10 International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology, 3(2), 10-22, April-June 2012 Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Keywords: Cultural Institutions, Learning Environments, Lifelong Learning, OlderAdult Learner, Public Libraries INTRODUCTION “Our neighbor across the street brought me this book of all the stories written by Hans Christian Andersen. When I finished with that book I knew I needed more. So that’s when I really acquainted myself with the library and the librarian (whom I thought was the rudest woman in the world because she had something I wanted … those books). I would go in there and get those books and she would tell me: “You just checked out one last week.” And I’m saying to myself, “but I read it already.” I re- ally learned to escape the stresses of the world as a child through fiction.” Mogul, African/ American (Bamdas, 2009) Public or community libraries of the past were places for family adventures in books that could be found with a card catalog and the Dewey Decimal System. When ready to check out books, the librarian marked the due date using a date stamper and a red ink pad. The library was a quiet, safe, and supportive place for all family members to search for facts and the knowledge of others, and where their imagination could roam beyond the community’s main street. For many decades the library was a storehouse for published books and magazines. These libraries were used from cradle to grave, with literature available for the child before school, during the school years, and be- yond. The public library of the community then developed as a resource in schools becoming known as media centers. The library was a friend for life and a staple for every family member. ReVisioning the Public Library as an Oasis of Learning Mary A. Cassell, Broward County Library, USA Jo Ann M. Bamdas, Florida Atlantic University, USA Valerie C. Bryan, Florida Atlantic University, USA ABSTRACT Culturally diverse older adult learners are among the fastest growing age groups for which public libraries promote the needs of lifelong learning today. This article explores the past, present, and future of informal and non-formal public learning environments as safe and welcoming, with supportive educational programming provided by librarians and community volunteers. In light of an advancing 21st century learning framework, the aim of this article is to encourage adult learning practitioners to re-examine the public library to recognize a new world of potentiality in library learning for this population. DOI: 10.4018/javet.2012040102