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Libraries: A social stomping ground for retirees
Libraries do more than just lending. They are vibrant community hubs that are bursting with activities and events.
Libraries do more than just lending. They are vibrant community hubs that are bursting with activities and events.
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The thing about the workplace that some of us may not always appreciate while we're there is that it's a regular source of connection and purpose for people. That realisation may not arrive until retirement comes and you find you aren't getting the chats in like you used to and you're at a bit of a loss with how to spend your time.
For the latter, libraries present lots of options for solo activities – and it's not just the vast shelves of books on offer to read in solitary bliss. These days you can pick up all sorts from your local library, maybe even a musical instrument. But while you might not want to subject other people to your first forays into the tin whistle, libraries also have plenty of activities you can participate in as part of a group, sparking conversations and connections as you go.
Libraries present lots of options for activities – and it's not just the vast shelves of books on offer to read in solitary bliss. These days you can pick up all sorts from your local library.
The share necessities
The first step is to find your local library and see what's on offer. And you'll quickly realise that there really is something for everyone– all you have to do is look.
Libraries, first and foremost, represent the simplest form of a sharing economy. Traditionally stocking books for use in the community, today’s libraries can offer much more. Everything from musical instruments to digital media and games. Beyond this, there are even non-traditional libraries lending things like party kits and more.
Beyond that, there are practical supports available. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown libraries, for example, highlight things like Home Energy Savings Kits (HESKS), to help households better understand their energy use and reduce their bills. These kits, like the Codema Energy Saving Kit,, look at key areas of energy use in the home, and highlight what might be driving up your energy bills. Similar options are available elsewhere, with Waterford libraries and more across the country. As well as energy monitoring, radon monitoring kits also feature in libraries throughout the country..
Meeting Points
A quick lookof events at Tipperary libraries will tell you that Nenagh Library has a Scrabble club and a crafting club, and hosts meetings of the Nenagh Active Retirement Association every second Thursday. There are also craft groups meeting weekly in Thurles and Cashel, a film club and chess club in Clonmel, and regular meet-ups for a chat and a sing-song on the fourth Thursday of every month at Killenaule Library.
"Most branches would also run monthly daytime book clubs," says Aisling Earley, library assistant with Dublin City Libraries' communications team.
"A lot of branches will do a senior movie screening once a month," she added. For example, Coolock Library's monthly Silver Screen event comes with tea, coffee and biscuits for those in attendance.
Dublin City Council launched its Wintering Well programme across its library network last year, to support the wellbeing of communities during the darker months. Events last year included a book club for good reads on dark evenings with librarian and writer Jackie Lynam at Inchicore Library, and a talk from psychotherapist Mike Hackett on the psychology of creativity and its impact on wellbeing at Donaghmede Library.
Tech Talk
Your workplace might have been where you were picking up useful, practical skills -, and there's no reason for that to stop, if you have the appetite to keep learning post-retirement.
In fact, even if you want to keep up with the latest tech developments, libraries are a great place to start. Cyber safety instructors find them a great way to reach people, and inform them of what they need to know to stay safe online, and the Age-Friendly AI programme has been touring branches across the country, so that no one feels left behind as our digital touchpoints evolve.
Led by researchers and communications professionals, Age-Friendly AI hosts workshops, roadshow sessions and community discussions with older adults, not just to inform them on artificial intelligence and boost their tech literacy, but also to hear from them about their attitudes and tech experiences, so that they are part of the national conversation on future developments.
Clothes Doors
From this October, Dublin City Council Libraries will be joining forces with local textile reuse charity and social enterprise Change Clothes for a fun new programme all about giving old textiles a new lease of life.
As part of the initiative, free, themed “mystery packs” made from reclaimed fabrics will be available at the Central Library, Finglas Library and Inchicore Library. Each pack will contain a mix of materials and ideas for creative activities to try at home or in a community setting.
Whether you’re young or old, the packs are a chance to get creative, learn something new and see how materials that might otherwise be thrown away can be turned into something brilliant.
Fashion is a big issue with Ireland’s shift towards a more circular economy. Many libraries host talks and workshops on clothing and textile reuse. For example, this month the Three Sisters Women’s Shed will host a talk by Sustainable Living Ireland at Ardkeen Library.
Knowledge Sharing
You can also make use of the national library network to share your stories of local history and character. A recent example of this was the Heritage Wall set up at Coolock Library for this year's Heritage Week.
A collaboration between Dublin City Council historian-in-residence Elizabeth Kehoe and local historian Gillian Ryan, the creation of this wall involved two memory-gathering sessions in the library to collect photographs, newspaper cuttings, mementoes and stories from patrons. It’s not just materials that need re-using.