Ideas to Action 2019: Savvy Senior Space, Milll Pond Public Library

Our financial strength means we can turn ideas into reality. Investing in our members drives innovation and collaboration that, in turn, fuels other libraries to take projects further. This series, written by award recipients, highlights projects and outcomes of the 2019 WiLS Ideas to Action Fund. If you’d like your project considered for the 2020 award period, visit our Ideas to Action website or email us at .

In June of 2019 the Mill Pond Public Library decided to upgrade our reading room to a Savvy Senior Space. We did a couple of fundraisers during the summer to raise the money needed. Then in August, we were excited to find out that our Savvy Senior Space proposal was considered by the Ideas to Action Review Committee and had been selected for funding in the amount of $2500.00 and we were off and running.

We added comfortable seating, additional tables to work on, a coffee and snack bar, and games and puzzles. We also moved our large print books into the room.

Starting in November we began offering programs aimed at older adults. We advertise multiple ways – online, in the newspaper, on bookmarks – but I think we need more personalized advertising. Maybe an email invitation?

I use a simple survey at the end of each program asking for suggestions for other events as well as asking a few questions about the time and content of the current program. The program we had on “Avoiding Scams” was one of our most successful so far and elicited several suggestions for future programs that we are working on.

Things I have learned since starting: In the winter we need to have a “snow date” for programs because our older adults will not come out in bad weather. Also, to date, we have only reached the lower end of our 60- to 80-year-old target group, with our audiences mainly in their 60s, so this is an area we will continue to work on.

We have used Wednesday mornings at 10 am as the program time so far. No one has suggested another day or time but in March we are going to have a 5 pm program and see how that is attended.

I recently took a webinar and one idea got my attention; if the point of something you are doing is to raise usage, then what is the number that means it is a success? We didn’t have that in our original proposal but after our first three months, I now think a moderate success would be a dozen people coming to a program and a great success would be 20 or more attending.

We’re going to continue working on things to get to a great success every time!

– Sara Wilson, Library Director