“When somebody says this is a program for adults, it kind of smacks of pornography”: Older Adults’ Opinions on Age Labels in the Public Library

Abstract

Abstract Background and Objectives Chronological age is invariably used as a categorizing tool for spaces, collections, and programs in public libraries. With age-based conceptions of human experience in library practice, education, and scholarship primarily focused on those under the age 18, little is known how age-based classifications are implemented in public libraries, and with what impacts, for older library patrons. Research Design and Methods Stemming from a larger project that seeks to bring attention to the ways in which public libraries engage with community-dwelling older adults, this paper explores 51 older patrons’ perspectives on the numbers and language (e.g., 55+, older adult, seniors, adult) assigned to older adults in library programs and which label best (or least) suits their sense of identity and, in turn, what language encourages or deters their engagement with library programs. Results Findings illustrate that age-based language describing older adult library programs is often at odds with patrons’ perceptions of how library programming relevant to them ought to be labeled. Common to all participants was a clear dislike for the term “elderly.” While most participants preferred “older adult” to “senior,” others voiced no preference, as long as they felt heard and valued. Many participants linked the use of language used to describe library programs to being excluded from and treated differently from other (younger) library patrons. Discussion and Implications The language used to group and describe different library populations directly shapes feelings of belonging (or exclusion) in library programs. Insights from this research contribute to our evolving understandings of the ways in which language connected to age can shape one’s sense of identity. Results also serve to cultivate a more sensitive and critical approach to the question of age within library science, and, by extension, the experiences of older adults who frequent the library.