For immediate release | February 12, 2013

Learn to deliver effective, engaging arts education programs for older adults at ALA Annual 2013 Preconference Workshop

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in partnership with Lifetime Arts, Inc., will present a day-long preconference workshop based on the Creative Aging Libraries Project during the ALA 2013 Annual Conference in Chicago.

80 is the New 30! Learn How Public Libraries are Delivering Proven, Inspiring and Transformative Arts Programs for Today’s Older Adults,” will be held from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Friday, June 28 and is aimed at public libraries interested in moving programming for older adults aged 55+ beyond passive entertainment toward active engagement through professional arts education.

Workshop participants will learn best practices and delivery methods for this successful, affordable program model for partnerships between urban, rural and suburban libraries and professional teaching artists, developed by Lifetime Arts, Inc. Partnering library systems include: Westchester County, New York City, Brooklyn, Clinton Essex Franklin, Boston, Dallas and Miami-Dade. Support for the Creative Aging Libraries Project is provided by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), with support from Metlife Foundation, the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation and New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

Scheduled presenters to include:

  • Brigid Cahalan, Library Sites & Services/Outreach, New York Public Library;
  • Ed Friedman, co-founder/executive director, Lifetime Arts, Inc.;
  • Mary Davis Fournier, deputy director, ALA Public Programs Office;
  • Ewa Jankowska, director, Clinton Essex Franklin Library System;
  • Terry Kirchner, executive director, Westchester Public Library System;
  • Maura O’Malley, co-founder and president/CEO, Lifetime Arts, Inc.;
  • Raymond Santiago, director, Miami-Dade Public Library System; and
  • Diantha Schull, former president, Libraries for the Future.

Registration details: ALA Member Early Bird & Advance: $175; Retired and Student Members, Early Bird & Advance: $160; Non-member Early Bird & Advance: $200; ALA Regular, Student and Retired On-site: $200; Non-member On-site: $250. The workshop includes lunch. To register, visit www.alaannual.org.

This session is presented by the ALA Public Programs Office under the leadership of the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee with support from the ALA Cultural Communities Fund. Additional funding for the workshop provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Lifetime Arts, Inc.

The ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held in Chicago Thursday, June 27 – Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Get an Annual Conference overview and resources to show how you’ll be more valuable to your institution after Annual Conference at “Making your case to attend.” For more information about the conference, including housing and registration information, visit www.alaannual.org.

About the ALA Public Programs Office

The ALA Public Programs Office promotes cultural and community programming as an essential part of library service in all types and sizes of libraries. Successful library programming initiatives have included the Let’s Talk About It reading and discussion series, traveling exhibitions, film discussion programs, LIVE! @ your library and more. Recently, the ALA Public Programs Office developed www.ProgrammingLibrarian.org, an online resource center bringing librarians timely and valuable information to support them in the creation of high-quality cultural programs for their communities. For more information on the ALA Public Programs Office, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms.

About Lifetime Arts, Inc.

Nationally recognized as a leader in the emerging field of Creative Aging, Lifetime Arts works with a wide range of arts and community organizations and agencies that serve older adults; helping them develop and sustain responsive, innovative programming by providing training, administrative support and information services. Lifetime Arts recently received the inaugural Creativity and Aging in America Leadership Award from the National Center for Creative Aging. Major funding has been awarded by some of the most discerning philanthropic groups, including the U. S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, MetLife Foundation and the Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation. Learn more at http://www.lifetimearts.org.

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Related Links

Register for the 2013 ALA Annual Conference

Lifetime Arts, Inc.

Contact:

Angela Thullen

Program Officer

Public Programs Office (PPO)

athullen@ala.org

312-280-5286