Oldest of the Boomers Turn 60 on Sunday!

Here are two articles from "USA Today," passed on from an ALA list:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-29-first-boomer_x.htm

And, they are seen as having disposable income:
http://usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-29-recruiting-retirees_x.htm?POE=click-refer

EqualAccess Libraries(tm) Overview

If you're thinking of applying for one of the upcoming EqualAccess grants from the MBLC, there's a great overview of the program on WebJunction: http://ea.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=11331

Lifelong Access Centers for Excellence and Innovation

I thought you might be interested in a news item I received yesterday from Americans for Libraries Council (ALC) / Libraries for the Future. See what three model libraries are doing to improve service to their active older adults: http://www.lff.org/documents/CentersforExcellenceandInnovation.pdf


The Boomers Are Coming!
Is your library ready to receive its share of the millions of near-retirement boomers searching for personal fulfillment, new learning, and other adventures? Hanging a sign for "seniors" won't work for this generation, who are more active and committed to continued work than traditional retirees. To help all libraries retool themselves for this new challenge and opportunity, ALC's Lifelong Access Libraries Initiative—funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies—is sharing and shaping resources and model programs.

This fall, ALC announced three Lifelong Access Centers for Excellence and Innovation, celebrating their creative work to redefine library services, collections, and spaces for active older adults. ALC congratulates:
- The New Haven (CT) Free Public Library
- The Phoenix (AZ) Public Library
- The Allegheny County (PA) Library System

"Becoming the Butterfly: A New Look at Retirement and Aging"

Chelmsford Public Library has a new film series beginning in February: http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/programs/programs/becoming_the_butterfly.html

For information contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks kcryanhic@mvlc.org

The Dallas Morning News, 12/11/2005

Ads Target Empty Nests, Full Wallets

Have you seen the Fidelity ad with Paul McCartney? Read about marketing to the boomers: http://boomerproject.com/news_dmn.html

"Upperbacks" - A New Publishing Format

From Nancy Alcorn:

"Upperback" - this is a new publishing format term to me. It is/will be appearing over the next five years .... Tailored to baby boomers, better quality and slightly larger print than pbks, and cheaper (about $9.95 each) than trade pbks.

Nancy found this:

Upperbacks: now the Brits want them too

The new trend towards larger size paperbacks that's slowly taking over mass-market outfits here in the US is spreading across the pond, according to an article in Reuters UK. The first publisher on board is Headline, which will introduce the "upperback" mass market version of Faye Kellerman's STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS in January:

"We think the new format looks different enough to be appealing," said Kerr MacRae, deputy managing editor at Headline, which is owned by French media group Lagardere. They're easier to read the way the text is reset."

Headline plans to keep the cover price of its bigger-format thrillers the same as it is on smaller ones. "The short answer on how we'll make it profitable is that we'll need to sell more of them," said MacRae, who this week is at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the publishing industry's largest annual event.

"It's marginal cost," he added, "and we think retailers are excited about it."

EqualAccess Libraries(tm) Application Materials Are on the Way!

From Beth Wade at MBLC:

The Mass Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) has partnered with Libraries for the Future (LFF) to institute the EqualAccess Libraries(tm) professional development program in Massachusetts.

EqualAccess is a three-year initiative, already successfully implemented in Arizona and Pennsylvania, whose purpose is to help public librarians assess, and in partnership with local organizations, address their community's most pressing needs. EqualAccess focuses on building librarians' community programming skills, expertise in youth, health, or lifelong programming, and ability to use technology to expand and enhance programs and services.

A cornerstone of the program is the four-day EqualAccess Libraries Institute, which provides libraries with the tools to become increasingly community-responsive centers of information and education.

The 2006 Massachusetts EqualAccess Libraries Institute will be held on March 13th, March 14th, April 25th, and May 31st at the Palmer Public Library in Palmer, MA. Participating libraries are encouraged to send two librarians to the Institute; smaller libraries with limited staff may send one librarian.

Each library will receive a $5000 EqualAccess Library grant as part of a special LSTA EqualAccess Library Initiative Program. Grantees will use funds to implement Youth, Lifelong, or Health Access programs. (The EqualAccess program is available for public libraries that have approved long range plans on file with the MBLC and are certified to receive State Aid to Public Libraries throughout the application and award process.)

Application materials will be sent to all public library directors in the state of MA and should arrive in the first week of January 2006; fifteen libraries will be chosen to participate in EqualAccess this year.

For more information about EqualAccess Libraries(tm), check out the EqualAccess website at <http://ea.webjunction.org/> , or contact the MA EqualAccess Program Manager: Eleanor Stafford @ Eleanor.Stafford@state.ma.us - or 1-800-952-7403, ext. 228.

White House Conference on Aging, Dec. 11-14

The White House Conference on Aging is underway in Washington, D.C. Delegates voted yesterday on their top 50 resolutions: http://www.whcoa.gov/about/resolutions/whcoa_voting_results.pdf

The Conference agenda is at: http://www.whcoa.gov/about/resolutions/Conference_Agenda.pdf

MassINC Roundtable Discussion

I attended the roundtable discussion this morning on MassINC's survey of boomers, "A Generation in Transition." I highly recommend that you take a look at some of the demographic findings, even if you only have time to read the executive summary. It is available online if you register http://www.massinc.org/index.php?id=453

Some points that I found interesting:

• 30% of the population of Mass. is in the boomer generation (defined as born between 1946-1964).
• 84% of them have lived in Mass. 20 years or more.
• 35% of them want to retire outside of Mass., creating a huge economic impact on the state.
  

Boomer Priorities for Living in Retirement

A Generation in Transition: A Survey of Bay State Baby Boomers shows that the top three priorities for baby boomers in deciding where to live during retirement are: 1.) to live somewhere with low taxes or that is affordable; 2.) to live close to family and close friends; and 3.) to live somewhere that is not too crowded or stressful.

Click on above link and register to see the full report.

PBS Boomers Series to Begin January 8th

Watch for a new PBS series "Boomers! Redefining Life After 50".

Boomers Blog

From Julie:
You might want to check out this blog: http://boomerstv.com/blog/.
PBS will be running a 13 part series beginning on January 8th called "Boomers! Redefining Life After 50." If any of you tune in to watch it, as of today, my aunt and grandmother are still in the final cut. They are in the opening credits (my aunt is curling my grandmother's hair,) and they are in a segment that discusses how Boomers need to remember to take care of themselves while caring for an aging parent.

Marketing to Older Adults in Public Libraries

Here's an article Marnie sent about a new program at the Montana State Library: http://www.helenair.com/articles/2005/10/05/helena/a09100505_03.txt

Follow the www.whatsyourstory.ws link at bottom of the article.

MassINC Event, December 2, 2005

Come to a roundtable discussion of "A Generation in Transition: A Survey of Bay State Baby Boomers" on December 2, from 8:00-10:00AM at the Westin Copley Place, Boston.
RSVP at : http://www.massinc.org/index.php?id=119&eventid=17

Founded in 1996, the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth – known as MassINC – is an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute. MassINC brings together diverse perspectives – including those held by conservatives and liberals, business and labor, advocates and policy makers – to focus on the challenge of achieving the American Dream in Massachusetts.
http://www.massinc.org

"Retirement Realities" from the University of Vermont

Marnie Oakes sent this interesting interview that looks at "the retirement boom about to explode."
http://www.uvm.edu/vtquarterly/vqfall05/interview.html

September 15 Follow-up

Thank you to all who attended Thursday's workshop. It was exciting to hear all the terrific things you are doing in your libraries to serve your active, older adult patrons! Gloria Coles and Carol Greenfield were very impressed with the work you’ve all done. Thanks to Nancy, Julie, Mary S., Kathy, and Lorraine for sharing the happenings in their libraries.

I just want to recap a few items from the meeting:

We will announce the web eXchange site to all members next month. Please continue to take a look at the information on the site and send comments on how we might improve it. http://www.nmrls.org/tlx/index.shtml Pass the link on to colleagues in your library.

Here are the resources that people agreed to take charge over: Kathy (Lifelong Learning), Nancy (Travel), Mary S. (Community Service), Lorraine (Employment), Julie (Finances), Jocelyn (Health). As you come across new information for these pages, please let me know. We’ll use email until I get the blog going. Thank you to all who volunteered to take a topic.

The group agreed on Thursday that a blog would be the best way to communicate news about services and programming in your libraries. Then, information that is more permanent will be added to the web site. The blog will be private, with only invited participants able to comment or post. I will be getting that going in October.

I'll be sending handouts to those who could not attend and requested information from the workshop. I’m in the process of writing the last progress report.

Remember that there will be an LSTA grant topic on Libraries for the Future’s Equal Access Libraries Program (http://www.lff.org/programs/), which includes the Lifelong Access Initiative. Watch for a Fall announcement from MBLC. Forty-five Massachusetts libraries will receive grants over the next three years.

NMRLS Project in American Libraries

The September 2005 issue of American Libraries contains an article by Diantha Schull on Lifelong Access Libraries (pages 42-44). Entitled,
"A New Look at Lifelong Access," the article mentions the LSTA-funded work begun in Northeast Massachusetts.

Lifelong Access Wrap-up Workshop

Our LSTA grant project wrap-up workshop with Libraries for the Future is scheduled for September 15. The session will start at 10:00 AM at the NMRLS office in Danvers.

Please bring any promotional materials you've created for our target audience. Also, remember to bring your lunch. We'll have coffee and soft drinks available.

In the afternoon we'll have a speaker, Ellen Freudenheim, author of Looking Forward: An Optimist's Guide to Retirement.

Please take a look at our Lifelong Access eXchange and bring suggestions.