At The Library: Never Too Old
Age Is Just A Number When It Comes To A Lifetime Of Curiosity And Learning
By Suzanne Gelwick-Knight
For the GPHN
Hello, I am Suzanne and I am a new librarian at the Park Hill branch. Even though I’ve been with Park Hill since May, I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce myself.
I am a Denver native, and other than a brief stint in the midwest, have always lived in Denver. My spouse and I are almost-empty nesters, and our two children are out in the world doing what twenty-somethings do best. Currently, a lot of free time revolves around our rambunctious 2-year-old puppy, Bonnie. I enjoy drinking coffee (very thankful for Honey Hill just down the block), and hiking. I come to Denver Public Library with lots of different job experiences both in and out of libraries, however, being a librarian has been my favorite job so far.
Overall, I feel like I’m settling in to the Park Hill neighborhood and I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of the library regulars over the hot summer.
I was hired as a librarian whose programming focus will be for older adults. DPL is expanding its programming for this age group and I’m excited to be a part of this growing focus. So what does the phrase “older adult” mean? According to the Denver Public Library the definition of older adult is anyone aged 50 and older. Imagine my surprise when I learned I fell into this category! I had presumed the older adult classification would be those at the classic retirement age of 65 and older. Turns out older adults is simply a category for this next stage of life, whatever that may look like.
We know there is not one typical way to be an older adult. We could be caretakers of parents and/or partners. We could have children living at home, or be empty-nesters. Some may be looking ahead to retirement, or like me, at the beginning of a new career. We could be learning how to live by ourselves or learning how to navigate group living situations for the first time. No matter where we find ourselves, I think it is important to remember we are never too old to learn new things and embrace living a full life.
One of my goals is to bring programs to the library focusing on the older adult community which will offer ways to support our varied stages of life. We already have our monthly No Strings Attached Book Chat, which meets every four weeks. During these gatherings we discuss what we’ve read, watched, or listened to. There is no assigned book to read — hence the name.
In August we offered two lectures from the organization Senior Planet: #AgeFriendly and Protecting Your Personal Information Online. Both were quite informative, and I hope we can work with the group again. I am very excited about our upcoming memoir writing workshop, which will start in October. Look for more details about this workshop next month.
Across all of its branches Denver Public Library offers several wonderful programs for older adults. One of them is called Memory Cafe. Each week’s Memory Cafe has a focus, whether it’s art or music, and the overall goal is to gather together and create social connections. While this program isn’t held at the Park Hill branch, I encourage you to check-out either the virtual or in-person sessions.
I hope to see you at one of our upcoming programs, but in the meantime if you think of something you’d like to learn about, or another idea for a program that would benefit us older adults, please let me know or just stop by the library and say hello.
Park Hill Library Events
No Strings Attached Book Chat I Saturday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Virtual Memory Cafe I Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Schlessman Family Branch Library
In-Person Memory Cafe I Tuesdays, 1:30-3 p.m.
Pauline Robinson Library Events
After School is Cool | Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays | 4:15-5:15 p.m.
Join us for crafts, games, STEM and more. Program is for ages 7-12.
Outdoor Preschool Storytime | Wednesdays Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28 | 10:30-11 a.m.
Stories, songs, and fingerplays for children ages 3 to 5 years old and their caregivers in an outdoor setting under a tree on the corner of 33rd Ave and Holly St. Bring a blanket to sit on. Events may be moved indoors for inclement weather or temperatures over 92 degrees.
Drop In Tech Help | Wednesdays Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28 | 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!
Pauline Robinson Book Club | Saturday, September 24, | noon-1:30pm
We meet on the fourth Saturday of the month from noon-1:30 p.m. We will discuss A More Perfect Union by Tammye Huf.
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. The Schlessman Family branch library is in Lowry, south of Park Hill at 100 Poplar St. For hours of operation and details on additional in-person and online programming for these neighborhood libraries, check out denverlibrary.org.