One such example was the legal advice series which is offered every few years and involves a panel, typically made up of three differing experts, discussing topics that usually, although not always, were relevant for older adults. From planning a will to creating an advanced directive, this series was well attended by the ageing population. An annual monthly series entitled “First Wednesdays” offers lectures by college professors and other experts on the first Wednesday of the month. Topics range from the legacy of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird to a discussion of the similarities and differences in contemporary and classic poetry. This series too, has been popular with the older population. Additionally, but again not annually, the Kellogg-Hubbard offers series on mastering computer basics as well as acquiring modern job skills.
By and large though, much of the adult programming that occurs at the KHL is not series based. The one-off programs that make up the bulk of the programming take on many, many topics but have included those that are popular with older individuals such as the history of Vermont folk music, how to master crossword puzzles, and basic genealogy.
Beyond programming, if requested, the KHL offers technological tutoring and although this service is not frequently taken advantage of, when it is, it usually happens to be an older patron. The library has also established two different satellite collections specifically for seniors. The first is located at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center, which I will discuss in more detail shortly, and the second is at Westview Meadows, the largest assisted living, nursing home, and senior community in the area.
The library also offers home delivery for those that cannot come to our physical space and this is a very popular option with less able individuals and shut-ins, many of whom are older. As I stated though, the library focuses almost exclusively on education and culture and although these are both important aspects of an active leisure lifestyle, they cannot make up for, as Novak (2009) describes it, the “good effects of exercise in later life” (p.303). However, if Novak, in quoting Cohen, is also correct, if education in later life leads to “feelings of empowerment that spread to other spheres,” (p.313) then it is quite possible that many of the KHL’s older patrons will end up at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center. For what the KHL lacks, the MSAC more then makes up for.
With over a dozen classes, groups, or clubs offering different types of physical recreation such as tap dance, yoga, swimming, tai chi, and bowling as well as local partnerships with hiking, biking, walking, and paddling groups all aimed at seniors, the MSAC has exercise covered. Yet what is astounding is that the MSAC’s exercise offerings only scratch the surface of what the organizations makes available. A perusal of their website leads to an amazingly lengthy list of activities, classes, and trips from rug hooking, healthy cooking, Mah Jong, edible plant walks, trips to local museums all the way up to a handful of fully organized, international, senior-only trips (including a trip to Holland to view and learn about the Tulip tradition that made me drool). The MSAC is truly an extraordinarily vibrant organization.
Yet Novak (2009) also mentions one more activity that is a crucial aspect of many older individuals leisure lifestyle and that is volunteering. Volunteering he states, “ gives added meaning to their lives… helped cope with the loss of major role identity… increases a persons self esteem and enhances their health and well being”(p.318). Although many local organizations, including the library and local schools, utilize a whole army of older volunteers to survive and succeed, there are two specific organizations located near Montpelier that provide volunteer opportunities for seniors. The first is called SCORE and it touts itself as “America's premier source of free & confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs” (SCORE, 2006). Although SCORE accepts absolutely anyone, it describes its volunteers as principally older individuals who are “working/retired business owners, executives and corporate leaders.” The second organization is called RSVP, which initially stood for Retired and Senior Volunteer Program but is now simply called RSVP as the words senior and retired were deemed off-putting. RSVP furnishes older volunteers to “the nonprofit organizations and businesses in our communities” (RSVP).
Taken altogether, for a community of its size, Montpelier presents an absolute wealth of tools to help its older citizens lead an active leisure life and that helps explain why Mahoney (2009) in AARP Magazine named Montpelier America’s most livable capital city for seniors. Yet, because of Montpelier’s small size there is also a lot of collaboration amongst these organizations. The Kellogg-Hubbard Library for instance, works with the Montpelier Senior Activity Center via its satellite shelf and has offered programming on site as well as at other senior living centers. Continuing and expanding this sort of outreach seems like a logical move that would best serve an older population that can at times, struggle with mobility. Utilizing SCORE within the library and the libraries resources within SCORE also makes sense as those that need business advice already turn to library resources and could no doubt benefit from tried and true advice just as SCORE could benefit from new resources about best practices. Finally, the library is frequently in need of volunteers and when we occasionally have too much help someone else could benefit. Thus, communicating and pairing up with RSVP also makes sense as both organizations could benefit from each other’s surpluses and shortages. These are of course just possibilities and it is very likely that many more partnerships and even organizations exist than I am aware of, but all in all, Montpelier has the robust resources and the necessary collaborative attitude that its seniors need to live an active life.
Sources:
Isabelle, G. What is RSVP. RSVP. Retrieved from http://www.volunteervt.com/what%20is%20RSVP.htm
Mahoney, S. (October, 2009).
Best Places to Live the Simple Life. AARP
The Magazine, September/October 2009. Retrieved from http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/livable-communities/info-07-2009/simple-life-montpelier.html
McCloud, L., Pembroke, B.
(September 2011). Action Times.
Montpelier Senior Activity Center. Retrieved from http://www.montpelier-vt.org/upload/groups/373/files/september_newsletter911.pdf
Novak, M. (2009). Issues in Ageing (2nd ed).
Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
(2006). About SCORE. SCORE. Retrieved from http://montpelier.scorechapter.org/about_score.html
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