Kilkenny's 'fantastic' library services ‘in jeopardy’ without funding

The new Thomastown library will be more than six times the size of the current library in the town.
At a meeting of Callan Thomastown municipal district councillors, last week, County Librarian Josephine Coyne said the new facility will also see staffing increase from two to four people and opening hours extend from 22 hours a week to 38 hours a week.

The ambitious plans, which are being funded to the tune of €2.8million, are supported by the local councillors. Cllr Deirdre Cullen described the library service as an ‘essential service’ and libraries themselves as ‘a safe space for young and old’.
Cllr Cullen said there are kids, right across the county, who countdown the days until the book bus comes back out to their school.
Without funding a key service like that is in jeopardy, she said.

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The positive impact the library service has in communities is ‘immeasurable’, Cllr Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere said, adding that the councillors would do all they could to support the ‘fantastic service to the people of Kilkenny’.
He said it was ‘incredible’ that the library service could maintain the eight premises and the mobile library on their finances.

Ms Coyne told councillors that in the coming years funding to the library services will need to be increased as premises grow and the services offered to the public expand.
She said the return on the investment in libraries is measured by increased membership and improved literacy levels.

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Director of Services with Kilkenny County Council, Mary Mulholland, said the library service is one of the council’s ‘front facing’ services where they meet with the public every day, and an essential public service.
Under the new national strategy for libraries their programmes will be broadened and investment is going to become more important, Ms Mulholland added.

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District chairman, Cllr Matt Doran, wished Ms Coyne well.
He said: “Every year every councillor wants to give more to the book fund.” He said this year they will have to be ‘creative’ to do that but the will to do so is massive.