Library Outreach Programmes for Local Senior Citizens

a study

Abstract

Old age is a natural biological phenomenon of human beings but population ageing represents an increase in old age population over the total population. This increase in the proportion of the old age persons in the total population represents a demographic change. The policy of sustainable development and to cope up with this demographic transition, it is necessary to change the traditional activities of social institutions towards community-oriented activities. This paper highlights the role of libraries and library extension services for the betterment of senior citizens and tries to identify the information needs of elderly inmates of different  government aided old age homes in West Bengal. This study finds that elderly inmates have needed financial and health-related information. Again male inmates were more aware of information needs than female inmates. This paper also suggests some collaborative activities of public and academic libraries based on information needs of old age persons for their better life and social wellbeing.