Programming is usually at the top of most professional librarians wish list and we hope to highlight here some of the best programming ideas and practices that have evolved related to serving and engaging mid-life adults.  We believe the most successful programming is built upon the skills and knowledge embedded in the other online courses found on this website:  Strategic Facilitation, Community Assessment, Partnerships and Collaborations, Volunteer Engagement and Evaluating Results.  We encourage you to explore the myriad of resources available through these courses.   

Programming is designed to serve adults and, we believe, can also be an avenue for engaging the skills, passion and commitment of adults who want to make a difference in their communities. For specific examples of TLA50 innovation in library practice, check out Innovators.  Social media strategies are also effective at informing, connecting and building communities of mid-life adults. For examples of such strategies and additional programming ideas, check out the online course below.

IMLS Fellowship Course

Engaging Adults through Programming and Social Media

Instructors: Jane Salisbury and Analisa Svehaug
janesa@multcolib.org and analisa@hyperarts.com

Jane Salisbury is the supervisor of Library Outreach Services at Multnomah County Library in Portland, OR where she has worked, in a variety of capacities, for over the past 25 years.  Jane was named a Lifelong Access Fellow by Libraries for the Future in 2006 because of her pioneering work with midlife adults in Multnomah County.  She has also given several national presentations on innovative library approaches to serving Baby Boomers.

Analisa Svehaug works at HyperArts Web Development in Oakland, CA where she consults with businesses and organizations of all sizes, helping them engage with their audiences on social networks.  She has been the primary architect of the TLA50 Fellowship's various social media sites.

Tools

Samples

The Berkeley Public Library offered workshops that engaged local Boomers in gathering and recording digital, first-person narratives about the social, political, and personal aspects of Berkeley's voluntary school desegregation of 1964-68 – a turbulent period in Berkeley's history. Digital recordings of 13 narratives were produced on DVDs and are now available as part of the library's circulating collection as well as downloadable movies on the library's website. Read more...