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Margaret Kendall: Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
Introduction"
When my husband and I purchased our present home, one of the deciding factors was the closeness to the library."
The above comment was made by one of the many older adults who responded to the recent review of public library services[1]. The extent to which public library services can play important roles in the lives of older adults has been the subject of a growing number of books, articles and research reports published over the last ten years. The aim of this article is to draw together the points made by the literature, highlighting some of the more recent research findings. The practical recommendations for developments are categorized into those of lower cost, including staff time, and those which would require further allocation of resources in the medium or long term.
Who are "older adults"?
A 1987 survey of 500 public library users in Ontario, Canada, showed that while the majority considered that people became "senior citizens" at the age of 65, a large number of respondents aged between 55 and 59 said that they would be interested in attending programmes of activities designed for seniors[2]. This indicates that in terms of public library services, it is appropriate to identify a target group of people aged over 55, as have the majority of writers on the subject. Redundancy and early retirement from paid employment may mean that adults older than 55 (or even from 50) may have the shared experience of increased leisure time, which allows greater opportunities to pursue existing interests or to develop new ones through public library services. They may also have similar needs for information, with changes in their lives including reduced levels of income. In other respects, however, people over 55 may have little in common at all. They will come from a range of social, class, educational, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. As pointed out by Hoy and Hoy[3, p. 3], older adults are a:"
variety of individual people who have very different backgrounds, hopes, interests, needs, memories and experiences, and many of whom are leading full and active lives."
The diversity of interests and needs becomes more evident when consideration is given to the growing numbers of people living longer,...