U ILLINOI S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. Z 2Jo .6 University of Illinois Library School coOCCASIONAL PAPERS OCCASIONAL PAPERS Number 62 November 1961 A STUDY OF CURRENT PRACTICES IN PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE TO AN AGING POPULATION: AN EVALUATIVE REPORT by Eleanor Phinney, Executive Secretary Adult Services Division, American Library Association Introduction Early in 1957 the ALA Office for Adult Education undertook a study of those activities and services of public libraries which are designed to meet the needs of a society in which increasing numbers of people are living longer. This study was based upon the assumption that library services must take into consideration not only the needs of those who are presently in the higher age brackets, but also the needs and interests of all who themselves are facing the prospects of living into old age. It was further assumed that libraries must provide for informing and alerting the com- munity at large of all aspects of the aging process, of the social and econ- omic implications of the presence of larger numbers of older people in the population, and of the resultatit activities of community groups and agencies. The study was carried out by the writer with the advice and assistance of a committee of the Adult Services Division. 1 The first phase, which was completed in 1957, was a post card survey of all the public libraries in towns of 2, 500 and over in population; as a second step, a lengthy question- naire was sent in June, 1958, to a list of 200 libraries of all parts of the country, selected largely upon the basis of their answers to the post card survey, and representing a wide range of types and size of community. Sum- maries of the results of each phase have appeared in the ALA Bulletin. 2 This report will be devoted to a discussion of the methods used in this study and of the conclusions which the writer believes can validWy be drawn from the study at this point. References will be made to the results of both questionnaires, and additional information will be found in the reports already cited. IL - 2 The Post Card Survey Method. The post card3 listed nine categories of activities or ser- vices and asked the respondent to check those which it had provided within the past year as a means of meeting the needs of an aging population. These were listed under three headings: for older people, for workers with older people, and for the general public. The following categories of activities were grouped within these listings: providing books; pro- viding films, etc. (meaning audio-visual materials); publicizing materials; providing a meeting place; working with other agencies; sponsoring lib- rary groups; showing films from the library; acting as a community clear- ing house; providing shut-in service; and other provisions. A covering letter accompanying the post card described the reasons for undertaking the study and outlined in the following words the concept of the library's responsibility for service to an aging population which underlies the study: "We feel that the public library (within its limitations of budget, time and space) has a responsibility in this situation 1. to serve as a source of information on all aspects of the aging process 2. to make people of all ages aware of the problems and of the availability of materials about these problems 3. to cooperate with, stimulate and supplement the work of com- munity agencies responsible for working with and planning for older people (such as Welfare Councils, Gerontological Societies, Health Departments, Recreation Departments, Churches, Unions) 4. to meet directly the special educational needs of the older indivi- dual, to aid those working with older people either as volunteers or as professionals, and to help prepare the younger person for his later years 5. to serve the educational needs of groups of older people, and to provide or assist in providing group activities suitable to their needs. " Because of the post card size, space for mention of additional services and for comment was limited; nevertheless, respondents managed to convey telegraphically considerable information and occasionally even to qualify their answers. A thorough analysis of the returns was made possible by 'their being commercially tabulated, with breakdowns by geographical region and pop= ulation size corresponding to those which were used in the tabulation of the Adult Education Survey in 1953, which had been sent to the same lib- raries.4 &'3 3 SLimitations... Only in the category of activities provided for older people was it possible to use the results with any degree of confidence. In comparison with this first category, the answers to the second--act- ivities for workers with older people--were spotty and inconsistent, while answers to the third--for the general public--appeared so frequently to apply to the library's total program rather than to its activities in re- lation to the field of the aging that no attempt was made to draw conclusions about these categories. Another factor which cast doubt upon the answers was the previously-mentioned brevity of the instrument, upon which the activities were listed without definition or description of any sort. It was apparent that in many cases the post card had been filled out without care- ful reference to the covering letter in whicfian attempt had been made to define these services. Under these circumstances, the results could be interpreted only in terms of broad trends. Results and evaluation. As an initial step in the study, the post card survey accomplished its chief purpose--to gain some idea of the kinds of services provided and of the location of programs which could later be studied and reported in detail. How representative were the returns from this survey? A compar- ison with those from the Adult Education Survey showed enough parallels in the proportions of those sent out to those received and usable to warrant the conclusion that both surveys provided representative samples of lib- rary practices. Table I Comparisons of Returns in 1953 Adult Education Survey and 1957 Survey of Service to an Aging Population, by Population Groups* Returns Returns Population Group 1953 1957 No. Sent No. Per Cent No. Per Cent Group I - II - IV- Total *The 1953 included 100,000 & Over 25, 000 - 99,999 10, 000 - 24, 999 2, 500 - 9, 999 244 721 953 2,130, 138 380 429 717 56.6 52.7 45. 33. 6 139 351 368 533 56.9 48.6 38.6 25.0 4,048 1,694 1, 391 survey included 48 state agencies (Group V). These were not in the 1957 survey and do not appear in the totals given here. The report yielded definite information relating to the frequency with which specific services (defined in rather broad terms) were provided for older people. Four led the list: providing books, publicizing the 4 appropriate materials available, providing shut-in service, and working with other agencies. Table II Activities Provided To Meet the Needs of Older People as Reported in the Post Card Survey--Summary in Order of Frequency Activity Number Per Cent Number of libraries 1, 391 100. 0 Provides books 1,101 79. 2 Publicizes materials 547 39. 2 Shut-in service 497 35.7 Works with other agencies 430 30.9 Provides meeting place 319 22.9 Provides films, etc. 203 14. 6 Library sponsored-groups 103 7.4 Acts as community clearing house 90 6.5 Library film showings 75 5.4 Respondents' comments on the cards gave evidence that the terms provides shut-in service and works with other agencies, in particular, comprised a wide range of activities and applications of these services. Analysis of the breakdown by region and by population size group showed very little variation in the order of frequency with which these services were provided. No matter how the breakdown was made, the first six services remained the six most frequently provided services, although they may have varied slightly in rank order. The replies did accomplish their purpose of furnishing a usable basis from which to select individual library programs for further study. Most important, the questions raised by the very general nature of the knowledge gained pointed up the need for the detailed questionnaire which subsequently was developed by the writer with the help of the advisory committee and which actually formed the nucleus from which the later questionnaire grew. The Questionnaire on Public Library Service to an Aging Population Method. The questionnaire was designed to find out more about several categories of work with the aging: service to the individual older person, service to groups of older people, service to shut-ins, service to individuals working with older people, service to and cooperation with organizations and agencies concerned with older people, and services and activities designed to provide information to the general public and to 5 focus its attention upon all aspects of the aging process and upon the prob- lems rising out of an aging population. The questionnaire was intended to elicit enough details concerning the development and nature of current and representative programs of service in such areas to provide the raw mat- erial for a manual on library service to the aging. It is reproduced here in its entirety,, partly to illustrate the difficulties it presented as an in- strument, partly to facilitate references to the questions in a discussion of the results, and partly because in itself it has proved to be a rather complete outline of the various aspects which the needs of such a special service may take. (The questionnaire is appended to the text of this paper.) The questionnaire was sent, again with a covering letter, to a selected list of 200 libraries, identified chiefly by means of the post card survey. This selection was made by sorting out those cards which showed a high pro- portion of the services listed, those which contained comments which gave evidence of activities of particular interest, and those for libraries which had rated will in the Adult Education Survey. Representation was given to as many states as possible and to a wide range of types 'and size of com- munity in each region. No attempt was made, however, to give proportional representation to the four population size groups. As a result, an unfore- seen preponderance of libraries in towns of 50, 000 occurred, and compar- isons between size groups were not feasible. A follow-up letter to those who did not return the questionnaire by the first of September, 1958, resulted in a final rethrn from 140 of the 200 libraries, with 133 usable questionnaires. Few respondents, however, re- plied in even an approximation of the hoped-for detail. For example, the open-end question in each section, concerning the relative effectiveness of activities listed by the respondent (e. g., Question I, part A, section 9) which asked for details relating to the genesis of the activity, personnel involved, and materials used, was left unanswered in all but a few instances. Study of the replies soon made it evident that if accurate descriptions of specific programs were to be published, even those schedules which were answered most fully needed considerable supplementation through corres- pondence or interviews. Trial interviews on the basis of good responses from a group of New Jersey and Pennsylvania librarians were conducted by the writer during a regional library association conference, with reason- ably satisfactory results. This kind of follow-up in depth was, however, beyond the reach of the staff's resources, and although it was discussed, also seemed impracticable for the advisory committee to attempt.,. The pos- sibility of using some of the questionnaires as bases for case studies of individual institutions has also been explored and is still agoodpossibility. The method seems to lend itself better than any other that the advisory committee and the writer have considered to "subcontracting" a part of the study. 6 Limitations. Some of the limitations of the questionnaire have al- ready been suggested. It seems clear that its chief limitations as an in- strument lay in its complexity and the quantity of information which it was designed to gather. In many respects it was not suitable for use as a mail questionnaire and presented extraordinary difficulties of tabulation. It probably could have been used as an interview schedule, had that kind of survey been possible. In addition, several factors, some unforeseen at the outset, others the result of over-optimism on the part of those who planned the study, operated to increase the difficulties of organizing the information contained in the responses to the questionnaires. Several attempts to work out means of utilizing the assistance of the advisory committee in tabulating and ana- lyzing the questionnaires were made with limited success. This limita- tion was due chiefly to the necessity for working through correspondence, with the attendant difficulties of communication and maintaining consis- tency, and to the failure to find a satisfactory way of subdividing the work. In sum, the study of the results of the questionnaire was curtailed and greatly delayed because it proved to need greater expenditure of time and money than were available. The reliability of answers to this questionnaire, as in the case of the post card survey, was somewhat shadowed by the varying, interpretation which could be put upon such terms as "reader guidance, " for instance Here, too, it was evident that respondents had answered some questions (e. g., Question IV, part A) in terms of the library's total services, even though care was taken in framing the questionnaire to keep before the respondent the special application of the library's services and the special content of the materials used for an aging population. In view of these limitations both of reliability and of staff time, a complete tabulation of the questionnaire response was not attempted. The results and conclusions reported in the summary in the ALA Bulletin were based inssead upon tabulations of varying completeness. Question I, part A, was completely tabulated, the work being done and the totals reached for half the questionnaires at a time. Because the two sets were made up by random selection and because the frequency of answers in the two sets was consistently similar, it was decided that valid conclusions about the re- sults of several questions p uld be reached upon the basis of tabulation of about half of the questionnaires. Results of Question I, parts B, C, and D, Questions II and III, and Question IV, part B, have been reported on this basis. Responses to Questions V and VI were so inconclusive and meager that formal tabulation was not attempted. 7 Results and Evaluation Service to the individual older person. The first question was ans- wered with sufficient completeness and consistency to permit some gen- eralizations, especially for parts A and B. Many of the comments which revealed most clearly the attitudes held by a number of librarians in re- gard to placing the older person in a separate category appeared here. These attitudes ranged from what seemed to be a refusal to face and ac- cept the implications of aging and of increased numbers of older people in the population to a genuine and well founded hesitancy to categorize a large and heterogeneous group solely upon the basis of age. Table III Services Provided for the Older Person Coming to the Library as an Individual Item -Number Per Cent Number of libraries reporting 133 100.0 Reader guidance 108 81.0 Information service 97 73.0 Ease of access 79 60.0 Relaxing rules 57 43.0' Shelves to meet special interests 46 35. 0 Shelves of books in large print 40 30.0 Providing transportation 7 00.6 It is evident from Table III that the library's fundamental activity of serving the individual reader by providing the information and by help- ing him to find the materials that will meet his needs and interests is be- ing carried out by a great majority of the respondents. The comment, "We give this service to all, " which appeared on some questionnaires, leads one to question whether or not these services were in every case actually geared to those specific needs of the older person, differing from those of the library's clientele in general. Perhaps the clearest recognition is given to the need to provide for the physical limitations of the library's users, which is seen in the good proportion of those libraries which have planned their buildings for ease of access. This proportion is. in part a reflection of the amount of library building that is is process; a number spoke of their intention of incorporating the features listed in plans being made for a new building, while others mentioned recent branches and new central libraries. Several libraries reported special reading rooms with grade entrances; some of these rooms are equipped with record players and tele- vision. Since the answers to the question on special equipment were spotty and difficult to tabulate with consistency, this category has been omitted from Table III. 8 The replies to the section on services provided for the older per- son coming to the library as a member of a group(Question I, part B) showed that while older people were represented among the participants in group activities taking place in the library, relatively few libraries were providing programs for them as a group, and those that did made little mention of specific age limits for such groups. A number of res- pondents commented upon the appeal of film showings for older groups. Table IV Services Provided for the Older Person Coming to the Library as a Member of a Group Item Number Per Cent Number of libraries reporting 128 100.0 Library facilities provided for activities 90 70.0 sponsored by other agencies Library programs suitable for, but not 78 61. 0 limited to older people Programs utilizing films 75 58.0 Programs utilizing recordings 50 39.0 Programs utilizing discussion materials 39 30.0 prepared by the library Special programs and activities for 34 27. O older people Programs utilizing packaged programs 26 20, 0 Answers to the question on service to the individual unable to come to the library (Question I, parts C and D) showed even more than those to part A the difficulty of analyzing service to a group which is differentiated from any other by the sole characteristic of chronological age. Mrs. Orrilla T. Blackshear4, chairman of the advisory committee, who analyzed a sampling of the answers to this section, stated in an informal report that service to shut-ins was reported more frequently as a part of the gen- eral library program than as a service specifically for older persons. Even so, it was evident that a number of librarians are giving special attention to the older person in his own home, in hospitals, in convales- cent homes, and old age homes. These services range from individual informal visits paid by members of the library staff.to highly developed hospital services, utilizing both special staff and volunteers. In most cases services such as these were initiated by the public library. Failure to give,, or to continue to give, such services was most frequently attributed to the areluctance of institutions to receive it. .Part D was designed to find out whether the service to those unable to come to the library was chiefly a supply service, or whether attention 9 was given to individual needs. Mrs. Blackshear found that, with minor variations, the honoring of specific title requests, followed by supplying materials on special topics or information and reading guidance, was re- ported more frequently than were deposit collections. It is noteworthy that these services, which require individual attention and consequently are particularly time-consuming and costly when performed outside the library setting, far outranked the provision of package service in the form of deposit collections. Table V Services Provided to the Individual Working with Older People Item Number Per Cent Number of libraries reporting 85 100 0 Help in program planiing 68 80.0 Newspaper publicity for library's services 59 69.0 Acting as resource center for information 57 67. 0 Providing materials for programs, etc. 55 65.0 Providing audio-visual materials 53 62.0 Providing lists 52 61.0 Providing materials useful in training 44 52.0 Radio publicity for library's services 41 48. 0 TV publicity for library's services 15 18. Table VI Services Provided to Organizations and Agencies Working with Older People Item Number Per Cent Number of libraries reporting 89 100.0 Help in program planning 82 91.0 Providing materials for programs, etc. 82 91.0 Providing information, etc., on films 75 84. 0 Acting as resource center for information 72 81.0 Staff participation in other groups 71 80., Providing materials useful in training 64 72.0 Providing recordings 64 72.0 Providing meeting place, equipment, etc. 62 70. 0 Providing films 57 64. 0 Library represented on local cl. on aging 47 53.0 10 Service to individuals working with older people. The answers of 85 randomly chosen libraries to Question II, part A, were analyzed for the frequency with which individual activities were listed (See Table V). It is interesting to compare these totals with those in Table VI, in which a slightly different approach was used in choosing the sample. The respon- ses to Question III, part A, were scanned to determine whether or not they appeared to report more than token services to community groups, and the 89 resultant questionnaires then were analyzed for the frequency with which individual services were performed. A variety of other services to organizations was mentioned; book reviews and book talks, special shelves and collections, serving as a de- posit for gerontological publications, desplaying the work of senior citizens' groups, providing books for old age centers, and preparing reading lists. Table VI and the comments of respondents confirm' the already well- established fact that libraries in general work closely and of their own ini- tiative with the other civic welfare and cultural institutions in their communi- ties, providing materials, staff skills, meeting space, and the library's particular suitability for performing the clearing house function. It was noticeable that libraries which provided little or no group activities of their own were among those listing a majority of the services to other organiza- tions. Some librarians stressed the fact that they provided any services "when asked, " but appeared unwilling to offer or initiate services. This same reluctance or diffidence or caution was reflected frequently in comments on the post cards. Services and Activities directed to informing and alerting the general public. In many respects the answers to Question IV were a disappointment. Reasons for doubt about the validity of tabulations of part A have already been cited on page 5. In addition, the response to part B indicated that less than half of those replying had engaged in any activity concerned with topics of vital importance to the community at large, such as attitudes toward aging, information on services for the aging, the community and the aging, and re- habilitation. One can only conclude from this implication that many of these librarians are not aware of or informed about these aspects of the problems of an aging population, or that they did not consider the education of the general public in this area (perhaps in any area ?) a responsibility of the library. 11 Table VI Topics Used in Programs and Activities Designed To Bring Information on Aging to the General Public Item Number Per Cent Number of libraries reporting 70 100.0 Use of leisure time 49 70.0 Preparation for retirement 45 64.0 Family relations 40 54.0 Mental health 39 53.0 Employment, income, social security, etc. 36 51.0 Health and safety 33 47.0 Attitudes toward aging 29 41.0 Services for the aging 27 38.0 Community and the aging 24 34.0 Rehabilitation of the older person 22 31.0 Housing for older people 21 30.0 Conclusions What then has been gained from the work that has been done on these two surveys to date? As in the case of many others, the chief value of this study lies in the gaps and needs which it has shown to exist. One of the most evident is the lack of wide acceptance of a philosophy of library service in which there is genuine commitment to identify and serve the specific educa- tional needs of the older individual, especially where these needs are affected by handicaps, limitations, and lack of capacity. The need for greater recognition on the part of librarians of the prob- lems of aging and of the responsibility of the library for alerting the public to all aspects of the aging process has already been mentioned. This need was so evident that the ALA Adult Services Division created a standing com- mittee on library service to an aging population. It is this committee's responsibility to initiate and carry out the ALAks programs and activities in this aspect of library service, and to provide representation to other national organizations and agencies working in this field. The Institute on Library Service to an Aging Population, which took place during the ALA annual con- ference in Washington, D. C.', in June, 1959, was the first major undertaking of this committee; its chief recent task has been the preparation of materials and other activities designed to help librarians take part in the White House Conference on Aging in 1961. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOfI LLABRRY( 12 The study failed to reveal in any detail what philosophy of service governed the provision of the services reported, although there were a few services which were so generally provided that one can make some assump- tions about the importance placed upon them by the libraries providing them. These viewpoints can be summed up as follows: Information service and reader guidance (in a broad interpretation of the term) are considered the most desirable and effective services which can be provided for the indlvi- dual reader. Ease of access to the library building is of increasing impor- tance. It is more desirable to aim library-sponsored programs and activities at heterogeneous groups than at special ones. The library has an important role in serving community organizations and agencies, by providing both materials and assistance in program planning. The library staff has a contribution to make through participation in these groups. A basic assumption of the study--that a manual on library practice in serving the needs of older adults was both desirable and feasible--was aban- doned after an examination of the responses to the questionnaire. The several practical reasons for doing so have already been discussed. More important to the study is the sharpening of the philosophy which influenced this--a shar- pening which reflects recent developments in the thinking which is'taking place in the entire field of service adapted to the needs of the older person. This philosophy holds that generalizations regarding the characteristics and needs Of the older adult cannot be made solely upon the basis of his chronological age and that each situation and each individual has t. be considered in the light of a number of factors. The writer is presently convinced that while there is room and need for the study and reporting of library techniques and services for the special needs that occur during the later years, the concept that this can be reduced to "how-to-do-it" proportions is no longer tenable. The two surveys have provided a body of information which, though incomplete and difficult to evaluate, did not previously exist. The illustra- tive materials supplied by a number of respondents--and the detailed descrip- tiona which came from a few--can be drawn upon for details of present programs and activities which will be useful to others. The surveys have led to the location of programs for observation and to the identification of personnel skilled in the services described. Replies in some areas--notably those of shut-in service and the use of volunteers--show that further study in these areas is warranted and that such study should be expanded to include their application in the total library program. The value of the study as a means of alerting the profession to the library's role in serving an aging population should not be overlooked. It was well- timed in that it anticipated the decision of Congress to hold a White House con- ference on Aging. While a number of respondents were discouraged or made defensiveby the range of activities included in the questionnaire, others com- mented that it had been suggestive of services and activities which they should consider undertaking. 13 The writer has gone into details on the limitations and failures of this study because of her assumption that the experience described may be valu- able to others who are tempted to embark upon a detailed study without making sure that resources in funds and time are adequate to carry it through. She is aware of the inadequacies of documentation which result from the piecemeal sort of tabulatiop reported but feels tnat these too have their illustrative value. It is to be hoped that footings, at least, have been put in and that a basis has been provided for a future, more solid foundation of research in library service to an aging population. FOOTNOTES 1. Mrs. Orrilla T. Blackshear, Public Library, Madison, Wisconsin, Chairman; Margaret Dudley, National Book Committee, New York; Elizabeth Ferguson, Institute of Life Insurance, New York; Mrs. Winifred. Stone, National Committee on the Aging, New York; Rose Vainstein, Library Services Branch, U. S. Office of Education, Washington, D. C. 2. Phinney, Eleanor: Library Service to an Aging Population; Report on a Post Card Survey. ALA Bulletin, 51:607-609, Sept. 1957, and Trends in Library Services to the Aging. ALA Bulletin, 53:534-535, June 1959. 3. Reproduced in ALA Bulletin, 51:608, Sept. 1959. 4. Smith, Helen Lyman: Adult Education Activities in Public Libraries. Chicago, The American Library Association, 1954. Appendix QUESTIONNAIRE ON PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES TO AN AGING POPULATION Return to: ALA Office for Adult Education, 50 East Huron St., Chicago 11, Illinois, before June 30, 1958. Please read the complete questionnaire before filling out any part of it You are asked in the following to answer a number of questions about your service to an aging population. We have left space for description in a number of instances and asked for a "Yes" or "No" answer in others. We will be particularly glad to receive material describing and illustrating your activities, and you are encouraged to let these supply the information requesa ted whenever they will serve that purpose adequately. We are also much 14 concerned to know of the circumstances which led you to develop new or additional services and activities in the field of aging, Name of library_ .._______ Address of library ... _ (No.) (Street) Answered by (City) Position (State) 1. SERVICE TO THE OLDER PERSON What programs and activities does the library provide which are designed to meet the specific needs of the older person? Please check and describe briefly A. For those coming to the library, as individuals, by 1. relaxing rules for those who cannot come regularly Yes No 2. planning the building for ease of access (provision of ramps, grade entrance, hand rails, elevators, etc. Yes No 3. providing or arranging transportation Yes No 4. providing special shelves, sections, etc. a) to meet interests Yes No b) with large print Yes No 5. providing reader guidance Yes No_ 6. Providing information service on local activities, agencies, etc. Yes No 7. providing special equipment such as talking books, books in braille, reading magnifier, etc. (please specify) Yes_ No (If more space for reply is needed, please use reverse of this page) Questionnaire--page 2 8. other (please list) 9. Of the activities you have listed above, which do you consider to have been most effective ? Please give details as to how you came to undertake them what library personnel carries them out and ways in which materials are used, B. .For those coming to the library as members of a group by 1. specialprograms and activities for older people (give age limits if any are set) Yes No 2. programs suitable for, but not limited to, older people Yess No 3. providing library facilities for activities sponsored by other agencies Yes No "askew 0004 U 10 ---- - - - --- ~'---- -- --- ---- c I t ur 15 4. were any of the following used? a) films Yes No c) discussion materials prepared b) recordings Yes No by the library Yes No d) packaged programs Yes No 5. Of the activities you have listed above, which do you consider to have been most effective ? Please give details as to how you came to undertake them, what library personnel carries them out, and ways in which materials are used. (If more space for reply is needed, please use reverse of this page) Questionnaire--page 3 C. For those unable to come to the library, by Shut-in service Service to hospitals Service to convalescent and nursing homes Service to old-age homes Bookmobile service Messenger or mail service Specifically or older people Yes No N- - M" Part of general service Yes No - _ -i ' 1 ,  - Who initiated service ? What library personnel carried out service ? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. ~-C-~- -I..I - ~ ..- _____ - i-i " s ^''~ ''I - -~ 1Y-- -~ --^)- ~I~1I r~~' qp ý-- -1-II - , e ,, - D. Materials are provided for older people unable library, by (Please check.) Services Shut-in service Service to hospitals Service to convalescent and nursing homes Service to old-age homes Bookmobile service Messenger or mall servic u 0 rr 0 UP 4*4 J 4J3 U 4- 3 )t U) u' 1 e) (L) 0/ Q) ~ 04 4) P4 4 EO 14 P4 - Ems- to come to the Special, Equipment SM 004 a) bf '?$ 44 i s- 0-- - - - a - - S a *a pq PI ll * F9.E 7, Of the activities you have listed above, which do you consider to have been most effective ? Please give details as to how you came to undertake them, and what library personnel carries them out. (For reply, please use reverse of this page) Queestionnaire--page 4 1, SERVICE TO THE PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER WORKING WITH OLDER PEOPLE A, What programs and services does the library provide which are designed to help the individual working with older people ? Please check and describe briefly. 1, providing printed or processed lists prepared by__ ·- procured from 2, providing materials which are a) useful in training b) useful in carrying out programs and activities for older people 3. providing audio-visual materials Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No 16 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. I 17 4. publicizing the library's materials and services in this area by a) newspaper Yes No c) television Yes No b) radio Yes No d) other 5. acting as a resource center for information on local activities Yes No 6. providing help in program planning Yes No 7. other (please describe briefly) B. Of the activities you have listed above, which do you consider to have been most effective ? Please give details as to how you came to undertake them, what library personnel carries them out, and ways in which materials are used. (If more space for reply is needed, please use reverse of this page) Questionnaire--page 5 III. SERVICE TO ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES WORKING WITH OLDER PEOPLE A. Which of the following services or activities designed to help grou working with older people does the library provide ? Please check and describe briefly. 1. staff takes part in work of other organizations and agencies Yes No 2. library provides facilities, e. g., meeting place, projector, etc. Yes No 3. library provides help in program planning Yes No 4. library provides materials which are a) useful in training Yes_ No b) useful in carrying out programs and activities for older people Ye_ No 5. the following audio-visual services are provided: a) information and location of films Yes N6. b) provision of films Yeis_ No. c) provision of recordings Yes No . d) other (please specify) 6. library acts as resource center for information YTes N 7. library is represented on local council on aging Yes No_ 8. other (please describe briefly) B. Of the activities yout have listed above, which do you consider t have been most effective ? Please give details as to how you catne to undertake them, what library personnel carries them out, and ways in which materials are used. C, List specific organizations and agencies with which the library works in meeting the needs of an aging population, (If more space for reply is needed, please use reverse ofthis page) 18 Questionnaire--page 6 IV. EDUCATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC A. Which of the following services and activities does the library provide in order to alert the general public to all aspects of the aging process ? 1. providing printed or processed reading lists Yes No prepared by____________ procured from 2. providing audio-visual materials 3. publicizing the library's materials a) newspaper Yes No_ e) b) radio Yes No c) television Yes No. f) d) displays in the library Yes No 4. contacts with community groups Yes No and services in this area, by displays outside the library Yes_ No reader interest arrange" ment of books Yes No Yes No I-;t 5. group programs sponsored by the library Yes._ No 6. acting as a resource center for information on local activities Yes No 7. other (please list) B. Of the following topics, which have been used in your programs and activities to bring information to the general public ? 1) preparation for retirement Yes No 2) family relations Yes No 3) housing for older people Yes No 4) use of leisure time Yes No 5) health and safety Yes No 6) mental health Yes No 7) services for the aging Yes No 8) attitudes toward aging Yes No' 9) employment, income, social security, etc. 10) rehabilitation of the older Yes No person Yes No S11) the community and the aging Yes No 12) other (please list) C. Of the activities which you have listed in A. and B. above, which do you consider the most effective? Please describe briefly,and include details as to how you came to undertake them;, what library personnel carries them out and waya in which materials are used. (If more space for reply is needed, please use reverse of this page) MAW 19 Questionnaire--page 7 V. USE OF VOLUNTEERS A. In order to carry out the services and activities you have described, has the library used volunteers ? Yes No B. Were di 'y supplied by other organizations ? Yes No 1. :oiw did the library .se~~re their services ? C. Doer. tIn library recruit its own volunteers ? Yes No 1. How were they recruited? D. Does the library have a training program for its volunteers ? (Describe briefly.) Yes No E. What specific tasks are carried out by volunteers ? (If more space for reply is needed, please use reverse of this page) Questionnaire--page 8 VI. FINANCING LIBRARY SERVICE TO AN AGING POPULATION A. Is specific provision for the services and activities you have described included in the annual budget? (Explain briefly.) Yes_ No B. Are special funds in the form of gifts, grants, etc. available to support any of these services and activities ? (Explain briefly.) Yes No c. Are charges made for any of the special services described in this questionnaire ? (Explain briefly.) Yes No (If more space for reply is needed, please use reverse of this page) Numbers in this series are issued irregularly and no more often than monthly. Beginning with Occasional Paper Number 61 single copies are $1.00 each, and the annual subscription rate is $2.00. Individual copies of back issues still in print are available free upon request. The Occasional Papers will deal with some aspect of librarianship and will consist of manuscripts which are too long or too detailed for publication in a library periodical or which are of specialized or temporary interest. The submission of manu- scripts for inclusion in this series is invited. *Material from these papers may be feprinted or digested without prior consent, but it is requested that a copy of the reprint or digest be sent to the Editor, All communications should be addressed to the Editor, Occasional Papers, University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science, Urbana, Illinois, PUBLICATIONS BOARD Harold Lancour, Editor R. Joanne Fields, Assistant to Editor Robert B. Downs Prances B. Jenkins Thelma Eaton Arnold H. Trotier William V. Jackson Lucien W White