CSL in Session: Dementia 101 for Public Library Staff
January 19, 2023 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm MST
Session slides (PDF)
More than 6 million people in the United States have dementia. Once you add in 15 million friends, family members, and caregivers, the numbers represent a significant segment of the population served by public libraries. This means that the dementia community is already in your library.
The question is not will you serve this community, but will you serve it well? Your staff encounters people with dementia daily.
- Do they understand the behaviors they encounter?
- Are they welcoming to this vulnerable group?
- Do they feel empowered to provide services and programs that improve quality of life?
This interactive session will help public library staff understand dementia and develop effective communication strategies. It will also provide ideas about programs and services for this growing population of patrons.
About the Presenter
Amy is the Manager of Older Adult Services at the Denver Public Library, where she oversees all aspects of library service for people age 50+ across the library’s 28 branches. This includes programming, events, community partnerships, staff training, social inclusion, and outreach. Amy has pioneered a positive aging approach at the library, supporting older adults in lifelong learning, creative endeavors, and community connections. At the same time, she leads the library in addressing the real challenges people face as they age, including social isolation, homelessness, financial insecurity, dementia, and declining health. Amy has been nationally recognized for her leadership in this area of librarianship, being named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2021. She has also spoken at numerous national conferences on the topic. Amy has been a librarian for 13 years and has worked in law libraries, neighborhood branches, and technology centers. Librarianship is her fourth career — after stints as a journalist, a lawyer, and a writer — and this is by far her favorite.