Mt. Lebanon Public Library 

...Birthdays

A birthday is an annual opportunity to celebrate years of experience, and to make plans for the future.  This kit offers a wide variety of ideas for discussion, celebration and fun.  Use this kit with intergenerational groups and families to promote understanding of what aging is all about.  Help stamp out those tired old "over the hill" jokes -- they're not funny!

 

...the Depression

The depression of the 1930s made a hero out of every sufferer who made it through.  Those stories can provide a survival handbook for generations to come.  Don't make the mistake of thinking that this is a depressing topic! It's not -- it's a matter of pride.

 

...Fall

What it takes to get ourselves and our homes ready for winter has changed through the years.  It's a great topic for discussion.  The first part of the media is a nine-minute monologue, Frost You Say?.  After this narrator tell his story, your group members will want to tell theirs.  Use this cool and refreshing program on a hot summer day!

 

...Fun and Games

Electronics has affected the way we entertain ourselves these days, but recess games and board games are still fun topics for discussion and demonstration!  This kit includes a board game that will get the conversational ball rolling with just one shake of the dice!

 

...Home

This kit offers a blueprint for helping your members build the homes of their dreams in their imaginations.  Using their memories of places they have lived, visited, or seen on TV or in the movies, they can design just the right home for the way they want to live today.  The topics of everyday living and home and family life offer much opportunity for thoughtful discussion.

 

...Music

Music is the universal language.  Just a few notes can bring back the times and the emotions of our lives.  Music can calm, energize, create a mood, and define a generation.  This kit includes a whole symphony of program ideas and activities.

 

...Pets

Here is a warm and fuzzy reminder of the animals who have found a place in our homes and hearts.  But even those who don't love animals usually have stories about why they don't.  Dog and cat owners like to debate the relative merits of their pets.  Music, skits, pictures, and readings are all designed to prompt lively conversation.

 

...School Days

School days have changed -- a lot.  This look at Great-Grandma's school days is a great conversation starter for intergenerational groups.   What has not changed is the Chautauqua idea that learning only begins in school and continues through all of life.  Use this kit to talk about that -- and to think about new things.

 

...Summertime

Feel the heat as the sights and sounds of summer parade across the screen.  Warm a cold winter day with the kit that Library Journal called "a multisensory treat using photographs, audiotapes, songs, poems, skits, and slides to stimulate recollections."

 

...Work Life

While work may or may not be your favorite topic of conversation, there are many older adults today who look back at their work lives with pride.  They worked hard and provided for their families.  They built roads, bridges and dams, raised children, and kept the line moving. A program to focus on lifetimes of work can be a very positive experience.

...Christmas

This audiovisual extravaganza of holiday tradition, celebrations, and bright lights all across America is not just for programs in December.  It's for remembering Christmas past and planning for Christmas next at any time of the year.  This is a cool program topic for July -- the perfect time to start making those new decorations and gifts!

...Friends

Long-ago and faraway friends are with us in our hearts and memories.  This program will help bring them back and keep them close.  And it will provide a warm environment for discovering new friends.

...Jewish Memories

You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy these images of Jewish holidays and history, family scenes, culture and entertainment.  A 30-minute taped narration includes reminiscences and music to prompt memories and discussions.

...Valentine's Day

You'll love the collection of resources in this kit to prompt memories and discussion of affectionate greetings sent and received.  A special feature of this kit is its encouragement not to wait for February, but to share affection all year long.  It's a lovely sentiment!