News Release

(above) The Institute Fellows at the Carolina Inn

(above) The Fellow gathered in the Institute on Aging library

(above) The Fellows listening to a seminar given by Marlys Ray

The first annual Lifelong Access Libraries Institute was held on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on July 30 through August 4, 2006. The event introduced participants to Lifelong Access, a new framework for working with active older adults that promotes productive aging through learning and civic engagement.

Presented by Americans for Libraries Council (ALC), a nonprofit that champions the role of libraries in American society, the Lifelong Access Libraries Institute focused on three areas: 1) Concepts and research underlying new approaches to working with midlife and older adults; 2) Promising practices in library services, including the Lifelong Access framework for older adult services; and 3) Leadership and skills in community librarianship.

Diantha D. Schull, president of ALC kicked off the meeting and then introduced Bruce Astrein, executive director, ALC who welcomed the group to the inaugural meeting. Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, dean, of SILS welcomed the group to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Mary L. Boone, state librarian welcomed the group to the state. Dr. Irene Owens, dean, School of Library Science, North Carolina Central University was also on hand to share her experiences.

The Institute is based on the principle of “action learning,” in which the acquired skills and knowledge will be put to practical use at libraries over a sustained period of time. Fellows will be linked electronically in a national community of practice based on information exchange and communications.

Selected by a panel of national advisors and Americans for Libraries Council staff, the Fellows attending the Institute were mid-career practicing librarians who are enthusiastic, successful, experienced and committed to the lifelong access community. “We are so pleased to be able to convene library professionals who are committed to meeting a new population with new services and opportunities,” said Gloria Coles, national director of Lifelong Access Libraries for ALC. “They will form a cadre of leaders, who by sharpening their own practices and brainstorming new ones can help libraries across the nation experiment, innovate, and really reach out to older active adults.”

SILS and the Institute on Aging (IOA) at UNC partnered with ALC to host the Fellows who came from across the country. SILS Professor, Dr. Joanne Marshall, and Dr. Heidi Madden participated in the conference along with IOA faculty members Dr. Victor Marshall, Dr. Mary Altpeter and Dr. Peggye Dilworth-Anderson.

The Institute is one component of ALC’s multi-year Lifelong Access Libraries initiative, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. The $2.7 million grant is enabling the development of a nationwide network of Lifelong Access Libraries, showcasing a new model for library services focused on baby boomers and older adults making the transition to active civic participation and lifelong learning in retirement. The IOA/SILS team will be evaluating both the Institute and the national initiative.