Notes

Public Libraries - Community-Based Health Clubs For the mind and Mind?
Public libraries moved beyond just offering books long ago, but only now are demographic and scientific trends converging to sustain a far more fundamental transformation within their role. A role where they explicitly help promote cognitive health in the community, and potentially use Brain Fitness as a new framework to unify a range of lifelong learning, civic engagement, gaming, and health promotion initiatives.

Some time ago I spoke to librarians at THE BRAND NEW York Public Library (NYPL), about "The Emerging Brain Fitness Field: Research and Implications." I provided an introduction to the way the brain works, discussed the growing research supporting how lifestyle factors contribute to lifelong cognitive health, and offered a method to navigate through this emerging and confusing field. This is section of NYPL's first Health & Wellness Month for library staff, which in turn was an important enabler of major health events for older adults.

This experience highlights two new trends: 1) public libraries are focusing more on health & wellness promotion so that you can engage older adults, 2) cognitive health or brain fitness is now a significant element of that promotion.

US Public Census data explains why libraries need to cater to a mature audience. From 2000 to 2020, the quantity of Americans older than 55 is expected to grow from under 60 million to close to 100 million. That is because of expanded longevity also to the infant boomer generation upgrading the population pyramid.

Brain health provides a unique opportunity for libraries to engage active boomers and seniors. more info , manager of culture and public broadcasting at MetLife Foundation, explains, "This past year we identified a growing interest by boomers and seniors on brain medical issues and thought that public libraries, as community and learning hubs, could play a significant role. So, we decided to launch, in collaboration with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and Libraries for future years, a new iteration of the Fit forever program, focused squarely on promoting brain fitness."

The Fit for Life program supports 17 library systems from January 2009 to January 2010 that launch new initiatives to market brain health via the next research-based lifestyle factors: diet, physical exercise, intellectual challenge, mental stimulation through new experiences, and socialization.

There are other new programs libraries are employing to market brain health. For instance, the Lifelong Access Libraries Initiative, funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies, is used an all-inclusive way for older adults to improve their brain fitness through civic engagement.

Gaming, thanks to the NINTENDO WII GAMING CONSOLE, is quickly emerging as a significant opportunity to foster intergenerational activities. At the very least 18 of the 89 NYPL locations ordered Wii gaming equipment and software packages in 2008, for both in-library use and to be tested. The American Library Association recently celebrated an official gaming day, including both board games and, yes, video games.

Brigid Cahalan, NYPL Older Adults Services Specialist, explains that Wii gaming has become probably the most popular activities to engage older adults in the libraries that offer it regularly, complementing the more serious computer classes that had always been the major attraction. She highlights, "If you want to end up being the hubs of learning and community activity, we need to offer new types of social activities."

In short, libraries already are innovating to engage older adults with lifelong learning, civic engagement, gaming, health & wellness promotion. Brain fitness seems to be the glue that binds all these activities together.

This new reality raises some interesting questions for librarians, aging, and lifelong learning professionals to take into account: Will public libraries become the brain gyms of the future?

Marzena Ermler, Coordinator of Professional Development at NYPL, explains the focus on brain health in this manner, "If only we're able to help people recognize that libraries are healthy places for them to go. Learning through life is vital to maintain our brains in top shape as we grow older."

Pauline Rothstein, Ph.D., Co-editor of ALA book Longevity and Libraries: Unexpected Voices to be published in late 2009, recommends libraries to "think about brain fitness because the new concept that will help integrate disperse activities, identify additional needed resources, and explain our value to society. It makes sense to begin with specific programming, and then use a new framework to judge a range of library services. Public libraries need to redefine themselves away from old thinking and material objects (buildings, books, DVDs...) and concentrate on services: how do we educate, how do we help navigate the growing avalanche of information 'specifically around how to keep our brains in form?"

That evolution will demand libraries to proactively listen to community expectations, also to partner with local organizations, such as for example seniors centers, to meet new requirements. If reshaped as Health Clubs of the Brain and the Mind, libraries would give a critical service to an aging population and become centers of information and destinations for brain fitness programs.

Copyright (c) 2009 SharpBrains

Alvaro Fernandez may be the Co-Founder of SharpBrains.com, a website that covers brain training and health resources. Alvaro has been quoted The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN and much more. He holds MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches at UC Berkeley Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. You can Order this brain health book at Amazon.com.
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