Applied adult learning in contemporary libraries : A theory-informed practice and its implications for program designers, educators, and library leaders.

In today's economic, political, and social climate, a strong emphasis in many library services is placed on reaching out to and providing equitable access to information resources to increasingly diverse communities. Adult learners constitute an important demographic served by contemporary libraries, regardless of their type. This discussion forum will focus on the intersection of adult learning theory and praxis as a means of providing effective educational and informational services to adult library users. The speakers will discuss key adult learning theories, including andragogy, constructivism, and self-directed learning, and share examples from existing research in the field illustrating best practices of teaching and supporting adult learning in libraries. Addressing techniques for designing instructional programming that facilitates adult learning, the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate) model will also be discussed, with an emphasis of its application to a broad range of library contexts.

The speakers will engage the audience in a dialogue about the central role of libraries in facilitating adult learning grounded in a solid theoretical foundation. Participants will learn about applying the theories of adult learning, along with examples of adult education programming, in their own library settings. Finally, participants will share ideas for overcoming the challenges commonly associated with designing and delivering instructional programming for adult library users.