2015 Building Programs for Seniors Handout

1. Building Great Programs
for Seniors Handout
Amy Alessio
amyalessio@sbcglobal.net
Senior Friendly Ideas
• No fines
• Punchcards for fines, bonus materials, extensions
• Discounts for trips, events
• Technology drop ins
• Appointments for extra help or designated times
• Repeating popular event
• Non-binding registration
• Microphones
• Visibility (even subtitles)
• Lighting
• Short handouts
• Time for sharing
• Early seating
• One Page reminders for upcoming events
Second Chapter Café, Whitehall Public Library, PA
• Coffee bar
• Collection including puzzles, gadgets
• Programs
All Libraries Provide
• Social Opportunities
• Education
• Entertainment
• Assistance and Training
• Resources
• No or Low Cost Services
• Independence
Friends Groups
• Fits lots of requirements from previous page
• Maybe a younger Friends group is needed also
• Can fund senior programs or special events
• Should have its own special events/rewards
• Train library volunteers

2. • May have to end and restart periodically as members change
Options for Growing Clubs
• Realistic timeline for staff while retaining interest: monthly, weekly, quarterly
• Duplicate club during day and evening
• Multi-generational
• Streamlined registration
• Easy to participate
• Rotate leaders or project leaders
Club Connection: Library Academy
• Four Weeks
• Presentation on Each Department
• Quick Trainings
• Fun Handouts
• Based on Community Police Academy
• What do you wish more of the public knew?
Easy Well of Ideas
• Friendship Club (Gary, IN, Lib.) – seniors come at set date and times for rotating topics,
programs
• Senior Library Council (Brampton Lib.) – seniors plan programs, provide ideas, like Teen Advisory
Board
Local and National Benefits
• State Department on Aging
• Spousal Impoverishment
• Illinois Family Caregiver Support
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
• Basic Overview of Types of Retirement Accounts
• Voter Registration
Senior Discounts
• AARP Card discounts
• Feature Chamber businesses with senior promotions
• Senior business fair
• Travel and transportation for less (handout in summer or around holidays)
Club Connection: Grandparent Opportunities
• Family Entertainment
• Gaming Night
• Reading Night
• Healthy Snacks
• Movie Nights

3. • Crafts
• Special Events
• Day Trips or Free Tickets to Museums
Support
• Grandparents Raising Children Groups
• Materials on State Support
• Family Programs
• School Readiness
• College Application Process Support
• Financial Aid or Family Finance Workshops at Same Time as Kids’ Events
Medicare and Medicine
• Partnerships with hospitals, health departments, agencies
• Living Wills
• Screenings and drives
• Information and resources
• Medicare information
• Showing people how to look up medicines
• Housing funding
Health and Fitness
• Health Fair: gyms, simple screenings, demonstrations of classes
• Self-Defense
• Wellness and Healthy Living
• Grocery Stores: new food choices
• No Sweat Sugar Free
• Couponing
• Mental Health: stages of grief, holiday stress
Easy but not Fast Food
• Microwave magic (also good for new adults)
• Four ingredient recipes
• $5 dinners
• Super salads & soups
• Ethnic foods and history
• Restaurant festivals
Safety and Scams
• Internet and phone scams
• Basic self-defense
• Travel safety – international and domestic
• Identity and password safety

4. Mysterious Events
• Crimescene as display or one-time program 2008 Texas Teen Reads Manual
• Mystery flavors
• Classic crime TV & movies
• T/F Town ordinance laws vs. historical
• Self-Defense
• Puzzle tournaments
• Puzzle & Scrabble crafts
Housing Fair
• Organizations to help Age in Place
• Information on Hospice
• Representatives from Day Programs
• Organizations with Senior Programs
• Housing Representatives
• Veteran Benefit Speakers
Downsizing and Selling Houses
• Choosing furniture
• Hosting estate sales
• Realtor readiness
Value of items
• Selling Online
• Antiques Expert Fair
• By Theme: Books, Jewelry, Glassware
• Values of Popular Items by Decade
• Display of Items with Resources
Trigger Memories
• Oldest cookbook
• Oldest recipe
• Apron
• Treasure
• Ribbon or trophy
• Letter
• Photo/Polaroid
• Prom Picture
Travel Through Time and Place
WWI: From Over There to Your Library
• Meatless meals

5. • Famous ads and marketing campaigns or commercials
• Genealogy program on military records
• Live Streaming lectures from National War I Museum and Memorial:
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events
Topics for Both WWI and WWII
• Vegetable Gardening, Canning and Meatless Meals
• Knit Your Bit: patterns knit for soldiers
WWII and the Battle on the Homefront
• Rationing, Vegetable Gardens and Spam: WWII Foods
• Norman Rockwell, Marvel and other memorable art from WWII
• Skype program with WWII Museum Staff: http://www.nationalww2museum.org
• Local Veterans’ groups or reenactors
• Rosie, Spies and Farm Corps: the role of women during WWII (Marilyn Monroe)
• Memorabilia sharing Victory Tea
Veterans
• Collect Photos, Memorabilia
• Veterans Benefits, Spouses
• Records of What Units from Area Were in Each Major Conflict Including Civil War
50’s
• Vintage Car Shows
• Vintage Apron Decoration (or Poodle Skirts) for multiple generations
• History of Billboard Hits
• Soda Fountain Mixology
• James, Audrey or Marilyn Movie Fest
• Korean War
60’s
• Elvis, the Beatles, Neil Diamond and Woodstock
• October Sky, the Rocket Boys and Space mania
• Tie Dyeing (socks, accessories, something different)
• Cooking Trends: in the van,easy gourmets,
• Cocktail Parties
• Anniversaries: Assassinations of JFK, Bobby and MLK Jr.
70’s
• 10 Tips for Saving Energy in Your Home
• Retro Game Night , or What can you build with an Erector set or Tinkertoys?
• Woven Oven Mitts, Macrame
• Saturday Night Fever Moves

6. • History of Tupperware
• Owls Everywhere Again
• Bingewatch Bradys and other popular TV
• Sewickly PL Pinterest Board https://www.pinterest.com/mgs311/decades-1970-s/
Club Connection: Decades
• Fashion
• Food
• Music
• Books, movies or TV from that time or set in that time (Happy Days)
• Tutorials and demonstrations of dance steps
• Photos – ask patrons for memorabilia, prom pictures, recipes from that era for contest
• Trivia Contests
World of Ideas
• Virtual Travel and tasting for countries, regions
• World of Flavors tour with phrases
• International holiday traditions
• World famous candies
• Artists by country, copy their style on tiles, t-shirts
• Local travel through time
Library Luau
• History of Hawaii
• Dancing
• Decorations
• Ukulele
• Taste of the Hawaiian Islands
• Pineapple, Poi and Spam?
• Volcanoes and more travel presentation
• Drink mixology
• WWII tie-in with history
Leaving a Legacy
• Genealogy
• Recipes
• Memoirs
• Story History
• Photos
• Transferring media
Club Connection: Geneaology
Technology

7. • Electronic library resources and downloadables
• E-readers changing print size
• Simple photo and movie editing from phones
• Help with gadgets
Club Connection: Tech Savvy Seniors
• Setting up Goodreads shelves, other social media
• New library technologies: 3-D printer, downloadables
• Test gadgets or services for other seniors
Easy and Low Cost: Senior Tech Scavenger Hunt
• Prizes for completing or entering
• Online chat with reference
• Downloadable app – show staff
• Sign up for program
• Link to library social media
• Put item on reserve online, or online search
• Use online databases
• Download ebook or audio book
Job Fairs
• Part-Time or Volunteer Opportunities
• Resume Writing, Tips
• Job Hunting
• Computer and Social Media Training
• Flea Market or Craft Fair
Indiana Public Media Creative Aging Festival, or Senior Maker Fair
Recipe Scrapbooking
• Glue copies onto 8 ½ x 11 cardstock or scrapbook paper
• Stickers, printed recipes and quotes from cutters
• Page protectors for 3-ring binder
• Have patrons bring copies and exchange for drop in program
• Ties in with holiday or international themes
Club Connection: Cookin’ Up Nostalgia
• Retro Recipe Exchange
• Jello
• Vintage Holiday Foods
• Classic Chicago Candies
• Desserts by the Decade
• Vintage Tea Parties
• Kolackies and More

8. o Apple Pie and History of Harvest Foods
Club Connection: Crafty Seniors
Retro Crafts
• Flower Loom
• Quilling
• Pom Poms (think roller skates)
• Macrame (but no plant hangers)
• String Art
• Woven Barrettes
• Fascinators
Modern Fun
• Scrapbooking
• Knitting/Crochet
• Quilting
• Computer Crafting: printing transfers
• 3-D Paper Crafts, origami, ornaments
• Terrariums
Club Connection: Crafting for Charity
• Cards for Senior Centers, Veterans
• Knotting Blankets
• Knitting/Crocheting: clothing, blankets, squares for blankets
• Blankets for Animal Shelters
• Sell or Raffle Items for Charity
Club Connection: Creative Writing
• Memoirs
• Flash Fiction
• Calligraphy
• Journaling
• Basic Blogging
• Website Creation
• Non-fiction Writing
• Query Process
• Magazines Seeking Senior Stories: Reminisce
• Self-Publishing
• Book Talk on Writing Craft Books
Music, Dance and More
Music
• Festival

9. • Connected to Dates: Elvis’ Birthday
• Summer or Outdoor Programs
• Beatles’ Tribute Bands, Civil War Music, Renaissance
• Big Bands
• High School Musicians
• Veterans and Memorial Day Events
• Local Trips for Concerts
Dance
• Preview Upcoming Seasons
• Teach dance steps for classic steps
• Victory Tea or Prom for Seniors
• Demonstrations with Music from Professionals
• Ethnic Dance Groups
Hollywood Comes to the Library
• Gourmet popcorn
• After hours Oscar night party
• Hollywood history – by decade
• Short movie festivals
• Local actors, filming locations
Books with Pizzazz
• 50 Shades of Racy Reading
• Sweet Reads w/Cupcake Decorating
• Crafty Reads
• Delicious Reads
• Forgotten Reads or Shocking Reads
• Novel Bites: Book Club Food Suggestions
• Edgy and Sexy Reads
Club Connection: Book Clubs for Seniors
• Easy lending, registration
• Flexibility in choices, themes
• Skype with authors
• Books set in past, even children’s
• Non-fiction
• Play audio
Creatures
• Adults read to dogs too!
• Local animal scavenger hunt
• Pet parades – virtual or live
• Get Caught Reading with an Animal

10. • Vacation pet photos
• Dog food for fines – help the shelters and pantries
• Make Blankets for Shelters