Friday, June 26, 2009

The Pied Piper comes to Woodford

On Friday morning 12th June, Simone Schummelfeder, a young and exciting storyteller from Hamburg in Germany came to the Library in Woodford (with assistance from ED Ballinasloe/Ballinasloe Library) and made a presentation to students (8 and 9 year olds) from the surrounding schools of Derryober, Drim and Woodford.
Simone first read the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and then she got the children to build a story themselves, helping them to understand such things as character, plot, action and how a story evolves.
Situated right in the heart of Woodford, the library is a space (shared with the Credit Union) which is alive, well-kept, and looks well. In this small town/village, anyone can come in and find the world, both through the stock of library books and materials, and through the various informal education events which are held here.
Opportunities for children in a rural area such as Woodford to engage with a young foreign story-teller/performer are few and far between. It is especially important for children from poorer families whose parents cannot afford to take them and pay to such events in larger centres of population.
That Friday morning event in Woodford, as well as helping to nurture literacy and literary skills, was surely a nourishing experience for each child’s imagination and creativity.
More importantly, as we all know from our own childhood experiences, the memory of an event like that in one’s local area will live, and be of consequence, in a child’s mind long into adulthood. For every child it is something special that books are alive and even magic is afoot in Woodford - a service that is more important than ever during the negativity of an economic downturn.

This event was part of this years Three Rivers Storytelling Festival which is now in its second year. The festival is midlands based and takes in the East Galway libraries of ED Ballinasloe/Ballinasloe, Portumna, Loughrea, Eyrecourt, Killimor and Woodford

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

“Surviving and Thriving in a Downturn” takes place in Tuam Library.

A Free Information Event open to all interested in accessing further training, education and other supports in Tuam on Thursday 25th June. Drop into Tuam Library between 2-6 pm for information and events from:
FÁS, Galway Rural Development, Galway County council, Galway County VEC, NUIG, GMIT, Skillnet, Gardai, Department of Social and Family Affairs, Health Service Executive, Money Advice and Budgeting Service, County Childcare Committee, Western Travellers, Tuam Resource Centre and Tuam Chamber of Commerce.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Exhibition about Galway Community Circus in City Library


A colourful show about the history of the Galway Community Circus was launched on Tuesday 9th of June in the City library. It will be on display until the 29th of june. Then it will move until the 17th of July to Westside Library. In August it will move on to exhibit in Ballybane Library.


The Galway Circus Project (An Sorcas Beag) have come together with a shared interest in circus skills and created a forum, since September 2002 in which individuals can share and pass on skills, develop teaching techniques and concepts. Our interest was to create a space where young people on differing social backgrounds can connect on neutral ground.
We are a non-profit organisation and all of our public classes operate on voluntary contributions.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

In Stitches in Ballybane Library




This textile and art exhibition continues in Ballybane Library. It showcases works by GMIT third year degree students. These images are just a sample of the many fine pieces on view.
It continues until the 20th of June.


Saturday, June 13, 2009

Debut novel wins IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

American writer Michael Thomas has won the International Impac Dublin Literary Award - the world's most lucrative literary prize - for his debut novel.
Man Gone Down was chosen from a shortlist of eight novels to scoop the 100,000 euros (£85,000) prize.
Michael Thomas was born and raised in Boston. He lives in New York with his wife and three children. His debut novel has beaten off competition from 145 titles, nominated by 157 public libraries from 41 countries.
The winning novel, first published by Grove Atlantic, USA, and a New York Times top ten book of 2007, was chosen from a shortlist of eight, which included novels from the USA, France, India, Pakistan and Norway. Man Gone Down was published by Atlantic Books, UK in 2009.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

ESSENTIAL SUMMER READING at GALWAY CITY LIBRARY

1. By Royal Command ( No.5 )……… Charlie Higson.
The young James Bond is under surveillance his every move is being watched………..


2. Bog Child ......................................................Siobhan Dowd
When Fergus discovers the body everything changes……………
3. Forget Me Not …………………………………Anne Cassidy
Jade Henderson is missing, taken from her cot in the night…………
4. My Forbidden Face …………………………………………Latifa
A true story of how Latifa’s life changes forever when the Taliban arrive…….
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid ……………………………………Jeff Kinney
Greg is stuck in school with a bunch of morons! …………
6. Cosmic …………………………Frank Cottrell Boyce
Liam is big for his age and this offers unexpected opportunities in a Porsche showroom …………
7. Double Cross (No.4 )…………………Malorie Blackman
Just this once …please let me get away with it just this once…..
8. Fearless …………………………………………Tim Lott
Have you ever been punished for something you didn’t do ……..
9. The Truth about Forever ………………Sarah Dessen
He doesn’t fit Macy’s life at all …so why does she feel so comfortable with him.
10. Ringmaster………………………………………Julia Golding
Another side of Africa awaits Darcie, international smuggling, espionage and corruption….

A new strange, exciting, world may only be a page away………..……….at Galway City Library

Friday, June 05, 2009

IMPAC- Galway Libraries Nominee

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is open to works of fiction written in, or translated into, English and published within a specified period of time.
The nomination process for the Award is unique as nominations are made by selected libraries in capital and major cities throughout the world. Participating libraries can nominate up to three books each year for the Award: the books must meet the criteria for eligibility which are distributed to libraries each year.

Ravel, by Jean E Chenoz was nominated by Galway Libraries, as well as libraries in Nice, and Munich.To see the full list of libraries who have participated in the award since 1996 click here.
The shortlist was selected from a total of 146 novels nominated by 157 public library systems in 117 cities worldwide. The Award is worth €100,000 and is the world’s most valuable literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English. The Lord Mayor of Dublin and Patron of the Award, Eibhlin Byrne, today officially confirmed the titles on this year’s shortlist, nominated by public libraries in Australia, The USA, Canada, Barbados, Lebanon, England, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, The Czech Republic, Norway and Sweden.
The shortlisted titles announced recently are:
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (Dominican / American) Riverhead Books
Ravel by Jean Echenoz (French) in translation. The New Press
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Pakistani / British) Hamish Hamilton / Harcourt / Doubleday Canada
The Archivist’s Story by Travis Holland (American) Dial Press
The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles by Roy Jacobsen (Norwegian) in translation. John Murray Publishers
The Indian Clerk by David Leavitt (American) Bloomsbury Publishing
Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Indian / British) Simon & Schuster
Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas (American) Grove / Atlantic
The winner of the 2009 award will be announced on 11th June 2009