Our group met this afternoon to go over the logistics of tomorrow’s presentation. We’re all feeling ready and excited about the panel. The room is enormous, but who knows how many people will actually show up – could be 15, could be 500. There was a brief, terrifying moment when one of the State Library people suggested we scrap the PowerPoint, ditch our talking points, and just try an unrehearsed Q&A format in which we would just “casually talk to each other.” (For the record, this was after we had gone out for dinner and she had consumed a few margaritas). Luckily, the suggestion was met with uncomfortable glances and a few vague questions along the lines of “Um, well, is that really, really what you want us to do?” The idea was quickly scrapped and we’re happily back to Plan A.
Well, we did our program today and it was a hit! We had a big audience, and they asked lots of questions and many tweets came in throughout. We stayed on time (which was a big concern), and everyone did a great job. I think we were clear and well-spoken, and were able to get across what TLSA50 is all about with excitement and enthusiasm.
Interesting side note: After the program, a librarian from Connecticut came up to me and told me her city is in plans to build a Victoria Gardens-style shopping/entertainment/cultural center, and they want the library to be part of it. Apparently, they have looked to us as a model and might even come out for a “field trip” one of these days.
Also, I was approached by a librarian from Toronto. She recently reconnected with her long-ago high school boyfriend, who lives in Upland. They plan to get married, so she’s looking for a job in or around Upland. She was hoping we might be hiring. We talked about the job market, which didn’t seem to make her very happy. Maybe library jobs are plentiful in Canada.
Anyway, I’m very pleased with how our program went, and I’m relieved that it’s over! I can’t believe I’m heading home tomorrow – it feels like I just got here!
Ah, yes, I suppose it would be a good idea to go over what we did…
Suzanne Flint and Stephen Ristau started off by talking about how aging is changing, people are living longer, healthier lives, and how Boomers are such a large segment of the population. Stacey Aldrich talked about how libraries are responding to this change. She mentioned Mission Viejo and Santa Monica as pioneers in this area. Then she went into some history of TLA50 – how it started, how it grew, and where we are now.
Jennifer Fenton from the Washington State Library talked about what Washington libraries are doing, with an emphasis on volunteer engagement. The state supplied six grants for TLA50 activities, and she quickly went over what they accomplished (mainly programming and technology classes).
Erica Compton and Sarah Kelley-Chase from Idaho discussed how they put together an advisory committee and newsletter for midlife adults, and how they used the Get Involved volunteer match website to draw skilled volunteers into their libraries. They also discussed programming, partnerships, and how they do evaluation.
And then it was my turn. I talked about how I got involved with the TLA50 fellowship, and how my involvement in the institute led to a planning grant. I discussed the community assessment we did with Yolanda, and gave special attention to the comments that came up during the focus groups. I went over the results of the assessment, and discussed how we plan to partner with Healthy RC to start a workshop series focusing on healthy mind, body, and earth.
Last up was Abigail Elder from Oregon, who was an advisor for the fellowship in Portland. She was checking and responding to the tweets throughout our presentation, and she has the most incredible ability to multitask I’ve ever seen. She talked about her project, Life by Design, their partners, and the connections they’ve made with libraries in Colorado and Arizona.
All that took well over an hour, and then we answered questions, responded to tweets, wrapped up and were done. Whew!
Hi Jenn, Congrats! I so glad to hear that the presentation went well! Thanks for keeping us posted. I would be interested in knowing the lessons learned by other libraries and whether there were any promising practices identified and new solutions discovered. Who knows, we might want to incorporate them into our Live and Learn Healthy RC project. Looking forward to hearing more about it. Welcome Home!
Our group met this afternoon to go over the logistics of tomorrow’s presentation. We’re all feeling ready and excited about the panel. The room is enormous, but who knows how many people will actually show up – could be 15, could be 500. There was a brief, terrifying moment when one of the State Library people suggested we scrap the PowerPoint, ditch our talking points, and just try an unrehearsed Q&A format in which we would just “casually talk to each other.” (For the record, this was after we had gone out for dinner and she had consumed a few margaritas). Luckily, the suggestion was met with uncomfortable glances and a few vague questions along the lines of “Um, well, is that really, really what you want us to do?” The idea was quickly scrapped and we’re happily back to Plan A.
ReplyDeleteWell, we did our program today and it was a hit! We had a big audience, and they asked lots of questions and many tweets came in throughout. We stayed on time (which was a big concern), and everyone did a great job. I think we were clear and well-spoken, and were able to get across what TLSA50 is all about with excitement and enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteInteresting side note: After the program, a librarian from Connecticut came up to me and told me her city is in plans to build a Victoria Gardens-style shopping/entertainment/cultural center, and they want the library to be part of it. Apparently, they have looked to us as a model and might even come out for a “field trip” one of these days.
Also, I was approached by a librarian from Toronto. She recently reconnected with her long-ago high school boyfriend, who lives in Upland. They plan to get married, so she’s looking for a job in or around Upland. She was hoping we might be hiring. We talked about the job market, which didn’t seem to make her very happy. Maybe library jobs are plentiful in Canada.
Anyway, I’m very pleased with how our program went, and I’m relieved that it’s over! I can’t believe I’m heading home tomorrow – it feels like I just got here!
Excellent! Nothing like talking about what you do and people being receptive!
DeleteDid you get to Buddakan?...
I'm glad your presentation went well!
DeleteWonderful! I'm so glad all went well and look forward to hearing more about the experience.
DeleteSo what did you guys talk about?
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, I suppose it would be a good idea to go over what we did…
ReplyDeleteSuzanne Flint and Stephen Ristau started off by talking about how aging is changing, people are living longer, healthier lives, and how Boomers are such a large segment of the population. Stacey Aldrich talked about how libraries are responding to this change. She mentioned Mission Viejo and Santa Monica as pioneers in this area. Then she went into some history of TLA50 – how it started, how it grew, and where we are now.
Jennifer Fenton from the Washington State Library talked about what Washington libraries are doing, with an emphasis on volunteer engagement. The state supplied six grants for TLA50 activities, and she quickly went over what they accomplished (mainly programming and technology classes).
Erica Compton and Sarah Kelley-Chase from Idaho discussed how they put together an advisory committee and newsletter for midlife adults, and how they used the Get Involved volunteer match website to draw skilled volunteers into their libraries. They also discussed programming, partnerships, and how they do evaluation.
And then it was my turn. I talked about how I got involved with the TLA50 fellowship, and how my involvement in the institute led to a planning grant. I discussed the community assessment we did with Yolanda, and gave special attention to the comments that came up during the focus groups. I went over the results of the assessment, and discussed how we plan to partner with Healthy RC to start a workshop series focusing on healthy mind, body, and earth.
Last up was Abigail Elder from Oregon, who was an advisor for the fellowship in Portland. She was checking and responding to the tweets throughout our presentation, and she has the most incredible ability to multitask I’ve ever seen. She talked about her project, Life by Design, their partners, and the connections they’ve made with libraries in Colorado and Arizona.
All that took well over an hour, and then we answered questions, responded to tweets, wrapped up and were done. Whew!
Hi Jenn,
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I so glad to hear that the presentation went well! Thanks for keeping us posted. I would be interested in knowing the lessons learned by other libraries and whether there were any promising practices identified and new solutions discovered. Who knows, we might want to incorporate them into our Live and Learn Healthy RC project. Looking forward to hearing more about it.
Welcome Home!