Louise Osborne
In existence since 1929, Carlow County Council Public Library Service has always been at the heart of local communities in the county. From its humble beginnings as a makeshift one-room operation in the courthouse, the service has evolved into a four branch network, serving the three Municipal Districts of the County, and offering a wide range of services expected of a modern public library.
The original remote working hub, public libraries in Ireland now offer access to a collection of over 13 million items. These are available through a national library catalogue supported by a national stock distribution system. This allows customers to get their hands on requested items promptly.
John Shortall, County Librarian at Carlow County Library, says, “This is an extraordinary resource for the people of Carlow and, indeed, the whole country. Over the last 20 years, in particular, public libraries have responded to the ever-changing needs of an increasingly savvy public. They have been growing and adapting to meet user needs on a continuous basis, while never losing sight of our core values of universal access and inclusion and the provision of democratic, free and open spaces for everyone.”
Library branches occupy town centre locations in Carlow, Tullow, Muine Bheag and Borris and are heavily used by all ages and segments of the local population. Muine Bheag has been operational as a ‘My Open Library’ Service (MOL) since 2019, offering extended access to approved members from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Borris branch will launch its MOL service in September and work commenced a few weeks ago on readying Tullow Library with a launch anticipated for November of this year.
With exciting plans for the regeneration and extension of the central branch and HQ in Carlow town, the service will provide for the growing population of the county with diverse needs.
The My Open Library Service is a positive development for the communities of Co Carlow, giving access outside of regular opening hours and empowering people to use the library when and how they need to. John adds, “For a working person in particular, the flexibility to visit the library for study, leisure or work with full use of all facilities including Wi-Fi, Eduroam, computer access and wireless printing adds value to the lives of our citizens. We are very proud of our libraries in Carlow and the statistics reflect a population who appreciate and use the library as part of their daily lives.”
Complementary to the physical offering, the library service also provides access to a collection of 110,000 eBooks and eAudiobooks, 7,000 eNewspapers and eMagazines, over 600 eLearning courses and 110 online languages courses for speakers of 30+ languages. And best of all, everything is free!
Community arts
Louise Osborne, the Creative Places Bagenalstown Coordinator, is a familiar face at Carlow County Library. Creative Places is a three-year programme funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and supported by the area Arts Office. Bagenalstown/Muine Bheag is one of 17 places around the country that is part of the Creative Places network. It was established to provide funding to areas that may not have previously benefitted.
On whether Carlow County Library acts as a community hub, Louise is clear, “It serves as an open and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy. It can cater for a variety of needs and interests and is easily accessible. It is so much more than the outdated idea of the libraries some of us would have had in our childhoods – a place to be quiet and read.
“It still provides that quiet, learning or reflective space, but it’s also a place of exciting events, community meetings and art exhibitions.” As part of Creative Places, Louise says several events have been held at the library including a theatre production, created by local writers and actors Angela Keogh and John McKenna. They also held an exhibition of work from three local primary schools created with artist Leah Corbett of Muine Bheag Arts. Other hosted various events included an information night on arts grants and a series of support clinics.
“Creative Places will continue to connect with the library and host future events.” Louise recognises the library’s potential as a remote working hub too, especially with the My Open Library service in place. “With the right resources, such as workspaces and Wi-Fi and the MOL, it is more accessible to cater for a variety of working hours outside of traditional office hours.
“You can also explore the resources of the library – learn about genealogy, local history and explore the library collection online.”
Louise encourages everyone to explore the library’s offerings as it is not just a centre for literature, but also a space for fostering creativity. “The library is a great space for literature and a real resource for the local community. It has been a true supporter and champion of the arts.”
Preserving history and knowledge
Michael Grant is a Carlovian and a dedicated PhD student at DCU whose research on ‘Politics in Carlow, 1760-1850’ has led him to an appreciation for the Carlow County Library and its valuable resources.
With 50 years of experience using the local library service, Michael says the library is an integral part of the community. Michael primarily uses the branch in Carlow, where the Local Studies section holds a veritable treasure trove of historical information.
“Although my field of research is rather specialised, I was surprised at the range of secondary material that is available, either on-shelf or in reserve in the Carlow branch,” says Michael. “The staff are always helpful in arranging inter-library loans for any material that they don’t hold.
“The library is also an integral part of the community. During the day, it is used by locals to browse newspapers, explore the internet or simply chill out. “The main library has been used as a venue in the evenings for lectures and book launches. There are often daytime activities for children too. The space is used by all sections of the community.”
Michael highly recommends the library to others and commends the helpful staff. He also praises the library’s ‘Eduroam,’ a Wi-Fi service enabling students to access secure Wi-Fi when visiting other institutions. And for researchers like Michael, Carlow Library’s Local Studies section holds a range of specialised collections.
Michael shares how the County Library Service went above and beyond to assist him during the pandemic. When access to vital resources, such as accessing The Carlow Morning Post on microfilm, became a challenge, County Library Service had the microfilms digitised and made them available to Michael. “Library staff were most helpful and indeed went ‘over-and-above’. They also shared the digital files with the Irish Newspaper Archive, making them available to the wider public.”
While discussing the library’s facilities, Michael believes its location is a real boon. Researchers like Michael have found a sanctuary of knowledge, and community engagement in the middle of the town. “It’s right beside the Cathedral of the Assumption which is a peaceful haven. The grounds of Carlow College are open to the public providing a green space ideal for a contemplative stroll. I would recommend it to anyone.”
