Libraries Serving Older Adults through Community Partnership with Dorian Mintzer and Nancy Walton-House and Wendy Pender

Libraries Serving Older Adults through Community Partnership with Dorian Mintzer and Nancy Walton-House and Wendy Pender

13 Dec, 2022

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Some library systems are changing their approach to better serve older adults.  In this interview you will learn how the King County Library System (KCLS) in Washington State is participating in and initiating community partnerships with individuals and organizations.  You will learn how the Aging Well Learning Community was a key influence in this movement.  You will learn how other community organizations have become partners as well.  At the present time, KCLS offers abundant programs on positive aging and welcoming meeting places that support the community.
 
In this episode, you'll discover:

  • The story of the Aging Well Learning Community
  • The development of the KCLS Older Adults Program
  • The definition and practice of community partnership
  • The engagement of KCLS community partners and implementation of Older Adults Programs

About Nancy Walton-House:

Nancy Walton-House is a semi-retired counseling psychologist and organization development consultant. She is an alumna of Seattle University, the University of Washington and the Organization Systems Renewal Program. She is a trained facilitator with the Northwest Center for Creative Aging. She taught in 4 universities, worked in seven medical centers in clinical and organization development roles and consulted with multiple organizations. She founded the Aging Well Learning Community in 2009 and continues to lead it today. The community meets monthly for an interactive program focused on positive aging with consciousness, courage and contribution. Members select by consensus a variety of literary, music and art projects for their programs, and the King County Library System hosts these programs.

About Wendy Pender:

In addition to her MLS from the University of Pittsburgh, Wendy Pender has a Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Washington and is a trained facilitator with the Northwest Center for Creative Aging. She has over 25 years of experience as a librarian and branch manager, and now serves as Older Adults Program Coordinator at the King County Library System (KCLS) in Washington State, one of the largest and busiest library systems in the U.S. In 2016, the Urban Libraries Council honored Wendy at its annual conference in Kansas City as one of the recipients of a 2016 Top Innovator Award.

Get in touch with Nancy Walton-House:
Read Nancy’s article: https://revolutionizeretirement.com/agingwelllearning
Visit the Older Adults Program: https://kcls.org/older-adults/
Get in touch with Wendy Pender:
Read Wendy’s article: https://revolutionizeretirement.com/penderarticle 

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