Friday, December 14, 2007

Amazing Library Webpage for Older Adults


The Cuyahoga County Public Library has an excellent set of web pages and features for older adults. I found out about this library website through "Keys to Engaging Older Adults at Your Library: a Toolkit", written by Fatima Perkins (this toolkit was recently sent out to the Aging Services listserv of the American Library Association). This Ohio public library has outdone itself with information, resources, and features for older adults on its website.

Here are some of the features that I really liked about their website:

On the home page:

  • There is a link to "Senior Space" their main page for senior information.
  • There is a link to their catalog's list of new large print titles.
On the main Senior Space webpage:
  • a newsfeed for articles of interest for older adults.
  • Consumer information links
  • Recommended books for older adults with a direct link for each title to its catalog page.
  • A link for seniors to email questions to a librarian
  • Email signup link - allows seniors to get updates on senior information and they can also choose over 20 additional subjects sent to their email - plus updates about specific library branch news.
  • Information Gateway link goes to a page with agencies, organizations, and web gateways for older adults.
  • Health Concerns link - health page has not only the usual health links, but also grief resources and an extensive list of sources about long term care.
  • Money Matters - financial links
  • Business of Living links - jobs, housing, education, and law sites for older adults.
  • Leisure - social network for older adults, grandparenting, sports and exercise, travel, and volunteering information.
I am sorry that this post is so long, but I really wanted to share all these features with you. The extensive list of resources in each category are great. But where this website really shines is the fact that it is not static information- the news articles for older adults are updated, as are the "recommended books" for older adults. There are library 2.0 features, such as the ability to have personalized email updates sent to the patrons. I hope that in the future they add an RSS capability to the "Senior Space" page, when more older adults begin to use news readers. I recommend that you consider adding some of these features to your own library website.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

8 comments:

Fatima Perkins said...

Thanks for posting the Senior webpage for Cuyahoga County Public Library. It is a fabulous resource!

Though I authored the first draft of the toolkit, we are looking for feedback from librarians across the nation.

The toolkit is a project of the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services at American Library Association. Satia Marshall Orange is the Director. The draft toolkit is currently under review by the OLOS office and was emaled to the subscribers on the listserv for aging@ala.org.

If anyone wishes to receive a copy for review, you may do so by subscribing to the listserv at http://lists.ala.org/wwws.

We would love to hear from you. You may also reach me at fperkins@cuyahogalibrary.org.

Well,I am in Ohio and it is a bit cold none the less, warmest regards.

Anonymous said...

The Cuyahoga Senior Spaces is a very well organized Senior site. I have only one comment about it (well, two):

First, very good that there is a link at the top of the page to increase the text size (and also that most of the content is text based so it can be enlarged).

Second, since it is for Seniors, the default text should be larger to begin with. :)

That aside, it is a site worth emulating. Thanks for sharing!

--Carol
BeanWorks

TBL said...

Hey, I think your Senior Friendly Libraries blog was mentioned in an article by Meredith Farkas in Library Journal ("The Bloggers Among Us"). Awesome!!!

Isabelle Fetherston said...

You are welcome, Fatima. I look forward to seeing the finished version of the toolkit on the ALA website.

Isabelle Fetherston said...

Carol, I agree about the importance of large print. As you mentioned, most of the content is text based, so there is not a problem with graphics or boxes that do not scale upward along with text size.

Isabelle Fetherston said...

Hi, Talking books Librarian. Yes, I am very excited that Meredith Farkas mentioned this blog in her Library Journal article! I am also very honored that Stephen Abram recommended my blog.

M Taher said...

Isabelle:
Based on your creative visualization, I borrowed your idea of imagechef, and created history to celebrate Ranganathan. I have created many Mementoes For All Friends-of-Libraries. This is posted at the OLA Library Super Conference 2008 Blog

Wish you a very happy, peaceful and generous life.

Isabelle Fetherston said...

MT, I like your graphics of Ranganathan's laws on the mugs. They would make a nice set of mugs for a librarian!