The Transforming Life After 50 (TLA50) initiative, undertaken by the California State Library, was designed to help libraries better serve and engage mid-life adults by positioning libraries as cornerstone institutions for productive aging. Research had shown that current library services for "seniors" did not match the interests or characteristics of older adults, ages 50+. 

This was confirmed by a Library Field Survey (pdf) administered by the California State Library in 2007. Of the 230 library respondents, 65% said mid-life adults were “important” to their library but only 6% had specific programs or plans in place to address this population. Based on these findings and a desire to help libraries better support this growing population of older adults, the TLA50 initiative was launched. 

The initiative included a 3-day TLA50 training institute (pdf) designed to help libraries envision an alternative to the predominant deficit-based model of aging. Leaders in the fields of health, education, social science, spirituality and aging offered new strategies for working with active, older adults.  Eighty-eight participants (pdf), from 44 California libraries, attended the institute and were encouraged to undertake community assessments of their local mid-life adult populations. Libraries that completed these assessments were then eligible to apply for LSTA grants to address the identified opportunities and needs. The lessons learned were shared throughout the state at various professional conferences and meetings.

Interest in TLA50 spread beyond California, and an interstate partnership led to the creation of the IMLS Western Regional Fellowship -- a year long continuing education opportunity for library staff to further advance their skills related to improving services to and community engagement with older, mid-life adults. 

To date, 36 libraries have been award LSTA grants to put their learning from the original iinstitute and/or IMLS Fellowship into practice.  Projects ranged from planning grants, to new community collaborations, to innovative volunteer opportunities, and inspiring new program models! 

All the presentations and tools from this TLA50 initiative -- including  the promising practices created by the funded libraries and the IMLS Fellowship courses – are available on this web site, with new resources continually being added. We hope this site can serve as a hub of information, ideas and collegial support for anyone interested in connecting with older adults in new and meaningful ways.

Join our growing community of innovators. Share in the conversations, insights and discoveries as we all continue to evolve our practices and thinking about the changing nature of aging.