New Book

• Civic Engagement in an Older America edited by Greg O'Neill and Sarah F. Wilson (a publication of the Gerontological Society of America)

FYI: This book is not a tidy ALA how-to manual about recruiting senior volunteers or conducting multigenerational programming. This is 5 chapters of research studies reproduced to demonstrate the vitality of older adults and the effect civic involvement has on their well being to measurable standards. Very academic. The direct applicability this book has to life at LCLS may be limited. Given the population we serve, the likelihood that we would turn away vibrant, eager, capable, and eligible volunteers based upon advanced age is slim. Similarly, we would and do embrace programming for and by the older population.

Here are the chapter titles:

• Identifying the Boundaries and Horizons of the Concept of Civic Engagement for the Field of Aging


• Conceptual Foundations and Challenges: Civic Engagement in Later Life


• A Profile of Older Adults' Civic Engagement: Research Gaps


• Outcomes of Civic Engagement for Older Adults


• Seniors and Civic Engagement: Challenges and Critical Perspectives