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LIFE OF THE MIND CONSORTIUM

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OUR NEWSPAPER COVERAGE

The Lancaster New Era on September 23, 2006 presented "Seniors on a MIssion" the Red Rose Award. "You let seniors loose and it is very dangerous," Vandergrift quipped. The result: a cheerful and bright children's area that festures, among other improvementsm a purple hippo book holder designed by former Lockheed engineer Hank Copelman, whose wife, Betty, is also part of this group."

Southern Lancaster County Chronicle September 3, 2007 Young Quarryville Library patrons can literally expand their horizons thanks to a partnership that includes residents of Willow Valley Retirement Community and students at Millersville University. . . . While the stools can also be used as seats, they were conceived as ways for children to be able to see, and reach, books and videos that were otherwise beyond their grasp."

Intelligenger Journal, April 5, 2007 "Teens who use Lancaster Public Library finally have a room to call their own-- thanks, in large part, to a group of senior citizens. . . .Created through a collaboration of the library, Library System of Lancaster County and Life of the Mind Consortium, the room includes hardcover books, paperbacks, audio books and other materials of interest to teens, as well as a computer.. . ."The teen collection used to be ina hallway, and teenagers would be sitting on the floor trying to read," Fiene said. " They didn't have anywhere to be." Now, she said, teens come to The Hub to do homework, hang out and write on the room's popular message board."



 

Our Library Projects

What are they?

The Consortium began with small projects in local public libraries to enhance spaces for children and young people. Consortium members visited libraries and talked with staff about what might improve facilities for young people, and then we tried to provide some of the things they requested. We built some things, refurbished or painted others, and still others were purchased through a Grant from the H.W. Wilson Company in NYC. Below are three of our major projects that have, we hope, made a difference in the lives of young people. Each is a clickable so you may see the details of the projects.

Happy Hippo: http://lifeofthemindconsortium.info/HappyHippo.htm This web page provides a glimpse into our beginning projects and an indication of where we would go from there.

The Hub: http:lifeofthemindconsortium.info/TheHub.htm This page shows the challenge of converting a passageway with eight doors/entry ways into a viable teen center!

The Critter Sitter Project: Phase I http://lifeofthemindconsortium.info/CritterSitters.htm This page documents the first time we had active cooperation with Millersville University where students built the critter sitters (stools). Then staff from the Library System of Lancaster County helped us deliver the stools to Willow Valley where teams of residents took on the preparation and painting of fifty stools. Finally, they were delivered to the various libraries who had requested them.

Why is it inportant to bring together teams to engage in community service projects?

The Consortium shares a commitment to life-long learning, intergenerational activities, and the importance of active, involved citizenry at all stages of human life. We are concerned with broad social issues and with developing an enabling culture to sustain and nurture older adults and the young people with whom they interact.

In order to meet this commitment, consortium member institutions have recognized the importance of working together to give back to the larger Lancaster community and have developed joint projects to do so. The library projects are the most visible of these efforts.

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  "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." --Albert Einstein
2009 Last Update