Media Release: My Open Library – Ministers Calleary and Buttimer welcome major milestone as over 50 libraries now offering out-of-hours access
Mo Leabharlann Oscailte – Fáilte curtha ag na hAirí Calleary agus Buttimer atá bainte amach mar 50 leabharlann ar fáil taobh amuigh de ghnáthuaireanta
- An tseirbhís Mo Leabharlann Oscailte seolta i dtrí cinn de bhrainsí nua ag an Aire Jerry Buttimer
- Méadóidh tabhairt isteach na seirbhíse uaireanta oscailte gach ceann de na trí bhrainse 145%.
- Tá infheistíocht níos mó ná €6.1 milliún déanta ag an Rialtas i Mo Leabharlann Oscailte ón mbliain 2014.
D’fháiltigh an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus na Gaeltachta, Dara Callery, agus an tAire Stáit Jerry Buttimer inniu (Dé Luain an 26 Bealtaine) roimh an sprioc thábhachtach atá bainte amach agus an tionscnamh Mo Leabharlann Oscailte, seirbhís taobh amuigh de ghnáthuaireanta oibre, ar fáil anois i mbreis is 50 leabharlann ar fud na tíre.
Baineadh an méid sin amach le linn don Aire Buttimer Mo Leabharlann Oscailte a sheoladh go hoifigiúil i Leabharlann nuachóirithe Charraig Uí Leighin agus tá an tseirbhís ar fáil i Leabharlann Mhala agus i Leabharlann Chionn tSáile ón lá inniu ar aghaidh.
Cuireann Mo Leabharlann Oscailte uaireanta oscailte breise ar fáil, a sholáthraíonn rochtain chun na leabharlainne do bhaill ón 8am go 10pm, 365 lá in aghaidh na bliana. Déanann sé comhlánú ar uaireanta rialta foirne, ag tabhairt deis do bhaill an leabharlann a rochtain ag amanna a oireann dóibh féin, go háirithe iad siúd nach bhfuil ar a gcumas an leabharlann a rochtain le linn uaireanta rialta foirne. Méadóidh tabhairt isteach na seirbhíse uaireanta oscailte seachtainiúla gach ceann de na trí leabharlanna 145%, ón 40 uair an chloig atá ann cheana féin go 98 n-uair an chloig.
D’fháiltigh an tAire Calleary roimh leathnú na seirbhíse Mo Leabharlann Oscailte agus dúirt:
“Tréaslaím le Comhairle Contae Chorcaí ar sheoladh na seirbhíse Mo Leabharlann Oscailte i dtrí cinn de leabharlanna nua. Is cúis ríméid dom go raibh sé ar chumas na roinne tacú leis na trí thionscadal seo trí Chlár Caipitil na Leabharlann agus tríd an gCiste um Athghiniúint agus Forbairt Tuaithe. Is lá cinniúnach é don rialtas mar go bhfuil breis is €6.1 milliún curtha ar fáil againn anois chun tacú le soláthar na seirbhíse Mo Leabharlann Oscailte i mbreis is 50 brainse. Táim ag tnúth leis an líon seo a fheiceáil ag dul i méid agus an tseirbhís féin a fheiceáil ag dul ó neart go neart.”
Tá cairpéid agus urláir nua ar fud Leabharlann athchóirithe Charraig Uí Leighin le limistéar leanaí ar a bhfuil dathanna geala, stoc leabhar méadaithe agus spás brabhsála. Tá áit suí bhreise agus boird chun dul i mbun staidéir, tabhairt faoi chian obair agus faoi cheardlanna ar fáil freisin. Tá scáileáin idirghníomhacha dhigiteacha ar fáil sna seomraí cruinnithe poiblí agus tá siad tógtha le héascú a dhéanamh ar chruinnithe grúpaí áitiúla, ar imeachtaí agus ar ghníomhaíochtaí. Is féidir an seomra seo a chur in áirithe le linn an lae agus sa tráthnóna le linn uaireanta Mo Leabharlann Oscailte.
Ag labhairt dó ag seoladh na seirbhíse Mo Leabharlann Oscailte i Leabharlann Charraig Uí Leighin, dúirt an tAire Buttimer:
“Is údar bróid dom a bheith san fhoirgneamh álainn seo inniu le seirbhís Mo Leabharlann Oscailte a sheoladh i dtrí cinn de leabharlanna eile thar ceann Chomhairle Contae Chorcaí. Cuireann Comhairle Contae Chorcaí agus Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí an tseirbhís Mo Leabharlann Oscailte ar fáil anois i naoi gcinn de bhrainsí sa chontae agus seo é an líon is airde i gcomparáid le contae ar bith eile in Éirinn.
“Tá sé thar barr go bhfuil an tseirbhís ar fáil faoi láthair in 23 as na 30 údarás leabharlann agus molaim údaráis na leabharlann agus foireann na leabharlann as bheith chomh forásach i bhfreastal ar riachtanais na bpobal. Is ionann ár leabharlanna poiblí agus áit atá compordach agus áisiúil do dhaoine breacaosta, do dhaoine óga agus do phobail nua agus anois beidh sé ar a gcumas leas a bhaint as na seirbhísí seo gach uile lá den bhliain, ó mhaidin go hoíche.”
Fuarthas tacaíocht ó mhaoiniú €361,602 faoi Chlár Caipitil na Leabharlann chun seirbhís Mo Leabharlann Oscailte a sholáthar i gCarraig Uí Leighin agus i Mala. Fuarthas tacaíocht ó mhaoiniú €2.17 milliún faoin gCiste um Athghiniúint agus Forbairt Tuaithe do leabharlann nua den chineál is nua-aimseartha Chionn tSáile agus cuireadh fáilte roimh bhreis is 100,000 cuairteoir le linn na chéad bhliana tar éis na hoscailte i mí na Samhna 2023.
My Open Library – Ministers Calleary and Buttimer welcome major milestone as over 50 libraries now offering out-of-hours access
- Minister Jerry Buttimer launches My Open Library service in three new branches.
- Introduction of service will increase the opening hours of all three libraries by 145%.
- Government investment of over €6.1million in My Open Library since 2014.
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Callery, and Minister of State Jerry Buttimer have today (Monday, May 26th) welcomed a major milestone for the My Open Library initiative as the out-of-hours service is now available in more than 50 libraries across the country.
The achievement was reached as Minister Buttimer officially launched My Open Library in the newly refurbished Carrigaline Library and as Mallow Library and Kinsale Library in County Cork unveiled the service from today.
My Open Library offers extended opening hours, providing library access to members from 8am to 10pm, 365 days per year. It complements regular staffed hours, allowing library members to access the library at times that suit them, particularly those who may not be able to access their library during regular staffed times. The introduction of the service will increase the weekly opening hours of all three libraries by 145%, from the existing 40 hours to 98 hours.
Minister Calleary welcomed the expansion of the My Open Library service by saying:
“I congratulate Cork County Council on launching the My Open Library service in three new libraries. I am delighted that my department has been able to support these projects through the Libraries Capital Programme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. It is a landmark day for our government as we have now provided funding of over €6.1 million to support the provision of the My Open Library service in over 50 branches. I look forward to seeing this number continue to grow and the service itself going from strength to strength.”
The remodelled Carrigaline Library features new carpeting and flooring throughout the building along with a brightly coloured children’s area, increased book stock and browsing space. It also offers increased seating and tables for study, remote working and workshops. The community meeting room contains digital interactive screens and has been built to facilitate local group meetings, events, and activities. This room can be booked for use during the day, and in the evening during My Open Library hours.
Speaking at the launch of the My Open Library service in Carrigaline Library, Minister Buttimer said:
“I am delighted to be here today in this beautiful building to launch the My Open Library service in three more libraries on behalf of Cork County Council. Cork County Council and Cork City Council now provide the My Open Library service in nine library branches in total and this is the most in any county in Ireland. It is fantastic to see that the service is currently available in 23 of our 30 library authorities and I must praise our library authorities and library staff for being so progressive in meeting the needs of their communities. Our public libraries are a home-from-home for our elderly, our young people, and our new communities and now they will be able to avail of those services every day of the year, from morning till night.”
The provision of the My Open Library service in Carrigaline and Mallow was supported by Libraries Capital Programme funding of €361,602. The new state-of-the-art Kinsale Library was supported by funding of €2.17 million under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and welcomed over 100,000 visitors during its first year after opening in November 2023.