{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,2]],"date-time":"2025-08-02T17:52:32Z","timestamp":1754157152358,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2010,11,23]],"date-time":"2010-11-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1290470400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,11,23]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The members of the Baby Boom generation, who comprise a very large, diverse, and outspoken sector of the population, are about to grow older and enter the public library. Are public libraries in the USA ready to accommodate their changing needs? The number of Baby Boomers, soon to be in the older adult category, will be unprecedented. Never before has there been such a sharp increase in the number of older adults. In addition, this group of users will have particular needs of their public libraries. This paper aims to focus on the issues.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>This paper explores the specific needs that the Baby Boom generation will have of the US public library system by focusing on three specific, albeit interrelated, categories: social, programming, and technological, and offers methods for keeping these vital members of society engaged with their public libraries.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>This paper provides insights into possible solutions for maintaining and enhancing the public library's role as an important cultural center in the community for the aging population.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper explores the needs of the Baby Boom generation and what the US public library system can do to serve these needs.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/07378831011096268","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2010,11,27]],"date-time":"2010-11-27T07:01:42Z","timestamp":1290841302000},"page":"605-616","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Baby Boomers and the United States public library system"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"28","author":[{"given":"Emy","family":"Nelson Decker","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b1","unstructured":"American Library Association (ALA) (2005), \u201cFinal report to White House Conference on aging\u201d, Reference and User Services Quarterly, Vol. 45 No. 2, pp. 130\u20102."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"American Library Association (ALA) (2008), \u201cGuidelines for library and information services to older adults\u201d, Reference and User Services Quarterly, Vol. 48 No. 2, pp. 209\u201012.","DOI":"10.5860\/rusq.48n2.209"},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b3","unstructured":"Bundy, A. (2005), \u201cCommunity critical: Australian public libraries serving seniors\u201d, APLIS, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 158\u201069."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"DeGraves, D.J. and Denesiuk, R.J. (2000), \u201cThe seniors computer information program: a pioneer web site for seniors\u201d, Educational Gerontology, Vol. 26, pp. 345\u201055.","DOI":"10.1080\/036012700407839"},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fisk, A.D. and Rogers, W.A. (2002), \u201cPsychology and aging: enhancing the lives of an aging population\u201d, Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 107\u201010.","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-8721.00179"},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b6","unstructured":"Forsyth, E. (2009), \u201cReaders advisory services for older adults\u201d, APLIS, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 128\u201040."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hoffman\u2010Goetz, L., Friedman, D.B. and Celestine, A. (2006), \u201cEvaluation of a public library workshop: teaching older adults how to search the internet for reliable cancer information\u201d, Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 29\u201043.","DOI":"10.1300\/J381v10n03_03"},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b8","unstructured":"Jones, C. (2006), \u201cThe impact of an ageing population on coastal public libraries in New South Wales\u201d, APLIS, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 44\u201050."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b9","unstructured":"Joseph, M. (2009), \u201cPublic library strategies for the over 50s: everything old is new again \u2013 or is it?\u201d, APLIS, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 115\u201019."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b10","unstructured":"Kahlert, M. (2000), \u201cThe impact of the baby boomers on public libraries: myth and reality\u201d, APLIS, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 25\u201041."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b11","unstructured":"Mates, B.T. (2004a), \u201cSeniors and computer technology\u201d, Library Technology Reports, Vol. 40 No. 3, pp. 32\u201040."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b12","unstructured":"Mates, B.T. (2004b), \u201cWhat is the state of adaptive technology in libraries today?\u201d, Library Technology Reports, Vol. 40 No. 3, pp. 81\u201091."},{"key":"key2022012719534907200_b13","unstructured":"Williamson, K. (2009), \u201cCreating the new village green: the impact of the retirement of the baby boomers on the public library\u201d, APLIS, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 83\u20108."}],"container-title":["Library Hi Tech"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/07378831011096268","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/07378831011096268\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/07378831011096268\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T23:33:46Z","timestamp":1753400026000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/lht\/article\/28\/4\/605-616\/261735"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2010,11,23]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,11,23]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/07378831011096268"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/07378831011096268","relation":{},"ISSN":["0737-8831"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0737-8831"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2010,11,23]]}}}