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 in their role. A role in which they explicitly help promote cognitive health locally, and potentially use Brain Fitness as a fresh framework to unify an array 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 how the brain works, discussed the growing research supporting how lifestyle factors contribute to lifelong cognitive health, and offered a way to navigate through this emerging and confusing field. get more info was part of NYPL's first Health & Wellness Month for library staff, which in turn was a significant 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 as to 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 what is a coefficient to 2020, the amount of Americans over the age of 55 is likely to grow from under 60 million to close to 100 million. This is due to expanded longevity also to the baby boomer generation moving up the population pyramid.

Brain health offers a unique chance for libraries to engage active boomers and seniors. Rohit Burman, manager of culture and public broadcasting at MetLife Foundation, explains, "Last year we identified an evergrowing interest by boomers and seniors on brain medical issues and thought that public libraries, as community and learning hubs, could play a major role. So, we decided to launch, in collaboration with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and Libraries for the Future, a fresh iteration of the Fit forever program, focused squarely on promoting brain fitness."

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

You can find other new programs libraries are employing to market brain health. For example, the Lifelong Access Libraries Initiative, funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies, is used an all-inclusive method for older adults to boost their brain fitness through civic engagement.

Gaming, because of the Nintendo Wii, is quickly emerging as a major possibility to foster intergenerational activities. At check here of the 89 NYPL locations ordered Wii gaming equipment and software programs in 2008, for both in-library use and to be checked out. The American Library Association recently celebrated the official gaming day, including both board games and, yes, video games.

Brigid Cahalan, NYPL Older Adults Services Specialist, explains that Wii gaming is becoming just about the most popular activities to activate older adults in the libraries offering it regularly, complementing the much more serious computer classes that had long been the major attraction. She highlights, "If we want to end up being the hubs of learning and community activity, we need to offer new forms of social activities."

In short, libraries already are innovating to activate older adults with lifelong learning, civic engagement, gaming, health & wellness promotion. Brain fitness seems to be the glue that binds each one of 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 into the future?

Marzena Ermler, Coordinator of Professional Development at NYPL, explains the focus on brain health this way, "If only we could help people recognize that libraries are healthy places to allow them to go. Learning through life is very important 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 as the new concept that will help integrate disperse activities, identify additional needed resources, and explain our value to society. It seems sensible to begin with specific programming, and use a new framework to evaluate a range of library services. Public libraries need to redefine themselves away from old thinking and material objects (buildings, books, DVDs...) and focus on services: how do we educate, how do we help navigate the growing avalanche of information 'specifically around how exactly to keep our brains in shape?"

That evolution will require libraries to proactively listen to community expectations, also to partner with local organizations, such as for example seniors centers, to meet up new requirements. If reshaped as Health Clubs of the Brain and your brain, libraries would provide 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, an internet site 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. It is possible to Order this brain health book at Amazon.com.
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