Takeaways
- Libraries nationwide are becoming valuable, free resources for people living with dementia and their caregivers, offering support beyond traditional books.
- Key offerings often include memory kits, educational courses on caregiving and well-being, and memory cafés.
- Many libraries are adopting “dementia-friendly” practices, including specialized staff training and accessible physical spaces, to better serve this community.
While local libraries are best known for their books, many are expanding their role to meet evolving community needs, including support for people affected by dementia. According to Columbia University, one in 10 Americans aged 65 and older is living with dementia, and an additional 22 percent have mild cognitive impairment. In response, many libraries across the country are working to make free, practical dementia care resources more widely available.
People living with dementia, along with their loved ones and caregivers, can increasingly turn to their local library for support. Offerings may include memory kits, educational courses, and programs tailored to their needs. Some libraries also host memory cafés – free or low-cost social gatherings that provide a welcoming space for people with dementia to connect with others.
Memory Kits
Memory kits are curated collections of materials designed to engage people living with dementia, often in partnership with their caregivers. Using familiar and sensory-based objects, these kits are intended to help stimulate the mind, spark memories, start conversations, and provide comfort.
Public libraries may offer memory kits as part of their “Library of Things” – collections of nonbook items available to borrow, much like traditional library books. While the contents of each kit can vary, the shared goal is to support meaningful engagement for people with dementia and those who care for them. Some kits focus on gentle cognitive stimulation, while others aim to encourage reminiscence.
Kits intended for mental engagement may include items like easy-to-read calendars, fidget toys, flash cards, music players, tactile objects, and simple puzzles. Reminiscence-focused kits can often center on a certain decade, such as the 1950s, or a familiar theme, like pets, that could interest and engage older adults and prompt memories.
For example, the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling, West Virginia, has memory kits organized around specific themes, including the Great Outdoors, the 1950s, Patriotic USA, and Cats. Each kit includes a DVD and flash cards. The cat-themed kit contains a plush animal, which could provide comfort while helping to spark memories and conversation.
Courses and Programming
Many local libraries also offer programs and courses designed to support people living with dementia as well as their caregivers. These offerings often address both practical concerns and emotional well-being, helping families navigate the challenges of dementia with greater confidence.
The Westmont Public Library in Illinois, for example, coordinates programs for people with dementia, their caregivers, and others. Program topics include home safety and alternative care options, caregiver well-being, and strategies for meaningfully engaging a loved one with dementia.
Memory Cafés
Memory cafés are another type of program that libraries may host. These gatherings are designed to create a welcoming, engaging environment where people with dementia and their caregivers and family members can socialize in a relaxed, supportive setting. Along with coffee and tea, the cafés may feature themed spaces – such as an “under the sea” motif – or activities like trivia or arts and crafts.
Most memory café meetings last one to two hours and typically include both structured programming and informal social time. Activities may involve music, dance, yoga, arts, storytelling, or history. Because these events are intended to be person-focused, attendees are not expected or required to discuss their diagnosis or medical details.
Dementia Friendly America has a directory of memory cafés, which can be found in libraries as well as other community settings, such as senior centers.
Additional Library Resources for Dementia
Across the country, libraries are working to expand support, inclusion, and resources for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Library staff may undergo training, such as through Dementia Friend America, to better serve patrons with cognitive impairment. Dementia-friendly libraries aim to create welcoming, inclusive environments.
To learn more about the dementia-related resources available at your local library, visit its website or speak with a librarian. While some materials, like memory kits, may require a library card to borrow, other resources, including courses, special programming, and memory cafes, are often open to the public, even if you do not belong to the library. Interlibrary loan programs may also make it possible to borrow materials from partnering libraries. Visit your library to learn more about what resources are available in your community.
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