A comprehensive guide to creating dynamic, successful, and innovative library programs that cater to the specialized needs of older adults—an important and growing user group. Crash Course in Library Services for Seniors provides a refreshingly positive approach to working with older adults—one that focuses on the positive effects of aging on patrons, and the many opportunities that libraries can create for themselves by offering top-notch services delivered with a concierge mindset. The book offers page after page of great programming ideas specifically for reaching out to Baby Boomers and older customers—a population that is predicted to double over the next 20 years. Organized in only six chapters, this easy-to-read book provides practical suggestions for making any library a welcoming place for older adults, covering topics such as assessment, planning, programming, services, marketing, and evaluation. This title will be invaluable to public librarians interested in expanding and improving their current programming for older adults within their community, and for those looking to create entirely new programming for seniors.

This book helps libraries identify and implement new ways to serve their physically or mentally disabled patients. Authors Ann Roberts and Dr. Richard Smith work at the state level with persons with disabilities. They find that very few librarians feel comfortable with providing services addressed to the needs of the disabled, yet those who do offer services and programs other libraries can adopt and adapt. Crash Course in Library Services to People with Disabilities will help librarians get up to speed in understanding disabled persons and what they can do to make library premises and holdings more accessible to them. It provides basic information on the different types of mental and physical disabilities a librarian might encounter, then offers a range of exemplary policies, services, and programs for people with disabilities—efforts that are in place and working across the country.

Every public library has a children's department and many libraries have a section specifically for teens. Yet the demographic group with the highest growth rate, Baby Boomers and senior citizens, typically receives little special attention at the library. Now is the best time ever to cater to the specialized needs and wants of seniors through innovative services and programming. (Editor).

Inspired by trends in U.S. public libraries, this book teaches librarians how to create a welcoming environment that enriches, enlightens, and engages their library's growing aging community. The number of adults aged 50+ coming to public libraries is steadily increasing. These patrons include active, healthy, tech-savvy professionals; people who have little or no computer training; retirees; travelers; and those who have age-related health and behavior issues. Public libraries have an opportunity to provide services for this growing and varied group. This book teaches librarians how to develop and expand adult public library programming and services, turning their library into a welcoming environment for the aging community. Public Library Programs and Services for Midlife and Beyond offers practical examples in areas including community collaboration, outreach, marketing, engagement, technology and social media, funding, and lifelong learning. It also incorporates up-to-date findings from the ALA's Guidelines for Library Services with 60+ Audience: Best Practices. Examples gathered by the author from extensive interviews with public librarians and directors illustrate what a range of libraries is successfully doing for the midlife-and-beyond community and encourage creative thinking about new programs and services.

Not only does this book offer insights into how to better serve all seniors, but it also provides complete step-by-step instructions for dozens of exciting and engaging programs that can be held both onsite and offsite. While serving the senior population is a standard service in public libraries, it has traditionally focused on in-house programs and homebound services. On the Go with Senior Services is different. With this inspiring and practical guide, your library can rejuvenate its in-house services with new programs and also take them on the road—to retirement and assisted living communities, adult day care programs, and nursing homes and rehab centers. With such diversity in the senior population, this book describes strategies for designing senior programs that fit your community's needs. It offers a trove of templates for programs that range from crafts, word games, pop culture, pets, holidays, humor, mysteries, technology, and music. It offers tips and suggestions on how to interact with seniors, including those who may have a variety of physical and cognitive needs. There are also guidelines for working with individuals suffering from dementia. A robust list of further resources is provided. The growing population of seniors presents librarians with new challenges and opportunities, and this book is a valuable guide to navigating and embracing them.

Based on the latest research in communication theory but tailored specifically for real-world application, this updated manual speaks equally to the needs of students preparing to enter the profession and those who are already fielding reference inquiries. The authors, working in consultation with a stellar advisory board of scholars and practitioners, present a convenient and comprehensive resource that will teach you how to understand the needs of public, academic, and special library users across any virtual setting—including email, text messaging, and social media—as well as in traditional and face-to-face models of communication. Packed with exercises and examples to help you practice effective reference transactions and avoid common pitfalls, this book tackles the fundamentals of the reference interview, from why it’s important in the first place to methods for setting the stage for a successful interview and techniques for finding out what the library user really wants to know; covers the ins and outs of the readers’ advisory interview; examines a wide range of contexts, such as children, young adults, parents, seniors, adults from diverse communities, and those with disabilities; presents case studies of innovative reference and user encounters at a variety of libraries; offers updated coverage of virtual reference, including new research, virtual reality transcripts, and a look at crowd-sourcing reference via social media; features new content on common microaggressions, with guidance on how to use awareness of emotion as a factor in reference interactions to ensure better outcomes; discusses topics such as respecting/protecting privacy, overcoming assumptions, implicit judgment, the importance of context, determining the real information need, and many other lessons learned from challenging reference encounters; and thoroughly addresses policy and training procedures, as well as the unique challenges faced by paraprofessionals and non-degreed staff. Find your bearings in the continually evolving hybrid reference environment through proven strategies, advice, exercises, and research from three experts in the field.

There are 50 million people globally living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and tens of millions of their caregivers. Library and information professionals must learn to assist those with dementia. This book explores best practice guidelines and concrete ideas for serving those with dementia and their caregivers.

Asian populations are among some of the fastest growing cultural groups in the US. While books on serving other target groups in libraries have been published (e.g., disabled, Latino, seniors, etc.), few books on serving library users of Asian heritage have been written. Thus the timely need for this book. Rather than a generalized overview of Asians as a whole, this book has 24 separate chapters—each on 24 specific Asian countries/cultures of East, Southeast, and South Asia—with a wealth of resources for understanding, interacting with, outreaching to, and serving library users of each culture. Resources include cultural guides (both print and online), language helps (with sample library vocabulary), Asian booksellers, nationwide cultural groups, professional literature, and more. Resources and suggestions are given for all three types of libraries—public, school, and academic—making this book valuable for all librarians. The demographics of each Asian culture (numbers and distribution)—plus history of immigration and international student enrollment—is also featured. As a bonus, each chapter spotlights a US public, school, and academic library providing model outreach to Asian library users. Additionally, this book provides a detailed description and analysis of libraries in each of the 24 Asian countries. The history, development, facilities, conditions, technology, classification systems, and more—of public, school, and academic libraries—are all discussed, with detailed documentation. Country conditions influencing libraries and library use are also described: literacy levels, reading cultures, languages and writing systems, educational systems, and more. Based on the author’s 15 years of research and travels to Asia, this work is a must-have for all librarians.

Reference and information services are more important than ever for today’s young people. By analyzing key features of reference and information services to young people in school and public library environments, including the research behind the trends and issues, librarians can make sure that those services are appropriately responsive to children and teens. Based on standards and evidence-based practice, this book helps you to optimize those resources and services by: providing guidance in assessing youth communities, determining youth’s information needs and information behaviors, developing and maintaining age-appropriate reference collections (starting with the book’s core list of print and online resources), optimizing physical and virtual access to reference and information sources, interacting with youth and facilitating their reference and information literacy skills, curating and producing reference and information products, dealing with relevant legal and ethical issues, and planning effective library reference and information services for youth. Chapter sidebar examples provide food for thought.

A comprehensive guide to working with teen parents and their children that provides practical program ideas for successful school and public library program development, implementation, and evaluation. Teen parents and their children represent an underserved, high-need population in many communities. Libraries have the potential to significantly influence the quality of life for teen parent families by providing free access to information and resources, developing specific programs, and serving as a safe, public learning environment. Serving Teen Parents: From Literacy to Life Skills helps library staff support teen parents as their children's first teachers, positively affecting two generations at once. The authors explain how to successfully communicate with this group and build upon their competencies and strengths. They offer best practices, professional anecdotes, and step-by-step direction on connecting with teen parents, collaborating with community partners, locating funding options, and implementing successful programs. This invaluable guide is the most comprehensive resource currently available that directly addresses the needs of librarians serving the teen-parent demographic.