Public Libraries May Facilitate More Inclusive Programming with the Collaboration of Trained Partners for Patrons with Dementia

A Review of: Dai, J., Bartlett, J. C., & Moffatt, K. (2023). Library services enriching community engagement for dementia care: The Tales & Travels Program at a Canadian Public Library as a case study. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 55(1), 123–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006211065170 Objective – To explore the potential of public libraries to contribute to community-based dementia care, and to examine the lived experiences of users partaking in the program. Design – Case study. Setting – A public library in Montreal, Canada. Subjects – Public library patrons with dementia and their caregivers engaging in Tales & Travels, a program for participants with early- and middle-stage dementia who learn about a new country through multi-sensory experiences. Methods – Semi-structured dyadic interviews with eleven people with dementia and their caregivers, as well as interviews with four program facilitators. Researchers implemented unobtrusive participant observation and thematically analyzed results. Main Results – Researchers discovered two primary themes via thematic analysis of interview transcripts: “community platform” and “librarians’ roles” came out of the data most often when discussing the program. Participants and caregivers felt a sense of familiarity and normalcy in a public library and appreciated the de-emphasis on dementia as the focus of the programming. Librarians felt the partnership with the Alzheimer Society allowed them to push past their uncertainties in their capacity to provide quality programming for this user group and found that collaborative relationship integral to the program’s success. Conclusion – With an intentional setting, collaborative partners with expertise in this user group, and person-centered programming, libraries can be a welcoming location to offer engaging and inclusive programs for patrons with dementia. However, these elements are of a high priority given the vulnerability of the population, and librarians who are willing to be trained in inclusivity, safety, and hospitality should handle programming. Replication of this study in other libraries would strengthen the conclusion of the case study.