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Health Information Resources for Seniors

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

By Rebecca Brown

William completed the Boston Marathon at the age of 67. Now, in his late-80s, he continues to enjoy hiking, skiing and running. Mildred, 73, hits the step machine after complete knee replacement surgery and daily increases her walking distance. These are just two of the inspirational stories on the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) NIHSeniorHealth website (http://nihseniorhealth.gov).

People aged 65 and up numbered 37.3 million in 2006 (12.4% of the population) and are expected to represent 20% of the United States population by 2030.(1) In Kansas, approximately one third of the population is 50 years or older.(2) Fifty-three percent of next-generation seniors (50-64) and twenty-one percent of seniors 65 and up have gone online to search for health information.(3) With the growth of our aging population, it’s imperative to have accurate, authoritative online resources to make informed health care decisions. Below is a selection of resources that focus on the unique needs of seniors and caregivers.

NIHSeniorHealth was developed by staff from the NLM and the National Institute on Aging to provide seniors and caregivers with reliable aging-related health information. The site debuted in 2002 with three health topics, and now includes 43 health topics, health videos, Medicare basics for caregivers, a trainer’s toolkit to help older adults learn to search online health information, and links to tips on making websites senior friendly. The site has many senior-friendly features allowing users to easily increase the text size, change the page color for higher contrast, or activate the “talking” function that reads text aloud.

The National Institute on Aging (http://www.nia.nih.gov) provides information on healthy aging, caregiving, dietary supplements, and diseases in both English and Spanish. It also provides links to other National Institutes of Health and other government websites. This Institute conducts scientific research to understand the nature of aging and extending one’s healthy active years. In addition to health information, the site has a searchable database of over 300 national organizations that provide help to older adults.

The U. S. Administration on Aging (http://aoa.gov) provides links to connect older persons, caregivers and professionals to federal, national and local programs – including the Eldercare Locator to find help with transportation, meals, home care, and caregiver support services. You can link to the Locator directly at http://www.eldercare.gov.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a section just for seniors at www.USA.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml. Topics include health issues – such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes – drug information, medication errors, health fraud,and nutrition.

Nursing Home Compare (www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp) is a tool containing detailed information about past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. Sites receive ratings on health inspections, nursing home staffing, residents quality measures (health, physical functioning, mental status, general well being), and fire safety inspections.

For more information, or to schedule a presentation:
Rebecca Brown, MLS
Kansas Outreach & Technology Liaison
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region
University of Kansas Medical Center
A.R. Dykes Library of Health Sciences
2100 W. 39th Avenue

[1] “Aging Statistics.” U.S. Administration on Aging. Accessed January 6, 2009 <http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging_Statistics/index.aspx>.

[2] “Aging Statistics.” U.S. Administration on Aging. Accessed January 6, 2009 http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging_Statistics/index.aspx.

[3] “e-Health and the Elderly: How Seniors Use the Internet for Health – 2005 Survey Results.” Kaiser Family Foundation. Accessed January 6, 2009 http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia011205pkg.cfm.

Posted in Advocacy, Announcements, Government information | No Comments »

Job Bank at Tonganoxie Public Library

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

by Royce Kitts, Library Director

Last Fall I had the opportunity to attend the Association of Rural and Small Libraries annual conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One of the wonderful speakers at the conference was Sandra Nelson. She talked about how conferences fill us with so many ideas and that when we get back to our ‘normal’ routine those ideas get put on the back burner, and a lot of times just kind of brushed aside, not to be revisited. Ms. Nelson encouraged us as we attended programs that year to think of one or two things that we can take away from the conference and really make work at our library.

Now it might not come as a surprise to anyone, but we are right smack dab in the middle of a recession in this country and jobs are scarce. One of my favorite sessions at ARSL was put on by the State Library of North Carolina and was about the efforts they are putting forth in connecting citizens of North Carolina with job resources. It seemed like such a natural fit for a library to offer and tailor services to specifically meet the needs of the newly unemployed, underemployed, and those who have not had to enter the job market for quite some time.

On the way back from the conference on a bus that was chartered to take a bunch of us Kansas librarians to the beautiful Smoky Mountains, we had the misfortune of spending an extra day on the bus due to it breaking down in a little town called Nashville, TN. Lucky for us, we got to spend the night holed up in a mechanic shop. As I sat there, I really started to work on what we could do at the Tonganoxie Public Library to help people out. I tell you, I got stranded with some fine librarians. I was able to talk and plan things out with two of the best, Cindi Hickey and Laura DeBaun, and if ever I was one to share credit for anything, I would mention how much they helped me formulate a good working plan on what to do.

Hours of talking and brainstorming led to an idea I called “The Job Bank.” An area in the library where people could go to fill out online applications, work on resumes, and gain skills that would be needed in the modern job hunting environment. They could print off resumes, applications, and cover letters, etc. Then it hit me, the only way this would be better is if they didn’t have to worry about public computers that had a waiting list, or getting on a machine that auto-logged them off, and my favorite - what if they could do this all for free?

So that was what I started working on when I got back to the library. First I made a sign that said “Job Bank Coming Soon!” and plastered it all over the library. I didn’t even know what I was going to do, but I figured once I put a name to it, and put it out there, we had to get the ball rolling.

When it came to getting the computers, I was able to put a call out to libraries in my area and within just a few hours the generosity of libraries like the Atchison Public Library and the Basehor Public Library meant that we had three basic Internet machines, a printer, and a print server.

And let me tell you this, you get a good tech person on your side as soon as possible and the impossible becomes easy. I was lucky enough to get to work with Thatcher Rea at NEKLS. He was able to refurbish the computers and get in place a system that is relatively maintenance free. Not only that, but he took the time to drive up from Lawrence one afternoon and install and make sure everything worked.

Our Friends of the Library group this year was very excited about how this project helped our community and designated all proceeds from our annual Festival of Mini Trees fundraiser this year to the Job Bank. This insures that for the foreseeable future we will be able to have the equipment and supplies needed to keep this program going.

We are not sure how to measure the success of this venture just yet. It was completed at a minimal cost, with hard work, free hardware, and the volunteer efforts of a lot of people in the Tonganoxie community and from the Kansas Library community at large. A few hours ago I helped a young man log on to a website so he could look for a job. The other day I sat with a lady who for the first time had to file a government document online. She had never touched a computer. A member of a local charity group came in the other day with the newspaper and told me that at their last meeting they thought the Library was a real asset to the community with a project like this. My grandpa always said that it doesn’t matter how many people you help, it only matters that you help to the best of your ability.

Thanks again, especially to Thatcher Rea, Cindi Hickey, Laura DeBaun, and the Friends of the Tonganoxie Public Library. Kansas librarians make Kansas special.

Posted in Advocacy, Librarians & libraries, Library 2.0, Marketing | No Comments »

January 4, Talking Books Awareness Day

Friday, January 15th, 2010

To bump up the interest in Talking Books this year, we identified an “awareness day” meant to be the first day in 2010 to start spreading the word to individuals who could benefit from Talking Books.

Kansas’ Talking Books is a division of the State Library of Kansas, and part of a national network dedicated to serving the reading needs of individuals who are blind, have low vision, or have other physical disabilities that make it difficult to read regular print.

January 4 was selected as it is the birthday of Louis Braille, born in 1809 in Coupvray, France. Braille only lived to be 43, but at the age of 12 he created an amazing reading method for the blind using a simple raised dot pattern. He published the first Braille book in 1829. The Braille reading method was recognized in France in 1854, two years after his death. By 1868, the Braille method of reading for the blind spread world-wide.

Talking Books came into being through the Federal Pratt-Smoot Act of 1931, which established free library services for blind adults, administered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) in the Library of Congress. That legislation started an amazing program that feeds the intelligence of thousands of Kansans.

In the early years, Talking Book Services were offered to Kansans through the St. Louis Library and the School for the Blind Library in Kansas City, Ks. The Kansas network serving the print-impaired was established in 1971. Today the program serves patrons through a network of six local service centers, located in Emporia, Norton, Great Bend, Manhattan, Topeka, and Wichita.

Talking Books Director Toni Harrell said, “more than 40,000 Kansans are eligible for this service. We are working every day to reach more patrons and to keep them connected with their great love of reading. More than 100,000 titles are available including books, magazines, and newspapers.”

All talking book services are delivered free through the US Postal Service.

For more information on Kansas Talking Books, visit www.kslib.info/talking/ or call 800-362-0699.

Posted in Advocacy, Jan10, SLK Newsletter, Talking Books | No Comments »

Marketing Help from Blogs

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Are you blogging? Or more important, are you reading other peoples’ blogs to get new ideas?

I hope many of you are already following selected blogs to capture new ideas for use in marketing your libraries. I am amazed daily at the wealth of information and tips I glean from reading a few select blogs on libraries, marketing, and a couple that are focused on non-profit marketing (which I think is a category that we at the State Library fall into).

Here are some web addresses to check out:

The ‘M’ Word – Marketing Libraries

http://themwordblog.blogspot.com

The Librarian is In

http://blogs.bcr.org/publiclibraries/

Library Journal – Bubble Room

http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/820000682.html?nid=4715

Talking Books Librarian

http://talkingbookslibrarian.blogspot.com

Marketing-Mantra-for-Librarians

http://marketing-mantra-for-librarians.blogspot.com/

Talking Books Librarian

http://talkingbookslibrarian.blogspot.com

Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/

Do you have others that we should add to this list??

These last three are actually blogs by PR and communications businesses, however, I find their insight very interesting and sometimes extremely refreshing when it comes to thinking about marketing and public relations. You may find them interesting as well.

The Buzz Bin: Livingston Communications on new PR social media and the changing conversation

http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/

Communication Overtones

http://overtonecomm.blogspot.com/

PR-Squared

http://www.pr-squared.com/

And finally, I use a blog aggregator every day to collect the postings I’m following. I use Bloglines, but you may find another aggregator more to your liking.

Posted in Advocacy, Jul09, Library 2.0, Marketing, SLK Newsletter | No Comments »

New Jersey Libraries did a “Snapshot Day” to Highlight the Impact of Libraries

Friday, May 1st, 2009

This article is reprinted with the permission of the New Jersey State Library.

Did you know that 40,000 people visit Disneyland every day? That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?

What’s even more stunning is that on February 19, 2009, more than four times that number – 161,367 people – visited New Jersey’s libraries.

That number, though, is only part of the picture. The New Jersey State Library and the New Jersey Library Association launched a project called Snapshot: One Day in the Life of New Jersey Libraries. Its purpose? To capture the impact that New Jersey libraries have on their communities on a typical day.

We asked librarians from all types of libraries to participate, and participate they did: public and academic libraries, school and special libraries, hospital libraries and government libraries; from the tiniest facility to the largest county systems. We created a quick survey to capture the daily activities of libraries across the state, and hundreds of libraries sent us their survey results.

The numbers were impressive. More than 160,000 people walked through our libraries’ doors and librarians answered nearly 20,000 reference questions.

The comments submitted by library customers were the most wonderful, heartfelt endorsements imaginable.

“This library is a sacred place where you can let your imagination roam. You can live in history, and research anything you don’t know the answer to. It is a social forum, a neighborhood meeting place and a safe haven for children. This library may be small but it is the “heart of our town…”

“This library is truly my second home! It enriches both my social and intellectual lives. The resources it provides are for a wide spectrum of people and I feel my library card is the most important card in my wallet!”

“An adult needs a sense of childhood and books provide that. Children need a sense of what an adult is capable of becoming and a librarian provides that. In a world filled with cruelty we need sense and sensibility and the library provides that. Long live the library!”

“Libraries are essential to our future generations. A place to interact with like minded individuals and expand our minds, horizons and vocabularies. Please don’t limit them. As a 63 year old I can see the value to my generation and my great nephews! The need is greater now with the challenging economy.”

“It’s the only place where you can go as a family that doesn’t cost you $100. It’s family friendly.”

“I use the library weekly- it is an important part of my life- reading is essential to an interesting life…We have an informed, bright, and friendly librarian which adds to my wonderful library experiences.”

”Each day libraries across the state provide accurate information, employment help, assistance with navigating government websites, and a rich cultural experience to New Jersey’s residents. Snapshot Day allowed us to highlight the activities that occur on a typical day in our libraries and gave our customers the opportunity to describe the prominent role libraries play in their lives,” said Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian.

Patricia Tumulty, Executive Director of the New Jersey Library Association, said: “In these difficult economic times we are trying to figure out what would happen if we had no libraries in New Jersey by taking a snapshot of the incredible things that go on every day in New Jersey libraries.”

Snapshot Day was such a great success that we plan on making it a yearly event.

Our thanks to everyone who participated in Snapshot Day!

Snapshot Committee Members
Heidi Amici, Monmouth County Library
Marian Bauman, Neptune Public Library
Cathy Boss, Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Ingrid Bruck, Long Branch Public Library
Peggy Cadigan, New Jersey State Library
Heidi Cramer, Newark Public Library
Karen Klapperstuck, Bradley Beach Public Library
Connie Paul, CJRLC
Kathy Schalk-Greene, Mount Laurel Public Library
Pat Whitehead, Monmouth County Library
Carolyn Wood, West Deptford Free Public Library

Posted in Advocacy, Librarians & libraries, Library 2.0, Library Programs, Marketing, May09, Networking, SLK Newsletter | No Comments »

“Libraries: Current, Connected & Customer-Driven” at Lively NEKLS Program

Friday, May 1st, 2009

For the 2009 NEKLS Spring Assembly, Peggy Cadigan, Consultant for Innovation and Communication at the New Jersey State Library, presented on “Libraries: Current, Connected & Customer-Driven.” She started out with the statement, “We need to be present, virtually and physically.” Why? We are serving a diverse community.

With lots of pictures and statistics, Peggy identified who library patrons are: all ages of the public, teens, autistic children, jobless/underemployed, Hispanics, seniors, minorities. Libraries can’t do everything and serve everyone, but assess your community and see who needs to be served in your community, she said. (Kansas librarians, need statistics for your community? Talk to Peter Haxton, the State Data Coordinator at the State Library!) For example, in communities with gang problems, what can libraries offer as alternatives to kids who feel like they don’t belong?

In New Jersey, the State Library is providing training DVDs, so libraries can display “Safe Spaces for Autistic Children” stickers. Eight libraries in New Jersey are participating so far. When programs are cut, like those that help educate prisoners, could the local library step in to fill the gap? Grants are available from the Department of Justice: Local Youth Mentoring Initiative and the National Training and Technical Assistance Partnership. What about Baby Boomers? By 2050, there will be 80 million; 15 million of those will be over 85. What can libraries do to reach them, as research shows that social networking, games, and book clubs help seniors not decline?

Peggy then discussed how we can best serve our patrons, providing a great illustration. Librarians see patrons as people we can help, but patrons see librarians as those who should treat them like high-class guests. Customer service matters and libraries must upgrade customer service in order to keep people in the libraries. To help train New Jersey librarians in customer service, the New Jersey State Library looked to the best customer service industry in the state: the casinos!

What does this all mean for the future of libraries? According to Peggy, libraries must be able to inspire and delight; go green; accommodate technology; and be flexible, comforting, and welcoming. How can libraries implement these ideas, then?

First, look outside the library and adopt great ideas, she said. Some creative business practices she mentioned include a drive-through rabies clinic; a drive-through liquor store/car wash; a drive-through funeral parlor; a coffee/wifi bar at a local bank; and a local digital art display in a bank. Think some of these are far-fetched? She had the pictures to prove it!

Then, look to other libraries. Some libraries already have drive-up windows. Provide comfortable, simple seating so patrons can relax/work/read and allow food and drinks. As Peggy said of one picture of a patron with her feet up, using the library wireless, and eating and drinking at the same time, “Who cares? She’s there!” Also, make movie displays look like Blockbuster displays, and use simple shelf displays so books face out and can be seen! Think about reducing the height of shelves, so there are clear lines of sight. “I realize libraries are bursting at the seams, but think about mad weeding!” Peggy said.

More ideas included providing local art displays and displaying local community information on the library website. Libraries could also offer college classes or even provide a virtual career center. Finally, libraries could tie library events into Chase’s Calendar of Events.

One of the most intriguing ideas Peggy mentioned was that community citizens could be cataloged into the library catalog, so they, too, could be circulated. Just like some libraries circulate fishing poles, cake pans, and musical instruments, people are willing to share their expertise, especially Baby Boomers. It’s basically a database of your community’s social capital. The program comes from California.

Finally, Peggy spoke about how libraries must show our value! Legislators want to see that libraries are changing lives, not just how many books circulated. How can libraries do this? Have patrons tell their stories. Put on your library website resources for job filing, housing, senior issues. Partner with state agencies. Advertise what is done in your library. For example, determine how many times a library computer has been used and display those statistics.

In New Jersey, the State Library started a program called “Snapshot: One Day in the Life of New Jersey Libraries” on February 19, 2009. They asked libraries to gather statistics, including how many people did you help file for unemployment or a job? How many did you help fill out a resume? How many people walked through the library doors (160,000 in New Jersey that day)? Libraries across the state submitted photos and comments from patrons. Postcards, posters, and bags were made out of the submissions. They now have very visual materials to show to legislators to illustrate the value of libraries!

All in all, it was an invigorating and enlightening keynote address. Hopefully, Peggy can come back to Kansas again someday soon and motivate us even more to serve our patrons and continue to tell their stories.

Posted in Advocacy, CE & Training, Librarians & libraries, Library 2.0, Library Programs, Marketing, May09, Networking, SLK Newsletter | No Comments »

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