At The Library: Getting Older, Not Old

A Month Of Celebrating The Experience Time Brings

By Suzanne Gelwick-Knight

Park Hill Librarian

May is Older Adults Month. This is a great time to celebrate getting older, and to celebrate those in our lives who are older. Being an older adult does not equate with getting old.

Older adulthood is another stage of life, and should not be considered a derogatory term. I acknowledge our physical abilities change as we age, however, did you know if you have a positive outlook about getting older, it decreases your chances for dementia? I think we can all agree that being positive about getting older is a worthwhile endeavor.

Staff here at the Park Hill branch recently partook in Age Savvy training. The training walked us through how to recognize what ageism looks like and how to begin to change our way of thinking about ourselves getting older. We also gained a better understanding as to how to better interact with our older adult patrons.

One main takeaway was that ageism is rampant and ingrained in so much of our everyday life, and that we all should try to be more positive about getting older. Try looking at things through a pro-aging lens, instead of an anti-aging lens. To be more specific, pro-aging is making the most of your life, while anti-aging is trying to reverse or stop the aging process.

One thing I will be embracing from the staff training is that there is no age cutoff for when you stop learning. It’s not like you turn 83 and magically know everything you’re ever going to know. You have the ability to learn something new no matter what your age.

As I get older one of the benefits of learning new things is that I no longer feel anxious about making mistakes. Making mistakes is one of the ways we learn. Yes, I still want to do things the correct way, but the pressure I put on myself to understand something right off the bat is way less than when I was younger. I think this ability to be comfortable in one’s competencies arrives with age and experience. I hope to learn many, many more things during this next chapter of my life.

Denver Public Library celebrates older adults every month, but for the month of May we will be highlighting several special programs and events geared toward this demographic.

One fun event will be the performance group The Narrators will be performing an act called Ages & Stages. This event will be at the Buntport Theater at 717 Lipan St, on May 20 at 8 p.m. (Name-your-own-price tickets are available at this link: buntport.com/show/the-narrators-ages-stages/.)

There are several other events and programs that will be held this month at libraries across the system. Gracie & Blue, a local musical group, will be performing here at the Park Hill Branch (see details below in the listings). If poetry is your thing, you can sign-up for the virtual poetry workshop.

There are programs scheduled at various DPL branches across the city. Be sure to pick-up one of our Engage catalogs for May and look to see if there is something new you would like to learn. Or, go straight to our Older Adults Events page for a whole menu of other possibilities, at denverlibrary.org/olderadults.

On top of those offerings there are lots of opportunities to learn something new. Maybe you’d like to learn how to better use technology in order to be better equipped to stay in your own home. Or maybe you’d like to learn how to navigate Denver’s RTD and light rail transit systems, so you don’t have to drive everywhere. Maybe you’ve been curious about meditation or Qi Gong.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Carl Jung:

“The greatest potential for growth and self-realization exists in the second half of life.”  

In-Person Programs In May

Park Hill Branch Library

Baby Storytimes | Thursdays 10:30-11 a.m.

Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their parents or caregivers.

 Toddler Storytimes | Fridays 10:15-10:45 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.

Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their parents or caregivers.

Magic The Gathering Club | Fridays 4:30-5:30 p.m.

A teen-run Magic the Gathering Club for other teens.

Chess Club for 18 and Unders| Saturdays 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Writing Circle | Thursdays 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Group led adult writing group.

No Strings Attached Book Chat | Saturday May 27, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Read whatever you want, attend whenever you can.

Kids Book Celebration | Thursday May 18, 4-5 p.m.

Gracie & Blue | Saturday May 20, 11 a.m.-noon

Musical performance by local performers.

Pauline Robinson Branch Library

After School is Cool | Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays | 4:15-5:15 p.m.

Join us at After School is Cool on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for crafts, games, STEM and more. Program is for ages 7-12. We end on Thursday, May 18 for the school year.

Drop-In Tech Help | Wednesdays May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 | 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Need help navigating the internet, email, or social networks like Facebook? Have questions about your phone or tablet? Want to know how to access eBooks on any device? Drop by and get your questions answered and learn how to use tech more effectively.

Jigsaw Puzzle Swap | Friday, May 12 | 3-4:30 p.m.

Get a jump on summer activities by swapping your gently used jigsaw puzzles for new ones. You’ll have a chance to put together a small puzzle, swap ideas with other aficionados, and drink tea.

Greater Park Hill has two public libraries: The Pauline Robinson branch library is at 5575 E. 33rd Ave., and the Park Hill branch library is at 4705 Montview Blvd. For hours of operation and additional upcoming programs for both neighborhood libraries, visit denverlibrary.org/events/upcoming, and select the facility you are planning to visit.