Expert on Aging Donates His Publications to RIC

A substantial body of work compiled by Herb Weiss, a writer, editor and journalist who has documented the field of aging, senior life, healthcare and public policy, has found a new home in the Special Collections’ section of RIC’s James P. Adams Library.

Weiss, 71, (pictured above with his wife, Patty) says he decided to donate his publications to RIC after taking note of the college’s work through the years regarding healthcare and gerontology.

Veronica Denison, a digital archivist and special collections librarian at RIC, says Weiss’ publications will “serve as a valuable resource for Rhode Island College students and the wider Rhode Island community, contributing to further scholarship and public understanding in the vital areas of healthcare, public policy and aging.”

“I want people, especially students, to make use of these papers,” Weiss says, noting that there aren’t many writers who have written consistently about aging over four decades. “For those students who are being trained in various areas of healthcare, I want them to be aware, on a professional and personal level, that they will have to confront aging. You can’t escape it.”

RIC is also home to Age-Friendly Rhode Island, a coalition of community, state agencies and individuals who are committed to healthy aging.

James Connell, director of Age-Friendly Rhode Island, says, “Anybody in Rhode Island who is working toward healthy aging depends on the articles that Weiss writes. His voice has been instrumental in elevating the conversation about aging. His articles not only inform, they also empower.”

Weiss’ more than 1,000 columns and commentary on aging have been featured in The Pawtucket Times, Woonsocket Call, Senior Digest, Senior Living and RI News Today. He also spent several years covering health and long-term care policy as a House gallery reporter in Washington, D.C., for various publications.

He has published three volumes of his column compilations: “Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly,” (2016); “Taking Charge: Volume 2 – More Stories on Aging Boldly” (2021) and “Taking Charge: Volume 3 – Even More Stories on Aging Boldly” (2025).

Weiss is a two-time recipient of the American College of Healthcare Administrators’ National Award for his coverage of long-term care issues, and in 2003 he received the AARP Rhode Island Vision Award for his weekly commentary.

“I have always wanted to make a difference,” he says, “by advocating for seniors to make sound decisions on how to take care of themselves through programs and services. Many people are going to need to use them some day.”