Boomers, Zoomers & Senior Surfers – Friendly Programming Alexandra Yarrow Wendy Robbins

City of Ottawa Older Adult Plan

1.Public libraries rated as “one of the top positive attributes” in Ottawa by older adults 2.Older adults preferred social / recreational opportunities close to home, accessible by transportation, and held at convenient times during the day. 3.Certain groups of older adults indicated that their unique needs were not adequately being met by existing programming. City of Ottawa Older Adult Plan

4.Low income older adults are particularly concerned about their ability to engage in activities due to cost and difficulties with transportation. 5.Older adults are interested to learn computer skills as a way to access information and stay socially connected; low income older adults often cannot afford to purchase a computer. City of Ottawa Older Adult Plan

Adults 55+ Survey: Carlingwood Branch April – June 2012 Paper only 132 completed Student volunteer compiled results Results shared with public

“Not only did I get the answer to all my questions but I learned some new questions I can think about and I was able to improve my general skills with my iPad.” “All these electronic devices are slightly different so it really does take one-on- one training. This is not something that you can just read about: you need someone to show you how and then let you practise a bit to give you the confidence that you can actually do it at home.” Your course was excellent. The instructor was kind and patient and answered all of my questions clearly. Thank you for having this very informative course for us ‘old folks.’” OPL Programs: E-Reader tutorials

OPL Programs: Techno buddies I haven’t talked to a male teen in over 40 years...I might have a crush. Now I have a reason to visit the Carlingwood branch. I haven’t entered the building in 30 years! “Omar helped me with my self- esteem. Often people at my church ask me to send out my sermons by . I have made many excuses. I feel like I now have the steps to reach out to my community and connect in a new way. I now am taking the steps to become computer literate and I feel a load has been lifted off my shoulders. Thank you Carlingwood Branch and the wonderful volunteers like Omar”.

OPL Programs: Bridging generations Teen volunteers share their knowledge of iPads with adults one-on-one. Adults teach Teens how to play bridge on an iPad.

MIS Thesis, University of Ottawa: A Place for Us: Baby Boomers, Their Elders, and the Public Library How do baby boomer public library users who provide care to elders interact with the public library? How do these users experience the library as a place? What library use characteristics and behaviours of this user group suggest opportunities for further investigation?

OPL Programs: Reflections on Aging: a reading circle A weekly, six-week session Readings drawn from OPL collection A respectful, secure space to explore perspectives on aging with the experience of others through the writings of a variety of authors. A unique environment to support this exploration

Alexandra Yarrow Wendy Robbins