Library Association of Ireland - Assistant Librarians' Section

Library Association of Ireland [Cumann Leabharlann na hEireann] Representing libraries and librarians in Ireland

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PUBLIC LIBRARIES SECTION

Contact: Brenda Frawley, Limerick Co. Library; Telephone: (061) 301 101.
E-mail: bfrawley@limerickcoco.ie

Public Libraries' Section, Library Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2005

A joint conference with the County & City Librarians' Section Wednesday, November 2nd to Friday, November 4th Old Ground Hotel Ennis, Co. Clare.

Download the full programme [ 131kb]

Enquiries and completed applications before Friday, October 21st to:
Brenda Frawley
Dooradoyle Library,
Dooradoyle Road, Limerick.
Phone: (061) 301101 Fax: (061) 301144 e-mail: bfrawley@limerickcoco.ie

To mark the 150 years of Public Libraries in Ireland, the Public Libraries Section will be joining forces with the County & City Librarians Section to stage a joint conference themed around Innovation in Public Libraries. The conference will be held in the Old Ground Hotel, Ennis, Co. Clare from Tuesday, November 2nd to Friday November 4th. We are currently canvassing for information on interesting and innovative projects from around the country which may then be highlighted at the conference. Further details will be publicised when they become available.

The George Harding Perfect Parody Prize ( 34kb) is kindly sponsored by Harding Books with many excellent prizes. It is open to all library staff and winners will be presented with their prizes at the conference banquet by special guest and competition judge Val McDermid.

***ANNOUNCEMENT (17th Nov'05) *** The George Harding Perfect Parody Prize Winners

Officers & Committee

Chairperson: Josephine Vahey, Galway City Library, Hynes Building, Augustine Street, Galway.
Vice-chair: Carmel Daly, Sean Lemass Library, Town Centre, Shannon, Co. Clare.
Treasurer: Emer O'Brien, Tipperary Library H.Q., Castle Avenue, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Secretary: Brenda Frawley, Dooradoyle Library, Dooradoyle Road, Limerick.

Committee members:
Aine Beausang Roscrea Library, Birr Road, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. Tony Cox Mullingar Library, Church Avenue, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Melanie Cunningham Waterford City Council Library Service, Lady Lane, Waterford. Gabrielle Flynn Leitrim County Library, Courthouse, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Breeda Gilligan Roscommon County Library, Abbey Street, Roscommon. Cora Gunter Westside Public Library, Westside, Galway. Tom Murtagh Mayo County Library H.Q., Mountain View, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Edel Scally Aidan Heavey Public Library, Athlone Civic Offices, Church Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

The Public Libraries Section of the Library Association of Ireland caters for all grades from Library Assistant to County Librarian inclusive. The Section's Committee, which meets a minimum of four times a year, is made up of members from across the country and aims to be as geographically representative as possible. It concerns itself with matters relevant to the afore-mentioned grades, but is particularly interested in the provision of ongoing training for library staff. To this end, the Section organises an Annual Conference, open to all the above grades, over one weekend in the Autumn.

This Conference is held in a different county each year, usually coinciding with new developments in a library service, so that members have an opportunity to visit, evaluate and learn from the various library services across the country. Speakers at the Conference are invited from various library disciplines, outside institutions when relevant to the theme, and the Library Association itself. As such, this Annual Conference is regarded as a vital element in continuing staff education and is a major event in the Library Association's calendar.

The Section also arranges occasional seminars and visits. The Section does, however, try to hold one Spring Seminar each year, sometimes under the auspices of the Institute of Public Administration. Details of events are circulated to each county library service and are carried in the events calendar of "Irish Library News" and the Events page on this Web site.

The Section maintains strong links with its Northern Ireland colleagues, and has held Joint Conferences with the AAL in recent years. The Section has also initiated links with its British colleagues in the Library Association.

Members of the Section take an active part in the life of the Association, and endeavour at all times to maintain representation on the Executive Board and on appropriate Committees of the Association.

Presentation by Jane Cantwell, Waterford City Librarian, on "Libraries and Cultural Diversity" given at the Public Libraries' Group Annual Conference in Sligo on Oct 14-16, 2005. (MS Powerpoint, 71kb)

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