Aging in a Digital Society: Exploring How Canadian and Australian Public Library Systems Program for Older Adults

Abstract

Amid global population aging and technological advancement, this article seeks to support public librarians in innovating programs for older adults. It compares how Canadian and Australian public libraries approach this task using environmental scans and thematic analyses within both countries. Findings reveal that Canadian and Australian librarians similarly seek to craft programs that target the informational interests of older adults, increase digital literacy, mitigate social isolation, and combat ageism by means of community engagement, strategic partnerships, and experimentation. Findings highlight similar approaches to overcoming programming challenges and differences in how they mark..