Designing adult services : strategies for better serving your community / Ann Roberts.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Planning for library services to adults -- Know thy library and thy community -- Evaluating programs and services -- Staff competencies in library services to adults -- Professional development -- Waiting in the wings age group: 19-24 -- "Adultolescents" -- Attitudes toward libraries -- College/career prep -- Just for fun programs -- Taking center stage age group: 25-30 -- Library usage for this age group -- Finding a place in life -- Caregiving -- Makers and hackers -- Home, career, and coupling -- Settling down age group: 30-40 -- Library services to the newly settled -- Family, career, family -- Library services for children -- Family literacy -- Midlife crisis-or not! age group: 40-55 -- Work, work, work -- Stuck in the "sandwich" -- Libraries caring for the caregivers -- Empty nesters -- Career changers -- An end in sight age-or not! group: 55-65 -- Planning for the second phase of life -- Financial planning for retirement -- Grandparenting -- "Now or never" programming -- Now I can finally relax-or not! age group 65-75 -- Active seniors -- Senior programs in libraries -- Lifelong learning -- Volunteering -- Giving something back age group: 75 and beyond -- Library services to older adults -- In-home library services -- Books by mail -- Assistive technology -- Reflection and journaling -- Highlighting local history -- Library services to special populations -- Changes in demographics -- Immigrant populations -- Serving the incarcerated -- Mental health issues in libraries -- Inclusive programs and services -- Conclusion -- Library services throughout the lifespan -- Serving the entire community.

Focusing on adult patrons ages 19 through senior citizens, this book explains how libraries can best serve this busy portion of their community's population at different life stages and foster experiences that are "worth the trip" -- whether actual or virtual. Ann Roberts helps librarians make their libraries the go-to places in the community for both information and recreation; enables librarians to accurately analyze the demographics of their communities and identify the services needed; offers simple suggestions to help librarians with limited resources provide age-appropriate services; and describes information and resources most likely needed during each life stage, making it easier to target the audience for both programming and publicity