Join us in person at the Cazenovia Public Library for a Webinar Viewing Party! We’ll be watching the NYLA Webinar, “Fishing for Friends: How to Reel in Midlife Adults with Programs.”

Webinar Description:

Midlife adults are an active and demographically vast population. This generation is living longer, staying active, and looking for opportunities to use their impressive skillset in different ways. Who are these valuable individuals? Are we overlooking them for volunteer opportunities? How can public libraries tap into this significant cohort?

We’ll examine the considerations when planning, marketing, and implementing adult programs that will engage adults 50+ with the library and the Friends. Examples of outreach, formal and informal lifelong learning opportunities and creative community collaborations that can be replicated in your community will be highlighted. Gain practical tips and ideas to entice and involve midlife adults through Friends-sponsored programming and other library events.

We’ll examine current trends in planning and expanding engagement opportunities to attract midlife adults to your library. Creating diverse learning opportunities along with thoughtful strategies to entice and retain them as volunteers are a win-win to encourage this growing but underserved population to become involved in activities they can enjoy for years to come.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the characteristics of midlife adults and how they are different from previous volunteers.
2. Gain insights on current trends to engage skilled and active midlife volunteers to assist public libraries.
3. Create and enhance diverse programming to entice and involve midlife adults to volunteer for or attend library events.
4. Identify current sustainability strategies to keep and retain midlife volunteers.

About the Presenter:

Reneé K. Bennett-Kapusniak, Ph.D., is currently a librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library. She is the author of Public Library Programs and Services for Midlife and Beyond: Expanding Opportunities for a Growing Population (Libraries Unlimited, 2018). Reneé earned her doctoral degree in information studies from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with an emphasis on 50+ adults’ access and retrieval of information. She has served on the American Library Association Library Services to an Aging Population Committee and assisted with the development of the new ALA Guidelines for Library Services with 60+ Audiences: Best Practices.

**All participants will have the option to request a certificate of attendance for 1.25 contact hours**

All CLRC events are open to CLRC members and members of the Empire State Library Network.

All Attendees are expected to follow CLRC’s Code of Conduct

**This event is taking place IN PERSON. Masks are recommended at the Cazenovia Public Library but not required. If you are feeling unwell, we ask that you do not attend this event.**