Music and Memory - theHumm December 2016

By — Karen DeLuca is the Chief Librarian/CEO of the Arnprior Public Library

During the last several years, public libraries have been advocating the idea of community hubs. Libraries are offering much more than books and computers; we are connecting people with resources, ideas and other people.

Librarians are always keen to help introduce new programming to meet the demands of their community. Many have embraced new collections, such as seed libraries, music lending collections and signing out recreational gear, to name a few.

Arnprior recently launched a new community-wide initiative that connects the library to seniors, and has created a new lending collection in the process.

Following a screening of the Alive Inside documentary at the Arnprior Public Library, audience members and library staff were inspired to start a Music and Memory initiative — specifically directed to each of the sixty residents at the Grove Nursing Home. This particular music therapy program assists people living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. As the documentary demonstrates, providing individuals with personalized playlists helps them in profound ways. The music evokes emotion, emotion brings back memories, and, in some cases, medication can be reduced due to the music’s calming effect.

The community fundraising campaign was launched in June after a few meetings between staff of the library and the nursing home. Service clubs showed their support with financial contributions. Individuals started to donate their gently used iPods in addition to music gift cards and cash. By the end of the summer, most of the money required to launch the program had been raised.

September was spent busily compiling music preference surveys with the help of family members. Finding the right songs became a crucial component of the project. The first batch of loaded iPods was delivered by the end of September. Joyous photos of the residents enjoying their music attracted even more donations and, by mid-October, the library had enough iPods to loan one to each resident of the Grove. The second phase provided playlists specific to each of the participants in the Grove’s Adult Day Program.

With the community’s full support, the third phase was launched. Patrons are now signing out iPods for family or friends who could benefit from the program. This individually-tailored Music and Memory iPod lending program is the first of its kind for a Canadian library, and it all started with an idea generated at the Arnprior Public Library.

If you’d like to launch an initiative, start your journey at your local library. It’s where you can research your options, connect with the local groups, and perhaps partner with the library to build something new and exciting for the entire community.

Happy Local Holidays! - theHumm December 2016

By Kris and Rob Riendeau

Here at theHumm we’re big on local economies. The retail and service businesses in the small towns that we cover play a huge role in the cultural life of those towns. Each store, restaurant, or sma......

Music and Memory - theHumm December 2016