Brigid Cahalan's blog

Mark Prensky coined the term digital natives to describe those born after the advent of digital technology, circa 1980. He posits that they differ fundamentally from those who came before. To carry the natives analogy a bit further, Prensky suggests that even if we digital immigrants learn the language, we will always have an accent.

Lark Birdsong calls many adults older than 50 technological outliers—“people at the end of the curve for receiving information literacy instruction [and] who are getting little or none,” with the understanding that not just their age, but their schooling and training may have kept them from picking up technological skills. Carol Bean, in a post on her BeanWorks blog, reminds us that libraries have become a place of refuge for older adults caught in the digital divide. As the old familiar formats become less available and more information and entertainment goes digital, those in their 50s, 60s and beyond can become marginalized if they don’t pick up computer skills. They must learn!

Public libraries have risen to the challenge; library-based computer classes are widespread and older adults make up the majority of the attendees. Organizations such as SeniorNet, adult and continuing education programs, senior and community centers, and local nonprofit organizations such as Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and Per Scholas also aim to cast wide the net and bring all those who are willing into the world of computers.

Besides offering computer classes and computers for free public use, libraries also offer books (surprise!), whether they be digital or in print, to take library users from computer illiteracy to proficiency. Novices can start with handbooks in all the series you would expect to give you an easy-to-understand foundation:

Absolute Beginner’s guides, Complete Idiot's guides, and the For Dummies series, as well as books in the impressive Teach Yourself Visually line. I think you’ll find both the shelves and the library catalog replete with senior-targeted titles too.

For instance, Nick Vandome’s Laptops for Seniors in Easy Steps: For the Over 50s will make you feel like a Cyber-Superperson! The clear and profuse illustrations, numbered steps with short instructions, and abundant tips and hints empower and motivate.

Studio Visual Steps books brings us the 2008 title, Interesting Online Applications for Seniors: Get Acquainted with Thirteen Free Internet Applications. You’ll get a good grounding in YouTube, Google Earth, Facebook, RSS feeds, and several more applications you’re sure to find useful. The same publisher, a Dutch enterprise which specializes in books to support PC users, has produced several other equally accessible titles.

If you’re eager to travel—and which of us isn’t?—you may crave a more focused work like Sandy Berger's Great Age Guide to Online Travel
This tech expert gives you personal comparisons and advice along with the best websites for travel near or far, whether by ship, motorcycle, or anything in between. You’ll also get clued in on scams, healthy traveling, and taking pets along.

I confess—I can’t resist a good title. And once I heard of "Is This Thing On?": A Computer Handbook for Late Bloomers, Technophobes, and the Kicking & Screaming, I had to seek it out. The content more than fulfills the promise of the title. When you start to read it, the book grows on you quickly, soon becoming a friend. The author even has an accompanying “hand-holding website” which multiplies the loveability of the book/site duo. The website, abbyandme, is loaded with frequently-asked questions (and answers!), tutorials, and well over 100 hand-picked websites. When we learned that the author, Abby Stokes, gives a non-intimidating yet info-packed presentation we asked if she would speak in some of our libraries. We happily announce that she agreed and will be speaking in ten branches of The New York Public Library through the end of December.

We hope you can join us for one or more of these but whether or not you can, check out your public library for technology-related books and other media, as well as the whole gamut of classes for all ages and stages.

Alvaro Fernandez, co-founder and CEO of SharpBrains and co-author (with Elkhonon Goldberg) of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: 18 Interviews with Scientists, Practical Advice, and Product Reviews to Keep your Brain Sharp will be discussing the growing field of research in this area at two NYPL locations this coming week: Wednesday, September 23, 10 A.M. at Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road; and, Friday, September 25, 1:30 P.M. at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. By presenting the results gleaned from recent research and scientific studies, Fernandez aims to help us make informed decisions about brain health and cognitive fitness.

In partnership with the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, The Library recently held three film screenings/discussions focused on Alzheimer’s disease. One thing I learned is that there is no known way to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease: no “gold standard.” On the other hand, based on evidence we can say that engaging in mentally stimulating activities through education, jobs, and leisure activities lowers the probability of developing Alzheimer’s symptoms. And for some reason, the building up of a Brain Reserve helps people, even with the same Alzheimer's pathology (which cannot be delayed/ prevented), to withstand the effects of that pathology and to delay the appearance of symptoms.

I asked Alvaro for a few books he would recommend on the topic of brain fitness. Here are some of his suggestions and comments:

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John J. Medina, “A fun and accessible overview of the research and implications, written with a younger/ business audience in mind"; A User’s Guide to the Brain, by John J. Ratey. “An excellent introduction to how the brain works and important concepts such as perception, cognition, attention, emotions.”

He also recommended a few websites- Cognitive Daily and Mind Hacks.

For more about Alvaro and SharpBrains, see my earlier post here.

I hope you can join us for Alvaro’s *free* presentation—your brain will thank you for it!

Are you looking for a job? Perhaps you feel ready for a career change, were laid off, or realize that you retired too early and want—or need—to get back into the workforce doing... something...

If you’re over 60, maybe 50, or even 40 you might find the prospect of a job search daunting, especially when you see 20- and 30-somethings competing for the same positions. Well, take heart: there’s a lot of help out there for you. The following are a few information-packed books I found at Job Search Central at the Science, Industry and Business Library.

Finding a Job After 50: Reinvent Yourself for the 21st Century (2007), by Jeannette Woodward. I like the author’s friendly style, and her emphasis on preparing yourself psychologically, emotionally and physically for a new job.
 
 
 
Reworking Retirement: A Practical Guide for Retirees Returning to the Workplace (2008), by Allyn I. Freeman and Robert E. Gorman. Includes profiles of dozens of people who switched careers after 50 to follow their dreams, and how you can do the same.
 
 
 
Rewired, Rehired, or Retired?: A Global Guide for the Experienced Worker (2002), by Robert K. Critchley. Critchley encourages readers to look inside to discover what kind of future work will give them the greatest satisfaction in the years ahead.
 
 
 
Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life (2002), by Marika and Howard Stone. The authors, who are cofounders of 2young2retire.com, an online community of retirement alternatives, will get you thinking outside the box when pondering what may lie ahead for you.
 
 
How to Find a Job After 50: From Part-Time to Full-Time, from Career Moves to New Careers (2005), by Betsy Cummings. Cummings inspires readers by emphasizing the value of older workers in the workforce, and gives a crash course in networking.
 
 
 
Working After Retirement for Dummies (2007), by Lita Epstein. A financial expert with several books on the topic under her belt, Epstein gives wise advice on topics such as managing your money and determining when to start collecting social security, while delivering the user-friendly, comprehensive subject treatment we’ve come to expect in the Dummies books. This title is also available to borrow from your home computer as an e-book.

Smart Women Don’t Retire—They Break Free: From Working Full-Time to Living Full-Time (2008), by The Transition Network and Gail Rentsch. Rentsch, a founding member of The Transition Network, touches all the bases in this super-charged volume for women wondering whether retirement is right for them—and what to do if it’s not. Her resource list includes dozens of the best websites and a superb bibliography for further reading.

Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life (2008), by Marc Freedman. A social entrepreneur and the founder of Civic Ventures, Freedman is leading the charge to get people who are midlife or older to get (or stay) working in ways that can solve the big social problems of our world. He very articulately expresses how this can be done, and why it must be done.
 
 
Don’t Retire, REWIRE! 5 Steps to Fulfilling Work that Fuels your Passion, Suits your Personality, and Fills your Pocket, 2nd ed. (2007), by Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners. This book, gives you all the tools you need to find the right job for the years ahead. Jeri Sedlar is Senior Advisor to The Conference Board on the Mature Workforce and the former editor-at-large of Working Woman magazine.

These and many more titles are available at NYPL’s Job Search Central. You’ll also find specialized career databases; classes, programs, and workshops; career coaching and small business consulting there. And take a look at their outstanding collection of links related to small businesses.

AARP gives awards each year to the Best Employers for Workers over 50. Look at the AARP Foundation’s Worksearch website for a whole suite of customizable tools to help you along the road to finding the right job for you.

Now that I’ve become more aware of Sinclair Lewis thanks to It Can’t Happen Here, I’ve seen references to him everywhere. And will keep my eyes and ears open for staged productions of his works—Main Street is one I’ve been wanting to see on stage for a long time now.
Back to It Can’t Happen Here. If you have had a chance to read part, most, or all of it, how believable do you think the characters are? Do they seem like real people, who act in ways real people might? Or is each character starkly sketched, the author intending them to be the embodiment of a specific point of view? We can spot “good” and “evil” characters pretty easily in this work, but which of the characters are more conflicted and morally ambiguous?

Does this book still have something important to say today, or is it just a product of its times? I would love to hear your opinion about this book, so please feel free to chime in if you are so inclined!

And, stay tuned for the next Reader’s Den selection!

Are you caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease? Or perhaps you are watching a loved one who seems to be developing symptoms, and you wonder what the future holds?

HBO Documentary Films recently produced a 4-part film series entitled The Alzheimer’s Project (you can stream the videos from the link). I borrowed all the films and spent an evening watching them at home, wanting to immerse myself totally in the experience.

Wow.

Rather than leaving me sad or depressed, the films filled me with a greater appreciation for those who are touched by this disease, and something of an understanding of how they get through its phases--with humor, warmth, and love. The overview of cutting-edge research being done on Alzheimer’s gives us good reasons for hope, and practical advice that may curb our own likelihood of developing it. The producer of the series, John Hoffman, states in The Huffington Post that through the experience of making the series he lost his own fear of developing the disease, which had killed his own father ten years ago.

To participate in HBO’s mission of getting people talking about the disease—sharing information with each other about their experiences as well as hearing from scientists working in the area—the Library is partnering with the NYC chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to host screenings of three of the films followed by moderated discussions. The kickoff will be Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 3:00 P.M. when the Caregivers segment will be screened, followed by a discussion led by Della Frazier-Rios, R.N., M.S., Senior Vice President and Director of Education & Outreach of the NYC Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The following two screenings will be parts 1 and 2 of Momentum in Science, which provide a state-of-the-science report and take viewers inside the laboratories and clinics of 24 leading scientists and physicians working in the area of Alzheimer’s Disease research and practice. We are honored that the series producer John Hoffman, Vice President, HBO Documentary agreed to lead the discussion for part 1 which will be screened Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 3 P.M. He will be joined by Matt Kudish, M.S.W., Director of Helpline and Care Consultation for the Alzheimer’s Association’s NYC chapter.

The last screening, Momentum in Science, Part 2, will be followed by a discussion led by the esteemed Scott A. Small, M.D., Columbia University, whose work is profiled in the film. He will be joined by Stephanie Aragon, Coordinator, 24-hour Helpline, Alzheimer’s Association’s NYC chapter.

No-one should have to go through this experience alone. The Alzheimer’s Association provides an amazing range of support services for those with Alzheimer’s and caregivers, and the speakers the local chapter is presenting for each of the screenings will field questions you may have about where to turn for help in New York City.

I hope you can join the conversation with us—as John Hoffman said in his blog post referenced above, the more he learns, the less frightening Alzheimer’s becomes. . .

All screenings will be held at the South Court Auditorium of the landmark Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.

I hope you’ve been able to get yourself a copy of It Can’t Happen Here. Or perhaps you’ve been reading it online, or listening to the e-audio version.

How do you like it so far? Or does "like" not apply here? Do you think Lewis meant for us to take the book as: a straight novel? a satire? a cautionary tale? a parable? something else?

The fictional characters in this work quote from, hearken back to, and mingle freely with an army of real historical personages—historians, politicians, journalists, writers, activists, psychologists, etc., etc. What’s the effect of this mingling of fact and fantasy on the reader?

And how about Lewis’ names? What associations do the following bring to your mind: Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip; Mrs. Adelaide Tarr Gimmitch; Doremus Jessup; Hector Macgoblin; Lorinda Pike; Buck Titus?

Summertime--the time of year when I get the yen to dip into some of the literature I've heard about over the years but had not gotten around to reading. Sinclair Lewis's works fall into that category and he's the writer I chose. Did I select Main Street, Babbitt, or Arrowsmith? No, It Can't Happen Here caught my fancy. And once I started it I was hooked.

It Can't Happen Here was written by Sinclair Lewis in 1935, five years after he became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Committee selected him for "his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters." And note what Lewis himself says in his acceptance speech: "in America most of us--not readers alone, but even writers--are still afraid of any literature which is not a glorification of everything American, a glorification of our faults as well as our virtues." This was another America. . .but his outrageous (yet somehow familiar) characters and scenarios can still make a reader squirm. There have been stage and screen versions of the work, and various editions over the decades. Though he's less read today, several terms and expressions from Lewis's works have entered the vernacular including Babbitt, Main Street, and "It can't happen here!" Many have described Lewis as satirist, a master of irony, and a superb mimic. I agree.

The plot: Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip runs for U.S. president as a Populist, and wins on the weight of his promise to restore prosperity and greatness to the country. His true colors are soon revealed as he turns the U.S. into a totalitarian state complete with concentration camps for his (many) enemies. Our hero, journalist Doremus Jessup, writes editorials against the state's abuse of power and suffers mightily for it. So, can it happen here? Read the book and tell us what you think.

It's widely available at NYPL, and you can also borrow it in e-audiobook format, to listen to on your computer or transfer to a portable device. Another e-book option: it's on Project Gutenberg Australia.

Tune in next week to get the discussion going--I look forward to talking to you about this book.

So the song goes. But may I ask—are you bustin' out all over? If so, it may be time to get moving. Even if you’re smooth, sleek and at your fighting weight, exercise is always a good thing and doing it with others multiplies the enjoyment.

This past Saturday I spent an energizing few hours walking from Manhattan to Ward’s Island, then to Randall’s Island, north to the Triborough Bridge (recently re-named the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge) and over it, back to Manhattan. If you didn’t know such a thing were possible, as I hadn’t until I did it, you too might consider taking a walk with the Outdoors Club. Walking with an interesting group of people and a knowledgeable leader greatly enhanced the experience for me.

I learned about the Outdoors Club at the 50+ Fitness Fairs hosted this past April and May at several of the public libraries. If you missed the fairs, you can get the information to start your own physical fitness plan by checking out the websites below. No money? No problem! Many of them offer free activities; others are very low cost.

Bike New York and Transportation Alternatives can tell you where and how to safely ride a bicycle in New York City and its environs besides keeping you up-to-date on cycling-related issues and advocacy. But before you start cycling, be sure to get a free helmet courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation. Wondering about community gardens and how to get involved with them? The Open Space Greening Program of NYC’s Council on the Environment will give you answers—and gardening is a great way to get in some physical activity while producing something beautiful, and maybe edible. Speaking of beautiful things, I can’t think of a more appealing place to explore than Wave Hill—the Hudson River views, the super-oxygenated air, the flowers, the art, the crafts, the dance, even the urban beekeeping—I could go on and on about the delights of Wave Hill. . .  read more »

Old age is not a subject most of us enjoy dwelling upon. As Groucho Marx remarked, “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.”

But since May is Older Americans Month, I have been thinking about older people, whether Americans or not. Friends and colleagues in their 70s, 80s, and one who just turned 100, are among those whose company I enjoy the most. Why? Is it because the elderly are wise? Maybe. Though I’ve heard it said that in Africa, especially, age is revered a little bit more and they consider you to have wisdom, even if you don’t.

Photo © Dennis Finnen

Cultural anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson has studied variation between generations, as well as between cultures, and provides some food for thought. Speaking on the value of older people she noted that in the past, elders were few and precious and for this reason they were more valuable. By the time they reached adulthood they knew all they needed to know. Nowadays, if you don’t keep changing you’re obsolete! She observed that although people live longer today, they think shorter. The consciousness-raising groups of the 1960s and 1970s got people thinking about issues in a long-term context, looking back in time as well as forward rather than just from within the confines of their own lifespan. To become wise, we must be willing to learn and to reflect. Learn more from her books and from an interview with the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century.  read more »

Dozens of organizations with information about free and low-cost fitness opportunities have been congregating at the libraries over the past few weeks. The reason? The 50+ Fitness Fairs. Think of them as a combined celebration of:

• beautiful mid-Spring in New York City
• Earth Day
• Physical Fitness and Sports Month
• National Bike Month
• Older Americans Month
• Celebrate Baby Boomers Month (O.K., I made that one up...)

If you missed the fairs, you have one more chance. The last of this series of fairs will take place this coming Saturday, May 16 from 12-4 P.M. at the Countee Cullen Library in Harlem. Take a look below at the websites of some of the organizations that have attended these fairs. More importantly, take advantage of the opportunities they offer for getting fit, while having fun.  read more »

Spring beckons: warmer weather teases; suggestions of summer intrude; promises to self to get out and exercise are made.

Yes, this is the year to start seriously walking, even hiking, maybe camping! And how about trying some bicycling, tennis, or canoeing. . .

I’ll do it—I’m going to the library!
Whaaat??? Who thinks of the library when they decide to get some exercise? Well, you should..

Allow us to be your friendly guide for your forays into fitness. Over the next four weeks the New York Public Library will be hosting four 50+ Fitness Fairs, at which we plan to introduce you—especially if you’re 50 or over—to organizations in New York City that provide free and low-cost opportunities to become more active and physically fit, while having fun.

More than a dozen organizations will be sending representatives to one or more of the fairs to distribute literature and give brief presentations on fitness activities in the metro NYC area. These include: the Outdoors Club, Inc., whose members lead walks and hikes in and near New York City; the Appalachian Mountain Club, known mostly for hiking and camping and which I was surprised to learn is involved with many other activities as well; and the Shorewalkers, who not only sponsor the Great Saunter every spring but have many walks along Manhattan’s coast. You can find out how to start a walking club in your neighborhood, or how to join one that already exists.  read more »

A while ago I had the delightful experience of hearing Dr. Gene Cohen, gerontologist, psychologist, and author, speak about the developmental stages of later adult life, as he sees them. Rather than thinking of life after 50--until death--as a single phase as others have proposed, he views the years between one’s 40s and 80s+ as encompassing several stages: Midlife Re-Evaluation; Liberation; Summing-Up; and Encore.

His conclusion: not only can you teach an old dog new tricks, but sometimes the old dogs can learn the tricks better than the young dogs.

This being Women's History Month, I decided to do some digging and find women who accomplished great things after age 50.

As a former Girl Scout, I happily start out the post with Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Born in 1860 to a wealthy Savannah, Georgia family, she lived a life of privilege, meeting her husband while on a trip to England. When he died after 19 years of marriage, the 46-year-old Low started traveling the world to find some direction in her life. She met Sir Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes, founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, and became determined to bring a similar organization for girls to the U.S.  read more »

The Big Apple will become the Green Apple very soon. On March 17th, to mark New York City’s 248th consecutive St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the green line will again be painted down the Fifth Avenue parade route. Although a lot of green will be in evidence, did you know that Ireland’s traditional color was blue?
Nevertheless, I’d recommend you wear some green on the 17th or you may get pinched.

May I suggest some ways you might celebrate Irish Heritage Month, as I like to call March? Listening to some of the traditional music is a must—perhaps the Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers, or the great Irish tenor, John McCormack. And since NYPL is celebrating women this month , I’d recommend Susan McKeown and Cherish the Ladies, both of whose songs you'll find in several collections owned by NYPL. And listen to one of the Irish music radio programs heard locally on WFUV-FM such as A Thousand Welcomes, Ceol na nGael , or NPR’s Celtic music mix, The Thistle & Shamrock. (And a quick comment: Celtic is usually pronounced “keltik,” unless you’re referring to a certain basketball team from New England...)

Or borrow a film such as Angela’s Ashes, The Commitments, or Waking Ned Devine. The Craic (“crack”) Fest, an annual festival of Irish-themed films, takes place in lower Manhattan this week.

And for some programs which will be both fantastic and free, just take a look at the NYPL calendar.  read more »

If you’re like me, perhaps you started seeing a new word recently—Wifi-- and puzzled over it, then started seeing Wii, and thought somebody must be misspelling something, and what were all these annoying intruders into the lexicon, anyway???

Well, the former is pronounced like hi-fi, is usually hyphenated, and is a type of wireless Internet service. The latter is pronounced like “Wheeeee!,” and I’m sure that interjection has escaped from the mouths of many who tried the Nintendo Wii videogaming products in public libraries or elsewhere. The Wii is a video game console that can be used with a wide variety of software products including Wii Sports, with which one can play virtual tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing.

Wii Gaming at the Riverdale YM-YWHA

When I say “videogaming” do you think teenage boys? If so, think again. According to a report of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, over half of American adults play video games. 23% of survey respondents 65 and older and 40% of those 50-64 report playing video games. Video games include games online and/or with devices such as desktop or laptop computers, game consoles, cell phones, Blackberry, some other handheld organizer or a portable gaming device. Older adult gamers play games more frequently. Over one-third of gamers 65+ play games every day or almost every day. 28% of adults in the study have used a game console such as Xbox , PlayStation or Wii.

Wii Gaming at the Riverdale YM-YWHA

A recent article in American Libraries magazine tells us that Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library began Wii gaming with teens around 2006. When staff, especially then-manager of Senior Spaces there, Allan Kleiman, saw how seniors in senior centers and nursing homes were taking to Wii, he thought, “Why not libraries?”. Teens were used as mentors and training instructors; they had to demonstrate their ability to teach adults the technology by training Kleiman and Youth Librarian Theresa Wordelman. After a few months, the older adults became accomplished gamers and started teaching others themselves. They’ve since had multi-screen game events, with simultaneous bowling, Guitar Hero, and Brain Age Academy, and they’ve held tournaments between the teens and their former mentees.  read more »

A special event will be taking place the last day of February. Encore careerists will be discussing how they ended up changing careers in mid-life, and winners of The Purpose Prize will talk about their experiences as social entrepreneurs. Curious about the Encore Career concept? I recommend Marc Freedman's book, Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life. More information is below from guest blogger, Alexandra Kent, Director of the Purpose Prize initiative of Civic Ventures.

Encore Careers: Use your experience, pursue your passion

As more and more older adults extend their working lives - out of desire or necessity, the tarnished dream of endless leisure in the "Golden Years" is giving way to a new form of practical idealism: Encore Careers.

Encore Careers provide an opportunity to put experience and skill to work for the greater good while finding personal fulfillment and a paycheck.

Want to hear from people who overcame obstacles and found a rewarding and challenging encore career? On Saturday, February 28th at 2 PM, The New York Public Library will host Encore Careers: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life, a networking event for the public. You'll hear from:

Elizabeth Alderman of Bedford, NY, who will talk about losing her 25-year-old son, Peter, in the World Trade Center attack on 9/11 and how she turned her grief into a new sense of social purpose. Along with her husband, Stephen, she has devoted the last six years to setting up clinics to treat survivors of torture, war and terrorism around the globe to honor her son's memory.

Catalino Tapia, a gardener who immigrated to the United States from Mexico with $6 in his pocket, who will share how in his sixties, filled with an overwhelming desire to enable children of Latino immigrants to go to college, he founded the Bay Area Gardener's Foundation to raise scholarship money.

Other guests include Michael Watson, a former IBM executive who transitioned to the nonprofit sector in his late 40s, and now heads up Human Resources for The Girl Scouts of America. He'll discuss encore transitions from a personal perspective and as an encore employer.

Jeri Sedlar of Don't Retire, REWIRE! will lead a discussion on getting started on your encore career, the opportunities, obstacles, and tips along the way.

Please join us!

Where: New York Public Library, Humanities and Social Sciences Library, 42nd Street & Fifth Avenue, South Court Auditorium
When: Saturday, February 28
2 to 4 p.m., followed by reception.
Reservations: Free and open to the public. No reservations required.

This event is being co-sponsored by The Encore Careers campaign and The Purpose Prize®, a major initiative of the campaign, which invests in a new generation of social innovators over the age of 60 creating new ways to solve social issues.

Today's Guest Blogger: Alexandra Kent, Director, The Purpose Prize®

Early morning New York City—it’s 27 degrees out there. Brrrrr. And though the thermometer is inching up, prospects for above-freezing temperatures over the next five days don’t look good. Water in the parking lot behind my apartment building has pooled and frozen, creating a scarily shimmering scene—an ice skater’s delight but a treacherous trap for the rest of us.

Recently I heard a physical therapist speak on the topic of preventing falls, and he gave some serious food for thought. For instance, falls account for 87% of all fractures for adults 65 years and older. Hip fractures, 90% of which are caused by falls, cause the most deaths and lead to the most severe health problems. I was dismayed to learn that only 25% of hip fracture patients will make a full recovery. There are many risk factors, including intrinsic ones such as muscle weakness, and gait and balance disorders, and extrinsic ones such as use of four or more medications, and the home environment. The latter may include risks such as poor lighting, inappropriate footwear (shoes, not slippers are best), loose rugs, wet floors, lack of handrails, and a cluttered environment. If we keep these in mind we can lessen the risk of falls for ourselves, or friends or family members who may be at risk.

Besides modifying the home environment, strengthening the body—particularly the lower extremities—can make one less likely to fall. And did you know that walking up stairs is one of the best exercises for the lower body? Hearing this made me think of the great Carnegie libraries in New York City. Thirty-nine of these were built as New York Public Library branches and most still operate out of the original buildings. Besides the distinctive lamps outside to symbolize enlightenment, many of the NYPL Carnegie branches have two or more floors, often with spectacular staircases. Though elevators have been added in most of these, I normally eschew the elevator, and suggest you consider visiting a Carnegie library for some exercise—both mental and physical! The Seward Park Library in Manhattan and the Mott Haven Library in the Bronx are some that I have gotten particularly good exercise in.  read more »

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done... as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.
We have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

Our new president spoke these words to us yesterday, challenging and exhorting us to do what we can, gladly. Our country—and our world—are full of opportunities to do useful work, but how do you find the right one for you? If you’re over 50, consider the following:

• Senior Corps, a national effort begun in the 1960s, connects people over 55 with people and programs that need them. Three programs currently exist under the Senior Corps umbrella: Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and RSVP.
• The Peace Corps is looking for people over 50.
• Experience Corps finds people over 55 to tutor, mentor, and work with afterschool programs in New York City and over 20 other cities nationwide.
• If you’re in New York City and want to volunteer in the public elementary or high schools, consider Learning Leaders.
• New York Cares works in hundreds of locations throughout New York City and touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each year.
• SCORE volunteers counsel those struggling to start or grow a small business.
• If you want to mentor a child, the Mentoring Partnership will help you find a program that’s right for you.
• ReServe Elder Service connects New York City’s retired professionals with compensated service opportunities.
• Women over 50 should take a look at the Transition Network’s website for plenty of ideas for volunteering, and much, much more.
• Other places to look are the New York City Department for the Aging website and, of course, AARP’s user-friendly website.
• The Mayor's Volunteer Center of New York City has partnered with the United Way of New York City to produce an amazing website.

And I would be negligent if I didn’t mention Civic Ventures’ Purpose Prize, which awards up to $100,000 to several Americans aged 60 or over each year to take on a major challenge of society. The New York Public Library will be welcoming several winners of The Purpose Prize and representatives from Civic Ventures, to an event at the South Court auditorium of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 2 P.M. Come to find out how you too can help solve a problem of society, whether local, national, or global.

They are all topics of programs or workshops for adults coming up at various New York Public Library locations over the next few months!

Leg warmers will be knitted at the Chatham Square Library in Chinatown. Wakefield Library in the north Bronx will host a useful series of free food preparation workshops by Cornell University Cooperative Extension Program. St. George Library Center on Staten Island will be the place to meet 6 wrestling champions, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem will present a live screening of the 2009 Inauguration Ceremony.

And there are over 400 other free programs and classes for adults listed. Flamenco, English Sword Dancing, and Figure Drawing—it’s all there. Take a look: at the New York Public Library website, click on Calendar, then All, then limit to Adults.

And a special event I’d like to invite you to: on Wednesday, January 14, 2009, representatives of The New York Public Library will speak at the Riverdale YM-YWHA (5625 Arlington Avenue, Bronx, New York) to hear about a wide range of services that The Library offers targeting older adults, specifically—but not only—those living in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. This presentation is co-sponsored by the Libraries & Cultural Affairs Committee and the Aging Committee of Bronx Community Board 8.

If you need more information, leave me a comment and respond on the blog.

A few weeks ago I attended an institute in Massachusetts and heard Margie E. Lachman, a professor at Brandeis University and Chair of the Department of Psychology & Lifespan Lab there, speak about cognitive and physical changes as we grow older. She was very forthright about the bad news, while being optimistic about the good news.

Let's get the bad news over with, shall we? Yes, aging does bring declines in both physical and cognitive health. But the good news is that you can increase protective factors which will minimize or even compensate for the declines.

The factors which protect against physical declines are: getting a good education; having a high sense of control; reducing stress and anxiety; exercising regularly; receiving social support; not smoking; and maintaining a favorable waist to hip ratio. The factors which protect against cognitive decline are: getting a good education (even if you get it later in life); having a high sense of control; reducing stress and anxiety; exercising regularly; staying socially engaged; and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities. Dr. Lachman pointed out that it is never too early, and never too late, to develop these protective factors.

And there is more good news–psychological health, wisdom and problem-solving ability increase as we get older. Dr. Lachman shared a quote from the Roman statesman and orator Cicero--his advice to Cato on old age, p. 46: “resist old age. . .fight against it as we would fight against disease. . .much greater care is due to the mind and soul; for they too, like lamps, grow dim with time unless we keep them supplied with oil.”

For a thorough list of readings and websites on aging topics including health, purposeful aging, work, volunteering, and civic engagement, check out the amazing list from Libraries for the Future here. And, be sure to check out your local library.

This list is the stuff that New Year's Resolutions are made of. So, which factors on the list should you (and I) start with?

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is the noblest; Second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
—Confucius

The New England Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute took place in Newton, Massachusetts on December 1-2, 2008. Over 40 librarians from throughout New England attended, with the goal of getting tools, resources, and ideas to help them enhance public library services for older adults in their communities. I had the opportunity to attend and have written more extensive notes which you will find on the Lifelong Access blog. You will find slides from most of the presentations at the Lifelong Access Libraries website. Besides hearing “Stories from the Field” about successful programs, we had several opportunities to hear from experts outside the library field who apprised us of up-to-date research and data relating to aging and topics such as health, volunteering and employment.

One such speaker was Sharon Sokoloff, a gerontologist who directs the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Brandeis. The Osher Foundation currently provides funding for 122 similar institutes in 49 states. Though each program is unique, there are a few things they have in common: each provides classes, primarily of an academic nature, for adults 50 and over; each uses peer volunteers; and each is affiliated with a college or university.

Based on experience gleaned from many years devoted to later life education, Ms. Sokoloff expressed great enthusiasm for public libraries as similar learning hubs in the community. She also gave us some valuable words from Confucius on how to seek wisdom (see above). Although libraries may not be able to help with the other two ways, they can certainly provide opportunities for reflection, thereby supporting the most noble way of becoming wise.

Another speaker was Doug Lord from the Connecticut State Library. He encouraged us to “cook the spaghetti and throw it on the wall; if it sticks—go with it!” I must say, The New York Public Library is doing just that. Many of the branch libraries have started visiting their local senior centers to talk about what the library has to offer, register people for library cards, and invite the group over for interesting programs and classes. They have also started bringing over Nintendo Wii equipment, which many libraries own and loan. Wii bowling has proven to be one of the most popular activities at the centers, while a few other popular options are tennis, baseball, and golf.

Here is a brief rundown of ways in which some of the Bronx libraries and nearby senior centers have been collaborating:  read more »