Library Administration and Management
School of Library and Information Studies
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
by
Donna Miller
&
Brenda Parris Sibley
Mission: To provide library services to senior citizens in our
community
A. Identify seniors living alone and those at assisted-living
facilities.
1. Survey churches
2. Contact "meals-on-wheels"
3. Contact caregiver support groups
B. Provide staff to execute the program
1. Circulation clerk will use 4 hrs. each week to select books and
media.
2. Program will be supervised by the Extension Services Director
C. Organize volunteers to provide delivery services
1. Friends of the Library agree to provide volunteers for this
program
2. Schedule dates and times for each volunteer
3. Provide training for the volunteers--names, addresses, with
directions, any special health problems.
4. Define the limits of the responsibilities of the volunteers
D. Provide volunteers to read to the visually impaired or otherwise
unable to read
1. Literacy volunteers will provide members for this goal
2. Scheduling as in C above
3. Training as in C above
E. Expand the large print, audio and video collections
1. Explore the grants available
2. Contact local organizations for funding (Lions Club, AARP)
3. Arrange Inter-library loan with Alabama Public Library
Association
F. Advertise the program
1. Article in the newspaper
2. Radio spots
3. Cable TV community announcements
Donna Miller and I came up with this little project when
we were given an in-class assignment to write goals and objectives for
some library function in our Administration and Management class. We spent
maybe 30-45 minutes on this and got so excited about it. I wanted to do
posters and bumper stickers and balloons to spread the news everywhere about
our "Reading is Ageless" project, but I had to be reminded that funds were
limited. I wanted to go into the nursing homes with books and videos and
even story-telling, but well, all that can be in the long-range plans.
Wouldn't something like this be great? I remember one public library where
I worked in Florida did have a nursing home collection of large-print books,
taken to the nursing home, I believe, on the bookmobile, and handled by the
Extension Services Librarian. I thought that was so nice. I know public
libraries are so busy and short of funds, but with the help of volunteers,
a program like this wouldn't be impossible. How about it public librarians?
Want to make this little dream of Donna's and mine real in your neighborhood?
Let us know how it turns out.
 |