‘Working keeps our brains working and we’re passing on skills’

At 67, Anne Brown has no inclination to give up her job in a library.

She is an assistant in Pollokshaws library in Glasgow’s southside.

Brown said: “I enjoy working with children and help them fall in love with books and reading. Some of the children come from homes where there is not always money for books and the library is so important to them.

“Education is a priority for all and it is wonderful to be able to play my part in bringing the next generation on.

“I am part-time but determined to keep working and hopefully pass on the skills I have from a career which has spanned almost six decades.”

She stressed that no one should ever underestimate the experience and skills older that workers bring to any job.

She added: “We have problem-solving skills and our enthusiasm for work knows no bounds.”

Brown has already had a career in Glasgow Council housing finance, working with the homeless unit welfare office and as a volunteer with the Children’s Hearings Scotland, better known as the Children’s Panel. She said: “I get angry when people ask me if I am still working because age is just a number and only a state of mind. I would not like to sit at home wondering what to do with my day.

“Working keeps our brains sharp and gives us great insight into other people’s lives and we are passing on many skills and experience to the next generation of workers.”

After 12 years with Glasgow Life libraries,

she hopes retirement is still a few years off. When she is not at work, she is meeting her grandchildren at the school gates to allow her daughter to work. She said: “I don’t know how much grandparents contribute to the economy, but it must be into the millions.

If I keep my health, I will remain a working granny.”