The impact of retirement of baby boomers on public libraries - a pilot study

 

Chief Investigators: 

  • Dr Kirsty Williamson and Mrs Marion Bannister, Charles Sturt University.
  • Mrs. Lynne Makin, CEO, Upper Murray Regional Library service.

Funder:  Upper Murray Regional Library.

 

Aims of the project:

This pilot project was about the public library needs of baby boomers when they retire from the workforce. The baby boomers are a very large and powerful group in our community and their retirement will have an impact on the public library, as well as on other community services.

We were interested in the kind of public library baby boomers, defined as having been born between 1946 and 1965, will want throughout their retirement years. We were also interested in the kinds of contributions that baby boomers might like to make to the public library.

We were keen for participants in the research to try to think beyond the realms of present-day possibilities, to imagine what their needs may be, and to think of innovative ways in which those needs might be met. The project was exploratory, designed to elicit ideas and provide in-depth insights that could be used for advocacy and lobbying. We hoped, through the research, to gain an understanding of the issues, and to make predictions about the impact of the retirement of baby boomers on public libraries that could be used to support library managers in a range of funding and lobbying circumstances. We are hoping that this pilot project will lead to further research

Methods

The fieldwork for the research took place partly in Newcastle, and partly in Melbourne . We asked 20 people to take part by participating in a focus group, of 1.5 hours duration, or in an individual interview. There were two focus groups, with each group consisting of 7-8 baby boomers. Individual interviews were held with five community gatekeepers (people in key community roles, who are known to have knowledge of, and interest in, public libraries). The questions to the baby boomers concerned their perceptions of their individual needs and possible contributions, as well as their views on the role of the public library in general terms. The interviews with gatekeepers focussed particularly on their perceptions of the innovative public library of the future.

Current Status

The project began in February 2005 and was completed in July 2005.