided by the library. The University of Pittsburgh Institute on Aging and the Working Hearts Coalition provided health care experts at no charge for this Series. For more information contact Denise Ignasky, 412-882-6622 or ignaskyd@einetwork.net.

2005

Whitehall Public Library | Book 'n Banter

The Books 'n Banter program is an educational reading and discussion program presented to groups of seniors in personal care homes. Library staff and volunteers present a topic each month to encourage mental stimulation and increase motor skills from the residents. The program is approximately an hour long and each month a different theme is selected. During the course of this program volunteers interact with the residents through trivia exercises, games, crafts, stories and a group sing-a-long. Props are used to enhance the theme of the day. The booklet is given to each resident to encourage them to follow the program and the sing-a-long. The booklet also contains additional reading materials so that the resident may review the program and further enhance memory. The program is provided to two personal care homes and the average attendance is about 30 participants per visit. Volunteers develop monthly topics by listening to the personal stories of the residents and then researching historical facts associated with these stories. Local businesses have donated items to augment the themes, such as flowers on Mother's Day, pumpkins for Halloween and small gifts at Christmas. For more information contact Denise Ignasky, 412-882-6622 or ignaskyd@einetwork.net.

2004

Allegheny County Library Association | PALS Book Clubs

Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA) partnered with the Highmark PALS (People Able to Lend Support) Program to establish PALS Book Clubs for Medicare eligible adults throughout Allegheny County. There are currently 18 clubs throughout Allegheny County with well over 200 participants. Clubs meet monthly in libraries, senior centers or senior living facilities to discuss the selected books. Librarians model book discussion techniques and appropriate group dynamics at the first few sessions but by the third or fourth meeting a volunteer from the group is identified to become the discussion leader and facilitator. Once a year, usually in November, ACLA sits down with reader's advisors from a nationally known bookstore to choose titles for the following year based on the suggestions from the Clubs. The cost of the books is shared between Highmark and ACLA. Each month the PALS Book Clubs receive ten trade paperback books, (when available) two large print books and one book on CD. Each year PALS Book Club members are invite to the annual author luncheon featuring a local author. For more information contact Charity Leonette, 412-921-1123 or leonettec@einetwork.net.

Bethel Park Public Library | Community Outreach

The Bethel Park Public Library's outreach service to older adults offers programs for both institutionalized and active, independent older adults. Programs that travel include regular homebound delivery of library materials as well as reading and discussion program presented in local nursing homes, assisted living facilities and retirement residences. The library also ahs the Senior Morning Computer Classes where novice computer users receive instruction in a relaxed environment with their peers. The library also offers and intergenerational story time at the library. Grandparents, parents and children attend a story hour that also includes crafts and games. The Bethel Park Public Library works with local government, schools, churches, businesses, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult day care center to get input to plan program designed to meet the needs of their residents. For more information contact Mary Mullen, 412-835-2207 or mullenm@einetwork.net.

2003

Mt. Lebanon Public Library | Discovery Series

Three years ago, a member of the community approached the library director with an offer to help start a series of intellectually stimulating educational and recreation programs for older adults. Local volunteer experts cover diverse topics on issues related to culture, religion, race, and politics, to name a few. These topics appealed to a wide age range, adding a valuable intergenerational component to this series. Use of the library's collections and other services has been enhanced for our target population. We offer four to seven programs three times year, running once a week for about five to six weeks. Each session include general discussion and Q&A. Since its inception in 2000 approximately 1,000 class sign-ups have been received.

Mt. Lebanon Public Library | Mini-Library Collections for Older Residents

Funded by an Allegheny County Pennsylvania Community Block Grant, eight mini-library collections were established in nursing homes or assisted living centers. Each collection of approximately one hundred large-print books and books on tapes is rotated every six months among the sites. One tape recorder and two sets of bookcases were also provided to facilities that requested them. A survey was sent to facilities to determine the interest and reading habits of the residents. This process assisted the librarians in selecting appropriate materials. In addition to the mini-library rotating collections, volunteer "Book Toters" transported specific titles of books to the residents of the included sites as well as five other nursing facilities.

2002

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh | Services to Seniors
Prior to 2002 the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) had identified services to seniors as a strategic focus. The library created and implemented several new programs and services for seniors including monthly outreach programs in 12 community locations; large print deposit collections in 10 senior centers; Using the Internet to Access Health Care Information taught by Duquesne University instructor Bob Campbell and the grand opening of a SeniorNet Learning Center in CLP's Library Center (downtown). SeniorNet was so successful that CLP partnered with the Lutheran Service Society to open a second lab at CLP in East Liberty. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh worked with the Area Agency on Aging to develop programs to suit the needs of the region's seniors, the Jewish Association on Aging to host cooperative intergenerational and outreach programs, Citiparks Senior Interests to promote and provide transportation to programs and the Allegheny County Library Association to conduct Elderhostel salons and book discussion groups.