Lifelong Learning

Amy DelPo saw firsthand how ageism impacted her parents, especially as each was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Witnessing how the world treats older adults, particularly those with dementia, motivated her to create Older Adult Services at the Denver Public Library (DPL), one of the few libraries with an administrator devoted solely to aging adults. Even before she took on that role, she brought Memory Café to DPL when she was still a branch reference librarian. She also participated in the University of Denver’s Intergenerational Connections Through Photography project.

As COVID-19 closed libraries in 2020, DelPo adjusted programming topics and format to help connect older adults with community and library resources and alleviate social isolation. DPL hosted 180 unique virtual programs for older adults attended by more than 4,500 people. Recognizing challenges posed by the digital divide, DelPo increased mail and phone communication. DPL staff sent postcards, made 1,600 reassurance calls, created a phone-based read-aloud program and art boxes for residents of low-income senior living facilities, and distributed Kindness Kits to provide tools and ideas for providing acts of kindness to older adults.

Amy Easley, DPL librarian and DelPo’s nominator, calls her an “unstoppable force and irreplaceable asset to libraries, older adults, and those of us who are fortunate enough to work with her.”

DelPo’s next focus is on the intersectionality of age with marginalized identities such as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrant/ refugee, and those experiencing homelessness.

“I know that there can be joy, meaning, lifelong learning, and personal growth as people age,” DelPo says, “even if one has challenges like dementia or financial insecurity. My goal is to change what it means to age in our culture.”