Reading development ideas for engaging an older audience in libraries
Brent Libraries
Health Focus
Health talks & Keep fit sessions
Alternative health events improving
awareness and prevention
Author & health specialist talks
Improved selection of health books
Partnership projects with Health and Sports
teams
Craft work galore & board games plus…
Crochet and knitting clubs
Learn basic pottery
Craft workshops for items for home use
Jewellery workshops
Scrabble, chess and quizzes
Food and appreciation Club
Healthy food cooking and practices
Natural foods; introducing new foods and
herbs
Alternative diets
Author talks
Don’t forget great book promotion displays to
encourage borrowing
Gardening
Growing plants indoors and outside
Growing your own herb garden and medicinal
plants
Hosting gardening surgeries like gardener’s
question time on Radio 4
Author talks
Improved selection of gardening books
Partnership working
Work with local partners to explore new ways of delivering joint events
Focus on art workshops
Arts and Heritage
Services
Health & Sports
Adult Social Care
Equalities and
Diversity Team
Good practice from other Library Services
Surrey County Council Birmingham Northamptonshire Staffordshire Bexley Havering Waltham Forest Lambeth
Good practice to focus on the health agenda
Arts and Older People with consultant Karen
Taylor For best practice contact Surrey libraries. See
also their Reminiscence collection Successful History project in Birmingham :
authentic experiences of the community leading to common threads of activity
“Reggae bingo”, blues installation
What really works Establishing relationships between people, not
between people and organisations
Projects where an artist or officer starts with the relationships outside the walls of their organisation and listens to the people they are trying to reach
Outreach projects based on listening and sharing of experiences
What happens outside the venue in the early days seems to make the difference
Northamptonshire
Application for bus passes
Volunteering for older people
Tech clubs : younger people teaching older
people
Making links with Dementia Friends –
Alzheimer’s Society – trainings and talks
Staffordshire
Health walks from some libraries
Very popular local and community history
events
Contact
Bexley
New handicraft stock
‘Stitch and sew’ sessions : handicraft, share
skills, chat etc.
‘Games clubs’
All volunteer led
Joint sessions with our ‘Pop in parlours’- ran by
Age UK IT sessions, Wii sessions etc.
Havering
“In Stitches” and “knit and natter” Craft and chatter clubs Free but small charge for refreshments Volunteers ran by charity crafters “Young at Heart” groups –speakers from the local
community and other council departments Limited success with self-ran art groups Very successful “Living Gratefully” group –requires more
staff interaction Food and natter – sharing of recipes on a particular theme Allocated staff to start, welcome and make tea half way
through
Waltham Forest
Partnerships with Museums and archives
Commissioning of a local writer and
partnership with The National Archive
Stories of Migration : monologue performance
with fantastic impact
Lambeth
“Reminiscence” talks
Elders talking to children – stories of
immigration in the 50’s and 60’s
Film clubs (needs licensing)
Music from the past
Storytelling/poetry readings
How do we spread the word in Brent Libraries?
• Wider publicity through social media and existing
marketing
• Links with Adult Learners Week and other initiatives
• Staff signposting
• Tailored promotions and interactions with existing groups
• Marketing leaflets within libraries & outreach -“What’s On”
• Link resources with programme offered
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