Jaana  
Savela

Ageing is a megatrend

Ageing is a megatrend also in Finland. The number of older adults is increasing, and people are living longer. This is also reflected in libraries' patrons.

In Finland, one of the aims of the law on library services is to promote equal opportunities for education and culture as well as a culture of reading and diverse literacy. Library services must be open and accessible to all. Older adults may have many obstacles to using libraries.

• Reading has fallen in popularity.
• People are unfamiliar with libraries' e-resources and online services.
• In the absence of digital skills, they remain unused.
• Functional and sensory impairments make it difficult to use the library.

Library 65 - Encounters at home and in the library

The availability and demand for digital wellbeing and cultural services provided at home will increase in the future. Libraries play an important role in reducing the digital gap and preventing exclusion. Seinäjoki City Library offers the opportunity to try out the use of a computer free of charge under guidance.

The aim is to encourage older adults to use library services more frequently and confidently, participate and use digital devices. We also want to reach those patrons whose visits to the library are decreasing.

Home device loan – Hublet

Six Hublet tablet devices with an internet connection were acquired for the library's home loan service. The connection works with a SIM card and is free of charge for the user.

The devices are configured with easy-to-use user profiles. The profile includes the library's e-resources (e-magazines, e-books, e-audiobooks, movies and music), games that improve memory, exercise videos, nature-related websites and an app for remote attendance. Celia's accessible materials are now an established part of libraries' e-resources.

Library staff can remotely remove and add apps to devices as needed. The loan period for the devices is one month. Device loans are an established activity of the library.

Experiences

The experiences have been positive. The ability to loan digital devices has brought joy and feelings of equality and inclusion. Older patrons have said that they feel included in modern society. You can watch more about older adults' experiences of the device loan service in these videos:

Loanable tablet devices promote cultural wellbeing, inspire older adults to read and use library services more extensively, and increase interest in learning and developing digital skills. The Library 65 project helps promote digital inclusion. The role of libraries in connecting older adults to the digital society is likely to become increasingly important in the future