The Clinton Community Library was awarded New York state's prestigious Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award for 2018 in recognition of its Optimistic Aging program, which encourages seniors to stay active and healthy. The program is funded by Berkshire Taconic's Northeast Dutchess Fund.
Nearly half of the residents of the rural town of Clinton are seniors, and the Optimistic Aging series provides them with access to a wide variety of classes and activities, including chair yoga and tai chi; lectures that feature prepared meals and informational talks; and book clubs, drum circles, dances and concerts.
The library has seen a dramatic increase in participation since the program’s inception in 2016. More than 2,000 seniors took part in over 180 programs last year. Elderly residents from neighboring northeast Dutchess County towns have been attracted to the venue to build new friendships in a social environment.
“The Optimistic Aging program has enabled the library to build on its role as a community learning center and become an important community lifeline for Clinton seniors,” the New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries stated in its announcement of the award. “The selection committee was impressed with the Clinton Community Library’s creative and thoughtful approach to reviewing the demographics of their rural community and then working with the community to design exciting learning opportunities for seniors that weave the interactive, overlapping components of mind, body and spirit.”