Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Ballybane Library Children’s Week 15th to 18th July



“Ballybane library recently hosted a special programme of events for children. Events included arts & crafts workshops, dance classes and a special visit by renowned storyteller, Rab Swannock Fulton, who entertained the audience with funny and zany tales from around the world.

All the events were booked out well in advance and feedback from participants and their parents/guardians was extremely positive.

One hundred and sixty five young readers have registered for the Summer Reading Programme “Team Read”. Participants read up to six books, complete an optional review of the books and receive stickers for each book they have read. In the Autumn, there will be a special celebration in the library and participants who have successfully completed the programme will receive a certificate. Ballybane Library is also offering “Team Read : Book Crawl” which encourages parents to read to younger children.

Storytelling for pre-school children takes place every Friday throughout the year at 12.15pm. Storytime for 5 to 8 year olds takes place every Friday at 3.30pm.

Ballybane Library received an excellent review in the Family Time section of the Galway Advertiser. The facilities available for children, including an extensive selection of educational toys, received particular praise.”

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Teddy Bears Picnic in Tuam Library


A Teddy Bears Picnic took place in Tuam Library on Thursday 24th July. over 35 children attended and brought along their teddies for a fun-filled hour of stories, songs, picture colouring and sweets!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Ballybane Public Library Card Making Workshop



Some of the participants that took part in the Ballybane Public Library Card Making Workshop on 15th July 2008

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Storytelling and Music at Tuam Library











Storyteller and musician Pete Mullineaux visited Tuam Library recently. He delighted a large number of children on Thursday 17th of July with his stories, songs and games. He created lots of excitement especially when he brought the children on a bear hunt!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Westside Library's Creative Writers Open Mic Night

Westside Library will be the venue for the Bealtaine Writers’ Group & the Over the Edge Summer Open Mic next Wednesday 23 July at 6.30 pm. The Bealtaine Writers’ Group was set up in Westside Library in May and was facilitated by the well known local poet Kevin Higgins. He will host the evening’s proceedings.

The event is part of the Westside Arts Festival which takes place on the following weekend July 25-27 in Westside. The Westside Arts Festival is a community festival run by the Galway Youth Federation-Westside, Neighbourhood Youth Project/HSE-Westside and Westside Library. It aims to bring the arts into the community.

If you have a poem or story you want to share come along. The event is free and all are welcome.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Teddy Bears' picnic at Westside Library

Westside Library was host to over seventy Teddy Bears and their owners last Friday 11 July at the Teddy Bears’ Picnic. The Picnic was held during Westside Library’s summer week programme of events in conjunction with Team Read and which continues throughout the summer. There were games and nursery rhymes and a lot of fun was had by the Teddies and their young owners.



Story-time for little ones continues on Fridays at 3.00 pm in Westside Library throughout the year.

Local storytellers Niall de Burca and Clare Murphy will both be in Westside Library telling stories next week as part of the Westside Arts Festival. Please contact staff at Westside Library on 091-520616 for further information on these events.

Top picture - Teddies on parade at Westside Library’s Picnic
Other pictures– Getting ready for the Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Westside Library

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Fitting the whole universe into 28 letters

"We’ve lost Eugenio Montejo, one of the noblest voices amid the poetry written in the tongue of those who pray to God in Spanish – as Rubén Darío said in one of his verses."
This is how the death of Venezuelan poet Eugenio Montejo was recorded in the Venepoetics weblog on June 10th.

Eugenio Montejo, who was the 2004 Octavio Paz prize winner, was in Spain in February of this year and there he gave one of his last interviews. He said his inspiration to write came from the time he spent as a child in his father’s bakery. "I used to love hiding away in the bakery, with flour everywhere. I loved the ritual of preparing the oven until it was red hot, and the sense of responsibility of the people who worked there, slaving away all night. That was my literary workshop."
Later he discovered words. "I was fascinated by the idea that the whole universe could be fitted into 28 letters," he said.

Montejo described his poetry as "a melodious chess game we play in solitude with God." He was fascinated by what he saw as the inconsequentiality of individual experience as opposed to life's continuity, believing our only hope is to make sure "that the song will endure."

A collection of his work is available in English in The Trees, Collected Poems 1967-2004. This book will shortly be on the shelves of Galway City Library.

Anyone interested in participating in a bilingual reading of the work of Eugenio Montejo is welcome to contact us at info@galwaylibrary.ie. Depending on the response, we will schedule the reading for Galway City Library sometime in September 2008.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The "how" and the "why" of life

In one of our branch libraries last autumn a woman who had returned from the UK (she having gone abroad some years previously to follow an educational programme) made some interesting observations on life as she knew it and as she saw it around her.
She said that: "So many people are going through life without realising anything near their full potential." Furthermore, she felt that opportunities (especially in the more rural areas) for realising that potential were limited. She was convinced that a local library with its books and related activities was vital.

Her thoughts reminded me of what the author Anne Fine said in her Open Mind radio lecture. "You must know", said Anne Fine "that lack of self-knowledge is at the root of an acknowledged amount of misery in people's lives, and all around us."

This has shades of Albert Camus, the Algerian-born French
author and philosopher, who won the Nobel Prize in 1957. Camus's father died in the war when Camus was very young, his mother was illiterate and had a bad speech defect. Camus defined poverty in the city of Algiers by saying
"a thirty -year -old workman has already played all the cards in his hand, he awaits the end between his wife and children."


Poverty, in Ireland or anywhere else, as we know, inflicts damage, physical and emotional damage, and a "profound spiritual damage."
Our libraries and our books can and do make people stop and think. In a very simple way they can, again according to Anne Fine, show people the "how" and "why" of life.
Libraries are the only institutions solely and in an independent way which are concerned with providing reading and informal educational experiences to all sections of the community. Libraries provide free reading in free public spaces that are unthreatening and non - commercial. They operate with a minimum of bureaucracy, and with the simplest of rules and regulations. Staff are non-judgmental and offer access to reading and education in an atmosphere that focuses on the development of the individual.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Coiscéim launch new book by Máire Ui Fhlatharta in Ballybane Library.

Coiscéim, one of the most enterprising publishers in the Irish language, launch new book by Máire Ui Fhlatharta in Ballybane Library.
The publishers Coiscéim have been in existence since 1980 when Pádraig Ó Snodaigh, who was chairman of Clódhanna Teo at the time, established the company. Coiscéim have published around seven hundred books to date making them the largest private publishers in Ireland.

A large number of people gathered in Ballybane Library on Saturday June 21st for the launch of their latest publication Na Gabh Thar Ti Stiofáin by Máire Ui Fhlatharta.

The launch was performed by the Mayor of Galway, Councillor Tom Costelloe.
In Na Gabh Thar Ti Stiofáin, Máire Ui Fhlatharta tells of Klaus von Rhode who is a famous soldier in the German army, but he does not agree in the least with the harsh treatment that Hitler and his followers are meting out to the country’s Jews. His wife is a Jewess, and she and their daughters suffer under the heavy hands of the Nazis. Klaus is trying to ensure that his son escapes their clutches.

Our photographs show Máire Ui Fhlatharta, in the company of the Mayor of Galway, receiving a bouquet of flowers from Siobhan Arkins, Executive Librarian, Ballybane Library. Our second photograph shows family and friends of Máire Ui Fhlatharta gathering for the launch.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

With the Olympics in Bejing beginning soon there’s a real buzz about sport this summer. You don’t have to be a sports fanatic to take part in this year’s reading challenge. Galway Libraries are on their marks and getting set to keep children reading during the summer holidays…….with Team Read, a county wide summer reading challenge for children.

The "Team Read" programme for children will start from Tuesday July 1st in Galway Libraries. Sign up from Tuesday July 1st to get your Team Read Registration card.
This summer the theme is sport, and the challenge is to read at least six books of their choice from their local library. Reading Certificates are presented at the end of summer parties.
Further information available from local libraries