Library services to an aging population: A nation-wide study in the United States

Abstract

This study presents a large-scale study of public library services to older adults in the United States. A random sampling method was used to identify public libraries (n=226) for the study. Results suggest that libraries serve their aging communities in multiple ways. Some libraries provide a plethora of specialized programs focused on the specific needs of older adults. Others extend core library services to ensure they are accessible to older adults. Others invest in infrastructure and staff development to prepare for an aging society. Some do not provide any specialized programs or services for older adults. There is great unevenness in terms of library services for older adults across the nation. The discussion suggests additional work needed to better understand this unevenness, and to address it.

Supporting Social Connectedness of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Small and Rural Public Libraries

“…Past literature discusses the importance of social connectedness during covid 19, and the findings suggest small and rural public libraries are, in different ways, doing a great deal to promote social connectedness of older adults during covid as represented in the five factors of services identified in the study. The identification of five different approaches to public library services in support of social connectedness for older persons during COVID-19 builds upon previous research that shows that public libraries serve older persons in a variety of different ways (Lenstra, Oguz, and Duvall 2020), with a great level unevenness over time and space in regard to what different public libraries may offer this growing demographic.…”

“…By the late 1980s it was clear that services to older people were not keeping pace with the growth of the population nor the complexity of their needs (Turock 1987). Recent studies (e.g., Hughes 2017;Lenstra, Oguz, and Duvall 2020;Perry 2014) show that over time and across geography there exists great unevenness in terms of public library services to older adults, with some making services to this population a strategic and funded priority, and some barely mentioning this growing demographic in its service plans (Bennett-Kapusniak 2013). Nevertheless, the need for public library services to older adults continues, as generational and societal changes occur which make older persons a larger proportion of public library communities, particularly in rural and small-town America (Bennett-Kapusniak 2013;Cavanagh and Robbins 2012;Williamson 2009).…”

“…Older people may be willing to use technology for telehealth appointments especially, but that society must take steps to ensure its usability and relevance (Chen et al 2021). Online forums were also shown to help lower depression and keep older people socially connected throughout much of 2020 (Hwang et al 2021). These mixed findings suggest that while technology can be a barrier, it also can be an important intervention for ensuring social connectedness -especially in times of public health crises -if investments are made in cultivating elder interest and use in the technologies.…”

“…While there have been numerous studies on the role of public libraries during the pandemic (Garner et al 2021), few if any have examined how public libraries helped maintain social connectedness for older adults during the pandemic. This gap must be addressed because it has implications for the future importance of public libraries in an aging society (Lenstra, Oguz, and Duvall 2020). Given the disproportionate share of isolation and death burdened by older people before and during the pandemic, understanding how public libraries supported this population during the crisis likely holds valuable lessons useful for navigating future crises and for improving services to this population in general (Xie et al 2020b).…”

Bonded design in the virtual environment: the transition of a participatory design methodology

“…Producing productive public library programming for older adults Producing Productive Public Library Programming for Older Adults, a research project funded through the IMLS, is a response to the lack of empirical research or education in the United States specific to both older populations (Becker, 2019;Dempsey, 2007;Horton, 2019;Hughes, 2017;Lenstra et al, 2020;Pacino, 2018;Sabo, 2017) and public library programming and services. This means that practicing public librarians may not be sufficiently equipped to determine how best to meet the needs of older patrons.…”