About The Fellowship
The IMLS Western Regional Fellowship: Transforming Life After 50 (TLA50) was offered as a collaborative effort of the California State Library, Idaho Commission for Libraries, Oregon State Library, and Washington State Library in partnership with the Pacific Library Partnership and is a national continuing education model. It was funded by a grant from the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Services, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program with additional support from the participating State Libraries. more >
The year-long Fellowship provided a continuing education scholarship for public library staff and library professionals to advance their library and information science skills related to improving services to and engagement with active, older adults. Fellows were introduced to a new framework for working with “baby boomers” and midlife adults ages 50+ that promotes productive aging. The Fellowship was based on the recognition that current adult and senior library services often do not reflect the character or interests of today’s “boomer” generation nor do they effectively position public libraries as resources to help adults (ages 50+) remain vital and contributing members of their communities as they age. The Fellowship explored creative strategies for effectively serving and engaging midlife adults while also establishing public libraries as centers of lifelong learning and civic engagement.
The Fellowship focused on three primary areas: (1) concepts and research underlying new approaches to working with midlife adults; (2) promising practices in public library services; and (3) leadership skills in community librarianship -- including partnership development, assessment strategies, outreach and facilitation, and the uses of new social media.
Ninety-six qualified public library staff from California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and 8 other states, were selected to participate as Fellows, learning from each other and current leaders and futurists in the fields of aging, health, social sciences, economics, lifelong learning, work, and civic engagement. Fellows also benefited from the experience of public library leaders who had already implemented Transforming Life After 50 approaches in their local libraries. From July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, the Fellowship included:
- Enrollment and participation in the TLA50 Ning online community
- An introductory 1-hour webinar
- In-person training institute in Portland, Oregon, September 15-17, 2010
- Nine-month online learning community in building skills and applying lessons learned (Required 4-6 hours of self-paced participation per month)
- Completion of 3 online surveys over the course of the Fellowship
The Fellowship was based on the principle of “action learning,” in which the acquired skills and knowledge were expected to be put to practical use at public libraries over a sustained period of time. The Fellowship was also designed as a “collaborative learning” experience, where all concerned were peers, engaged in a common effort towards a shared goal. In this collaborative context, the Fellows were at the center of the experience and shared “ownership” for their own learning. Together, along with content experts and library leaders, Fellows examined their own experiences and sought to come to individual conclusions and professional action. The goal was not some "right answer" or even consensus, but the collaborative exploration of ideas and issues. At the heart of this year-long Fellowship was a genuine conviction about the empowering value of cooperative learning.
Fellowship Requirements
The goal of this Fellowship was to develop public library leaders committed to working with and serving midlife adults, ages 50+. Fellows had to be public library staff in a leadership position or on a leadership track. Acceptance of the Fellowship implied a commitment to work as an individual, as a representative of one's library, and as a part of a cohort of Fellows to help reshape library practices regarding midlife adults. Acceptance also required a commitment from the Library Director (or administrative authority, if the Library Director was the applicant), as evidenced by a Library Commitment Letter, to support the Fellow in his/her efforts to transform the library’s approach to midlife adults. more >
Accepted Fellows, with the support of their Library Directors (or administrative authority), were required to:
• Participate in all 6 components of the Fellowship, including:
- Enroll and participate in the TLA50 Ning online community
- Review selected resources and publications
- Attend the introductory 1-hour webinar
- Attend the in-person training institute in Portland, Oregon in September 2010
- Participate in all 6 online learning courses (requiring a minimum of 4-6 hours/month)
- Complete 3 online surveys over the course of the Fellowship
• Begin implementation of Transforming Life After 50 (TLA50) approaches in their own libraries, including locally appropriate programs and engagement strategies;
• Help disseminate the TLA50 concepts through professional and public presentations, conferences and/or contributions to written resource materials; and
• Become an active member of the TLA50 community of practice by sharing experiences and insights on the TLA50 Ning online community (http://tla50resources.ning.com).
A minimum time commitment of 75 hours (including 24 training hours at the institute) was required to meet the year-long Fellowship participation requirements.
Selected Fellows
Ninety-six Fellows from twelve states, selected by a panel of California State Library staff, partners, and consultants, were initially accepted into this Fellowship. Eighty successfully completed this year-long continuing education experience, resulting in a 83.3% completion rate.
2010-11 Fellows List
Fellowship Schedule and Curriculum
The Fellowship schedule (PDF, 180kb) and complete online course curriculum are available on this website for any one interested in knowing more about the Fellowship's educational content and focus.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding the Fellowship, please contact: Suzanne Flint, CA State Library sflint@library.ca.gov 916-651-9796 OR Stephen Ristau, Fellowship Coordinator stephenristau@gmail.com 503-281-4305
