off the shelf spring 2014

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Evolving»Reading»Learning»Connecting» Nuachtlitir Leabharlanna Átha Cliath Theas Earrach 2014 South Dublin Libraries Newsletter Spring 2014

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The Newsletter of South Dublin Libraries, telling you what's new at South Dublin Library Service

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Page 1: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

Evolving»Reading»Learning»Connecting»

Nuachtlitir Leabharlanna Átha Cliath Theas Earrach 2014

South Dublin Libraries Newsletter Spring 2014

Page 2: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

South Dublin Libraries Newsletter

Issue No. 4 Spring 2014

© South Dublin Libraries

Nuachtlitir Leabharlanna Átha Cliath Theas

Eagrán uimh. 4 Earrach 2014

© Leabharlanna Átha Cliath Theas

Editors:

Domitilla Fagan

Patricia Fitzgerald

Caroline Higgins

Contributors:

Siobhan Bermingham

Bridget Cribbin

Rosena Hand

Coleesa Humpreys

Siobhan McCrystal

Maria O’Sullivan

Emma Perry

Una Phelan

Dave Power

Kieran Swords

Graphic Design: Silverbark Creative

Photographs: Rob O’Connor @Rocshot

Email: [email protected]

Page 3: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

Welcome/FáilteWelcome to the latest issue of Off the Shelf, our magazine which highlights the programmes, collections and services offered by South Dublin Libraries

Fáilte chuig an t-eagrán is deireanaí de Off the Shelf, ár niris a leíríonn cláracha, bailiúchain agus seirbhísí atá ar fail ó Leabharlanna Átha Cliath Theas.

South Dublin Libraries continued to grow from strength to strength during 2013. The official opening of the redeveloped Ballyroan Library in April was the first of a number of highlights throughout the year, along with increased visitors and items borrowed, and another successful year of events programming including the second Red Line Book Festival.

Over 600 people attended the greatly anticipated official opening of Ballyroan Library celebrating this beautiful and creative new library space. Not only is its position in the community confirmed by the huge number of library members using the facility every day, but the state-of-the-art building also won the RIAI Public Building Award 2013.

South Dublin Libraries celebrated culture, education and digital literacy with a diverse programme of events and activities throughout the year including a wonderful celebration of the centenary of the 1913 Lockout.

The second Red Line Book Festival, the biggest literary initiative supported by South Dublin County Council, was again a great success, featuring over 60 authors, attracting an audience of over 2,500 people, and gaining national media attention in the Irish Times and Sunday Independent. The Festival incorporated the fourth TEDxTallaght, showcasing creative and innovative ideas shared by speakers from around the world.

More and more, libraries are becoming a focus point for all members of the community – young people, older people, unemployed, self-employed, avid readers, online visitors and lots more. The huge range of quality services provided by South Dublin Libraries, not just within the branch libraries’ walls but also available digitally via its website www.southdublinlibraries.ie, is reflected in the consistently high levels of access by library members across the County.

In 2013, 1.4million books and 12,000 ebooks were borrowed; there were over 1.5million visitors; 376,000 computer sessions were booked and there were 3million page views of the library website.

This issue of our newsletter gives an overview of just some of the successful projects and ongoing services South Dublin Libraries continues to provide and that we aim to build on in the coming year.

Finally we would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of Georgina Byrne, former County Librarian, to the development of South Dublin library services. We wish her and our other colleagues who retired in 2013 every happiness for the future.

Long lives to libraries and librarians to nourish the joy of learning and reading for all communities!

WHAT’S INSIDE »4 Evolving with South Dublin Libraries

6 Reading with South Dublin Libraries

8 Learn with South Dublin Libraries

9 Rewind with South Dublin Libraries

10 Connecting with South Dublin Libraries

12 Upcoming Events

12 Libraries by Numbers

Page 4: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

Evolvingwith SOuth Dublin librarieS

South Dublin Libraries supports learning and cultural innovation . . .

TEDxTallaght 2013: The Atelier of IdeasTEDxTallaght: The Atelier of Ideas took place in The Civic Theatre, Tallaght on 17th October 2013 to a packed venue as a part of The Red Line Book Festival. The show sold out weeks in advance and the hashtag #TEDxTallaght trended on Twitter on the evening…even beating #Budget13!

Ateliers have their origin in medieval times and became places where master artists and crafts people shared skills and encouraged creative experimentation with their students. Bringing together inspired thinkers and curious souls, TEDxTallaght welcomed eight speakers from across disciplines who all want to achieve a deeper understanding of the world.

First to take to the stage was Michael Bhaskar, Digital Publishing Director at Profile Books and Serpent’s Tail UK. Michael spoke about information curation and how that translates to our lives and how we are all the curators of our own lives. Orlaith Carmody of MediaTraining.ie put forward the idea of finding a customer and not a job. We should rethink the way we look at working life and she suggested that we teach the skills of entrepreneurship as early as primary school. Linked to this talk was Niall Harbison, founder of Simply Zesty, whose talk was entitled Work, Fear, Death. Niall spoke about how we should enjoy work more, take the work out of it and insert fun instead . . . sounds good! Gerry Duffy who ran 32 marathons in 32 days had the audience stretching in their seats and left us wondering how we can stretch ourselves further as he spoke about the habits of high achievers.

Rick Gannotta of Duke Raleigh Hospital in North Carolina talked about being present in the moment, a highly valuable skill to acquire in all aspects of our lives. Liam Ryan gave us healthy food for thought about behavioural changes in regard to health and the tools that can help us to live a healthy life. Tara Wood of Wildfitness, Kenya believes that looking to nature and what we know of our evolutionary origins provides the most upstream and useful guide for how to be fit and

healthy today. Finishing off the evening with a beautiful, delicate and poignant talk was Gary Thompson from Austin Texas who finished up his TEDx world tour with us in Tallaght. Gary started his tour in TEDx Malaysia, and then on to Rome and finally to Dublin, crossing the globe in honour of his late friend Kethan Kumar. Gary spoke of the fight with Cancer and how perhaps a new Internet can change the battle with the ‘Emperor of all Maladies’.

All of the speakers told their stories with passion and enthusiasm. You can watch their talks at www.tedxtallaght.com

Heritage Walks for our VillagesSouth Dublin Libraries highlight the rich history and heritage of the South Dublin area with a series of audio heritage walks centred on the South Dublin villages of Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcastle, Palmerston, Rathcoole, Rathfarnham, Saggart, Tallaght and Templeogue.

The walks are available on a smartphone friendly website http://heritagewalks.sdcc.ie or by scanning the QR code. There are plans to convert the website walks into user friendly Apple and Android apps in the near future. Each village walk consists of a series of stops at places of interest along the walk route. Each stop is mapped and has a descriptive audio commentary and photograph.

Printable walk guides which list stops and map each walk are planned and will be downloadable from the walks website. Guides are currently available for Rathfarnham and Lucan and others are in production.

The walks make it easy to explore areas of the county you may already know or may wish to explore. Why not venture out for a healthy walk and learn about the rich and interesting history and heritage of the area?

We would love to have your feedback. Please e-mail any comments to [email protected]

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Page 5: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

Social MediaSouth Dublin Libraries embraces social media and Web 2.0 tools through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Flickr, Audioboo and a range of other digital communications platforms. The library service is now using social media not only as a marketing tool but also to monitor what local communities are saying about services on offer. As the world becomes increasingly mobile and interconnected the library service in South Dublin is keeping pace and engaging in dialogue with local communities in a more immediate manner than ever before.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

South Dublin Libraries’

Cataloguein your pocketThe South Dublin Libraries Catalogue and Website App delivers instant access to South Dublin Libraries’ catalogue at any time, allowing catalogue search, book renewals, and access to ebooks and online resources.

iPhone

Android

» 5 «

Exploring the Xtra-ordinarySouth Dublin Libraries celebrated Science Week 2013 with an array of workshops and lectures which aimed to look at the science in things we encounter every day. Our programme, aimed primarily at primary schools, looked at rockets and hovercrafts, planets and reptiles and a whole lot more and was enjoyed by over 750 children and their teachers.

One of the highlights of our programme this year were the Lego workshops facilitated by Learnit, the providers of Lego education in Ireland. These sessions focussed on robotics and the children enthusiastically embraced the process of building lego robots and linking them to a laptop with the necessary software to make their models move. One of our participants, from Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna recorded “It has wires and gears and stuff. The programme on the computer tells you what to build.” This was learning, but in a new and innovative way.

The Irish Times were on site in Ballyroan to record some of the Lego sessions and you can see their video footage at www.irishtimes.com/news/education/video-kids-gear-up-

to-build-moving-lego-robot-1.1594696

Science Week 2013 was an enormous success in South Dublin. We have noted an increased demand for places in our workshops and will look towards extending this programme in 2014.

Best Public BuildingBallyroan Library was awarded the RIAI Public Building Award 2013. The library was redesigned, rebuilt and opened to the public in February of this year. The official launch in April was a re-sounding success with over 600 people visiting the library on the day. The state-of-the-art building includes a lecture hall, an exhibition space, a digital training suite as well as a dedicated research room. Ballyroan library offers extensive seating and a large study area with many public access PCs, as well as printing and photocopying facilities. Free wi-fi is available throughout the building. The children’s library has a dedicated storytelling pod, child-friendly shelving and seating and a wide range of books and DVDs for little ones.Your library card is your passport to everything that Ballyroan library and all our branches have on offer. Whether you want to find the latest bestseller, surf the net or just read the newspaper, we are confident that our library services will meet your expectations.

Page 6: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

READingwith SOuth Dublin librarieS

» 6 «

Mr Bloom visits Palmerston LibraryThe 16th January 2013 was the first night of “Ulysses. A First reading”, the beginning of an 18 week course led by Dubliner and Joycean enthusiast, Roslyn Hickey at Palmerston Library in Stewarts Hospital. 22 people signed up to the programme. For some, it was a New Year’s resolution challenge and for others, an opportunity to finally get to grips with reading it. Ulysses is a daunting masterpiece.

The aim was to have it completed by June in time for Bloomsday. Under Roslyn’s direction, participants read a chapter at home, puzzled over the questions she would email, and discussed the book at meetings which often overran by an hour or more! Her method brought readers an appreciation of the richness of the text and a good knowledge of the themes in Ulysses. Participants worked their way methodically through each chapter, embellishing with some trips along the way:

n Glasnevin Cemetry: the Joycean tour

n Martello tower, Sandycove: tour by robert nicholson

n Jewish Museum

n 1 Martello terrace, bray: Kind permission of liz McManus

n Monto: tour led by terry Fagan

Needless to say, Joyce was flowing through everyone’s veins by the time Bloomsday came around. The group dressed up, sang the Joycean songs and recited its own poetry compositions. David Norris kindly endorsed the certificates of achievement. What a great night it was!

This winter some of that group and some new faces are studying Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in Palmerston Library. Our tour will be to Clongowes and led by Bruce Bradley SJ, author of James Joyce’s schooldays. We are looking at Dubliners as a study next Autumn. We could even dare to call ourselves a Joyce Study Group now.

Would we run Ulysses again? Molly Bloom would say “…and yes, I said yes, I will, yes.”

Culture NightSouth Dublin Libraries opened their doors to the public on their inaugural Culture Night with two very successful events on 20th September.

County Library, Tallaght delivered an exciting programme of stories, drama, music and songs, while at the same time remaining open for normal business and visits until 8.30pm. The programme began with Irish History Live delivering two performances for children which recreated life in the Dublin tenements of 1913. Children had an opportunity to dress in the clothes of the period, see and handle everyday and not so everyday, objects and implements.

The programme for adults was centred on bringing literary and historical figures to life with “snapshots” from our greatest authors including Sean O’Casey, Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. The evening concluded with musicians Enda Reilly and Stephen James Smith, who performed both their compositions and the poems of Yeats and Kavanagh.

Over 250 people visited the Library for this most enjoyable evening, with a relaxed and intimate atmosphere.

On the same night the audience in Ballyroan Library, Rathfarnham enjoyed Dramatic Readings from Strumpet City. Actor Fergus Cronin and historian Catriona Crowe evoked the atmosphere of Dublin in the early 1900s. Catriona described the period in which the novel is set focusing in particular on the realities of Dublin tenement life while Fergus read several passages from the novel bringing to life its much-loved characters. The event was fully booked and ended with a rapturous applause from the delighted audience.

On-line MagazinesYou can now read your favourite magazine wherever you are with Zinio, our new on-line magazine collection. This magazine shelf includes over 30 titles from Forbes and National Geographic to Good Housekeeping and Ideal Home.

Zinio is available for iPad, iPhone, Android and Windows 8 devices.

You can store and read full magazines offline and synchronise magazine libraries across multiple devices. You can also use laptops and PCs. It is easy to use and all you need is your library card (beginning with a D4) and PIN. For full details check our web site at www.southdublinlibraries.ie/online-research

Page 7: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

The Red Line Book Festival is South Dublin Libraries’ annual celebration of books, culture and authors.

Now in its third year, the festival has become a regular annual event in the programming of South Dublin Libraries and is the biggest literary initiative supported by South Dublin County Council.

In 2013 the Festival ran from 15th to 20th October including 43 events and three exhibitions, and attracted over 2,500 people.

For last year’s programming South Dublin Libraries secured funding from the Arts Council, Poetry Ireland, Dublin Book Festival and local business. Considerable support was also provided by the festival venues and various partners.

The programme featured a wide range of events for all ages and across all forms and genres of writing. A host of 60 authors took part in the festival, including international awards winner Colm Tóibín and renowned writers such as Dermot Bolger, Deirdre Purcell, Peter Sheridan, Catherine Dunne, Fintan O’Toole, Mary Kenny, Harry Clifton, Arlene Hunt, Louise Phillips, Alex Barclay and Mike McCormack. The festival also offered to local writers the opportunity of showcasing their talent.

The festival included the 4th annual TEDxTallaght, our TED (Technology, Entertainment & Design) event showcasing the best of Irish and international thinkers and innovators.

The school programme was extremely successful, offering to children the opportunity of meeting with their favourite authors and illustrators, including reading about sport on stage with Joe O’Brien and Alan Nolan in front of a theatre packed with 300 students! The Collapsing Horse Theatre Company performed the family play “Human Child” closing the festival with an enchanting event.

“ I immersed and indulged myself by attending six different events last week at the Red Line Book Festival and I thoroughly enjoyed them all. Each had something different and exciting to offer. I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all for such a fantastic amenity and festival that was so accessible to everybody. Well done and many thanks to the authors also who were so willing and sharing with their passion and knowledge of writing, reading, publishing, pitfalls and successes”

(attendee to Red Line Book Festival 2013)

The Red Line Book Festival will return this year from 15th to 19th October. In the meantime enjoy the podcasts of many events on the festival website and keep an eye at www.redlinebookfestival.com for the new programme!

Latest Acquisitions / Popular Titlesa flavour of the popular titles on offer from South Dublin libraries!

» 7 «

Most Popular BooksSouth Dublin Libraries are thriving, with increased visitor numbers and items loaned. In conjunction with e-books, there is still a great appetite for the printed word.The most requested books of 2013 include Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn; And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini; Rocky Road by Eamonn Dunphy; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney; Sycamore Row by John Grisham; Philomena by Martin Sixsmith; Doctor Sleep by Stephen King; The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith, a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling.Add to this our extensive stock of film on DVD, the huge popularity of box-sets of TV series, as well as music CDs and console games, and it is easy to see why our libraries are growing from strength to strength.Blockbusting DVD titles include Argo; World war Z; Iron man 3; The Great Gatsby; Despicable Me 2 and Identity Thief. Big hitting box-sets include Love/Hate; Breaking Bad; Downton Abbey and Boardwalk Empire. All of these DVDs can be borrowed from our libraries.To quote the great Albert Einstein: “The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library”

Another

Red Line

Success

Page 8: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

with SOuth Dublin librarieS

Support for Senior Cycle Students 2013This highly successful programme at The County Library, Tallaght is now in it’s third year - and has been growing year on year.

The original idea of the programme was to provide events and support for Senior Cycle exam students (and their teachers) in helping them get through specific aspects of their Leaving Certificate Curriculum (History Project, Shakespearian Play, Study skills)- while promoting the library as a focal point for secondary school children in the locality to study, research, borrow items etc.

In 2013 the programme was extended as we worked with a number of new partners (South Dublin County Partnership, NOISE and Tallaght Career Guidance teachers and ITT) to offer:

CAREERS & STUDYEvents for second and third level students and recent graduates.

NOISE CAREERSA series of evening talks from experienced professionals working in the arts, creative and cultural industries. Topics covered range from Preparing your art portfolio, Making music a career to Careers in illustration and animation.

MORE OPTIONS: Careers exhibitionA one-stop-shop for students to find out about courses available in Ireland and further afield.

This event was held in the National Basketball Arena and had a huge attendance.

YOUNG ART CRITICSThis was an event which allowed Leaving Certificate students to visit a gallery exhibition, meet the artists and was followed by a presentation in the library on how to write/critique an exhibition.

The highlight of this programme was Boil in the Bag Productions presentation of MacBeth which took place in the Rua Red theatre. This was a modern twist on MacBeth where key scenes from the play were done in Shakespearian text and then in language from the 21st century.

The whole programme was a huge success with demand far outweighing supply. It is planned to build on this success by running the Support for Senior Cycle Students programme again in Spring 2014.

LEARN

» 8 «

The County Library, Tallaght is pleased to introduce an exciting new programme for primary and secondary school students. Dan Colley and Aaron Heffernan, from the wonderful Collapsing Horse Theatre Company, have developed an exciting programme for the County Library which will introduce students to puppetry. The students will get a chance to use puppets and learn the basics of puppetry performance. They will be challenged by being given the most basic household materials to create and animate a believable puppet, and then gradually allowed more materials to add to their character. The students will find their puppet’s voice and physicality and discover a personality to their puppet, through solo work and through scenes with the other participants’ puppets.

The programme is developed for 10-12 year olds and 15-18 year olds. It will commence in January with a 1.5 hour workshop for primary school children and three 2.5 hour workshops for older students.

Puppetry Programme for Students

where learning to code is fun!

CoderDojos are free coding clubs for young people run by volunteers. In co-operation with the Institute of Technology Tallaght, the County Library ran CoderDojo sessions in the Autumn and is planning further sessions for this year.Ballyroan Library also hosts its coding club ongoing throughout the year. CoderDojos are fun and in the friendly environment of our libraries 7 to 17 years old learn how to code, develop web sites, games and apps. Sessions are so popular that places are reserved on line within 10 minutes of opening the booking!Visit our web site or check with your local library for full details.

Page 9: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

with SOuth Dublin librarieS

Source Digital Archive: Your History OnlineThe 1913 centenary provided the opportunity for us to release the 1913 Lockout themed items into our Source Digital Archive, and was the inspiration behind the launch of our “Rifles, Riots and Rebels” series of schools education packs aimed at 5th and 6th classes. The packs are part of the project “Writing History: 1913 Lockout”, which offered six schools across the County the opportunity to attend a related author visit and creative writing session in their local library. The students who attended are now writing newspaper articles based on the period. Poetry Ireland supported the 1913 project. The booklet is the first of a series of centenary commemorative packs that are part of South Dublin Libraries’ ongoing commitment to preserve our history through education.

We are now fast approaching the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and South Dublin Libraries will be releasing the next schools pack in the series, along with some other fascinating resources to do with this period.

We also issued an appeal for WWI items from the general public. The Great War is important because it provided the background and the opportunity for the 1916 leaders to strike a blow for Ireland’s freedom. At the same time the war also decimated thousands of Irish families whose breadwinners were to be sent to France and Flanders and either never came back, or returned physically and mentally unable to cope with normal life. The War will be covered with special emphasis on Ireland’s role in the conflict.

l imperial war MuseumSouth Dublin Libraries have partnered with the Imperial War Museum’s Centenary Partnership programme and will have access to their vast archive and exhibition tools.

l South County Dublin roll of honourThis list of men who died in the current South Dublin County area (already available on Source) will be enhanced to include shortcuts to the census records which will then be used to provide some social history insight and statistics – religion, the person’s trade and house type for example. Preliminary results indicate that the overwhelming majority of recruits from South County Dublin were Roman Catholics and sons of labourers.

l Our heroesOur Heroes was a supplement to a magazine called “Irish Life” which was published during the First World War, and it listed short biographies and photographs of almost 2,000 Irish officers in the British Army who were either awarded bravery medals or were killed in action. This digitisation is a collaboration with the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, who provided the raw material, and South Dublin Libraries, who processed the images and text. It is intended that this important primary source will be released on our digital archive as a searchable document with an index. There are many officers from South Dublin within the pages.

THOMAS JOSEPH

BYRNE

NATION BUILDERby John Byrne and Michael Fewer

InvitationMayor Cathal King and the Elected Members

of South Dublin County Council

In the presence of Mr. Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State

with special responsibility for Public Service Reform and the

Offi ce of Public Works

cordially invite you to the launch of

Thomas Joseph Byrne, Nation Builderwritten by John Byrne and Michael Fewer

in Whitechurch Library,

Taylor’s Lane, Ballyboden, Dublin 14

on Wednesday 26th June 2013 at 8.00pm

RSVP [email protected] or 01 459 7834

TJ Byrne Book launch DL.indd 1 13/06/2013 09:53

Thomas Joseph Byrne: Our Nation BuilderAn informative publication on Thomas Joseph Byrne: Nation Builder can be now purchased from our libraries or through our on-line book store at www.southdublinlibraries.ie/bookstore

Born in 1876, Thomas Joseph Byrne was an architect with a busy career in South Dublin Rural District Council, the Local Government Board, the Local Government Department and the Office of Public Works. His achievements included close involvement in the improvement of standards and design of local authority housing, the reconstruction of important buildings after the War of Independence and the Civil War and the ushering of Irish architecture into the age of aviation and radio communications.

“�South�Dublin�Libraries�and�the�authors,�Byrne’s�grandson�John�and�the�architect�and�writer�Michael�Fewer�are�to�be�congratulated�in�pulling�together�so�many�important�strands�of�Irish�history�in�this�splendidly�illustrated�work”

(Irish Arts Review, Winter 2013)

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Page 10: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

2014

with SOuth Dublin librarieS

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Not just for a cup of tea . . .It is not every day that we have an authority on tea-drinking in Ireland visit one of our libraries. Juanita Browne, author of “Put the Kettle On: the Irish Love-Affair with Tea” came to Clondalkin Library on 16th October as part of the Red Line Book Festival. She read from her new book while the audience drank up the wonderful stories of our relationship with tea all sweetened with humour and warmth. To mark this special occasion, Clondalkin Library hosted its very own knitted tea cosy competition. Juanita herself judged the competition on the night which featured around 50 of the most dazzling creations. Winner was Ceire Behan who knitted a fabulous tea cosy in the shape of an Aran jumper – perfect for keeping the tea warm! After all that excitement, the event wrapped up with, what else, only a lovely cup of tea and slice of cake!

South Dublin Libraries continue to support local business and enterprise with the return of our highly successful Business Focus programme.2014 will feature a range of events centring on workshops, start-ups, networking and stimulating talks to help give your business a boost. All events will be free to attend but contact your local library for details.Do not forget the wealth of business resources available all year round from South Dublin Libraries including the latest books, business magazines, databases and WIFI. The County Library, Tallaght even has its own dedicated business area which brings all of these resources together in a single space.Business Focus 2014 will be happening during the weeks of 19th – 30th March. Keep an eye out for the brochure! For more information please contact [email protected]

Page 11: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

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A Space for AllSouth Dublin Libraries work together with South Dublin County Council to develop facilities and services for all. Libraries are an open and welcoming space for everyone and we are committed to promote access for all citizens. Our main services include:l Facilitating physical access to our libraries and

mobile libraries;l Operating a home delivery service for people

who are unable to get to their local library;l Providing a wide range of books in a variety of

formats, including large print books, talking books on CD and e-books;

l Facilitating the literacy programme TTRS (Touch, Type, Read, Spell) a computer-aided learning course for people with spelling, reading or writing difficulties;

l Promoting accessibility awareness amongst staff and the public, including participating in National Accessibility Week.

Guides on the access features for all our services points are available at

www.southdublinlibraries.ie/ our-services/access

Whatever your needs, check our web site www.southdublinlibraries.ie or visit your local

library!

Annual Craft FairThe annual Christmas Craft Fair took place at the County Library, Tallaght from 28th to 30th November. The Fair gives local communities and small businesses the opportunity to connect with each other, to display and to sell their handmade crafted items inside the welcoming spaces of the library. This year the Fair attracted over 35 tables, with a display of hand crafted items including hand made jewelry, hand painted scarves, hand crafted wooden items, cards and stationery, bags and felt crafted items to name but a few. This three day event also gives customers and visitors an opportunity to sample and view various craft makers demonstrating their skills throughout the duration of the Fair.

if ever you go: a map of Dublin in poetry and songSouth Dublin Libraries are delighted to support Dublin: One City One Book 2014. Started in 2006 and led by Dublin City Libraries, this initiative has gone from strength to strength over the past couple of years. The project encourages everyone to read a book connected with Dublin during the month of April. The chosen book this year is “If Ever You Go: a map of Dublin in Poems and Song”, a collection of poems and songs celebrating places across Dublin and providing a virtual tour of the city. Some familiar South Dublin County locations are included in the book and events celebrating the places and promoting poetry are planned for April as part of the city-wide festival, Dublin: One City One Book.

unwrappedA FREE outdoor spectacle based on the carol 12 Days of Christmas to celebrate the lighting of the Christmas Tree was held in Tallaght and launched by the Mayor of South Dublin County to mark the beginning of the festive season. UNWRAPPED is an annual winter celebration. Children, young people, and communities of all ages joined professional artists to ‘unwrap’ the festive winter season through a combination of music, performance and visual arts. For UNWRAPPED 2013, over 250 children, young people and adults from South Dublin County’s youth, school, disability and community arts, performance and music groups brought the song 12 Days of Christmas to life through dance, colourful lanterns and costumes. The presentation was a musical feast of rap, hip hop, rock, traditional Irish, band and brass music, developed by musicians Gerry Horan, Martin Moran and Michael Fleming in collaboration with music groups from throughout the County.

Page 12: Off the Shelf Spring 2014

Upcoming Events

Visit www.southdublinlibraries.ie and subscribe to our newsletters for updated information on all events.

Social Media Facebook Twitter Pinterest

February

Chinese New Year

Adult Learner’s Festival

JuneMidsummer Madness

Dublin PrideRuaille Buaille Lucan

October

Children’s Book Festival

Red Line Book Festival

AprilDublin: One City One Book 2014

World Book NightEco Week

September

History &

Heritage Month

MarchSeachtain na

GaeilgeBusiness FocusWorld Book Day

May

Bealtaine

South Dublin Libraries by Num6ers7 branch libraries: 5 branches open 6 days a week (from Monday to Saturday), 4 branches open until 8pm from Monday to Thursday inclusive. 4 mobile libraries: 153 public stops per month covering 65 areas throughout the county. 12 Library Blogs:

Local Studies Blog Teen reading blognificence 6 Book Club Blogs Film Club Blog

TEDxTallaght • South Dublin Library Champions • Red Line Book Festival

Smartphone App for South Dublin Libraries Catalogue

July/AugustSummer Reading ProgrammeHeritage Week

iPhone Android

In 20131.4 million Books Borrowed

12,000 eBooks Borrowed

1.7 million Visitors

276,000 Computer Sessions

3 million Page Views of www.southdublinlibraries.ie

5,500 Followers on Facebook

4,200 Followers on Twitter