Human Library at Westside Library

Westside Library in association with the Westside Community Development Project and Galway County Council’s Social Inclusion Unit recently hosted Galway’s first ever Human Library.
On Wednesday March 16^th 2011 Westside Library became the Human Library where the ‘books’ could literally speak. There were many ‘readers’ in attendance who came to borrow a human ‘book’.

The human ‘books’ included an older person, a teenager, a traveller, a Muslim, a member of an Gardai Síochána and lots more. They represented groups of people who have experienced prejudice or stereotyping in their profession. The aim of the Human Library is the promotion of understanding and tolerance through dialogue and there was plenty of chat throughout the evening.
The immigrant worker book was the ‘bestseller’ on the night but all of the books were in high demand. Feedback from both books and readers was very positive. As one reader commented, ‘communication between humans is really essential’. The evening concluded with a choral recitation by the Westside Community choir. The conversations continued with refreshments and many new friendships were made on the night.

The Human Library was begun by Ronnie Abergel in Denmark and it is now an international event with over 120 events in 45 countries.

Fourth Forge Literature Festival events in Gort Library

Gort will see its fourth 'Forge at Gort' literature festival commence on Friday, 25th March. A host of novelists, poets and musicians are due for this year's festival, which is organised by theWestern Writers' Centre, Ionad Scríbhneoiri Chaitlín Maude, Galway.
Renowned photographer, Joe Geoghegan, will exhibit elements of his famous exhibition of photos-and-poems from the eyes, quite literally, of many Irish writers - this exhibition opens at Gort Library on the 22nd March at 19.00 at which the festival will be launched - all are welcome.

FRIDAY MARCH 25TH
5pm – 6pm - Opening and exhibition of Tom Byrne painting of Lady Augusta Gregory – this painting is for sale in support of the festival and bids will be taken or announced at the opening - Sullivans Royal Hotel
John W. Sexton – poet Sarah Clancy – 7.pm Sullivans Royal Hotel Friday
The Poetry Chicks+ Miceál Kearney : Gort Library, 8pm

SATURDAY MARCH 26TH
Noel Monahan – poet; Kevin Kiely – poet and reviewer - Gort Library, 11 am, Saturday
Matt Mooney – with Paul Jeffcut – poetry & music, Patrick Stack: – Saturday 1pm - Gort Family Resource Centre
The Clare Three-Leggéd Stool Writers' Group – O'Grady's Bar, Gort 3pm
'Tea with George Moore' – an ensemble piece on the writers' life written by John Arden and Margaretta D'Arcy - Gort Family Resource Centre, 5pm.
Olaf Tyaransen/Clare Sawtell – launch of Clare' Sawtell collection - Brenda Malloy,

East Galway Art Trail 2011

East Galway Art Trail 2011

The East Galway Art Trail, now in its fourth year, will,this year host artists Aishling Morin, Fiona Flaherty, Johnny Hession, Ann Hill, John Soden and Peter Kelehan.

The Art Trail is a project, organized by Ballinasloe artist, Joyce Little and the staff of Galway County Library who live and work in the East Galway region in Ballinasloe, Portumna, Killimor, Eyrecourt and Woodford.

Art and libraries merge and, in doing so both the artist and their work are brought into the wider community in a socially inclusive way, by using the facilities available in rural libraries as focal points and points of interaction.

The artists live within local communities themselves....therefore, by bringing the two together, smaller communities can benefit from and be exposed to the enjoyment of art and engage with their librarys facilities at the same time.
Thus, the Art Trail aims to expose the wider community to art, in its various forms.

Exhibition by Aishling Morin in Killimor Library 16^th March @7.30pm
Librarian; Marie Mullins

Aishling works with acrylic paint. In some of her latest work, she has employed the use of painting knives to make interesting shapes, not possible with brushes.While her work is mainly abstract and expressionistic, her inspiration is varied:from coloured glass, rocks, various animals, plants and marine life which are a rich source of form, colour and texture. She tends not to impose titles on her paintings, unless a particular work reveals a title as she feels a word can influence the experience of the viewer and suggest something that perhaps they might not have seen and affect their perception of the work, thus changing their individual experience with the piece. Aishling studied at DIT and GMIT.

Exhibition by Fiona Flaherty anf Johnny Hession in Portumna Library 23^rd March @7.30pm.
Librarians; Teresa Tierney, Louise Harte.

Fiona Flaherty works in the medium of paint. Her interest lies in exploring female identity through objects, the body and the imagination. She studied Art and Design at Moate Business College,during which she was chosen to fulfil 3 weeks work experience in Barcelona,Spain. She is now in 3^rd year in Cluain Mhuire, GMIT Studying Art and Design,specialising in paint but also working with a wide range of materials.

Johnny Hession works in the area of sculpture.He uses video, photography and performance as a way to express his work.He explores the notion of identity,territory and rituals. He used the idea of the door as a transportal and also as fear of the unknown and,as a confined space in open space. He uses his hair and body in a way that comes across as masculine/feminine gestures. His hair is expressed in a spiritual/ritualistic manner by quick movement giving mask like features, having these differebt characters in the inner self. Johnny studied at GMIT.

Renmore Active Retired Association - Ballybane Library

Renmore Active Retired Association launched their 2011 Art Exhibition in Ballybane Library recently. 43 paintings by members of this

group will be on show until the 31^st March. It was opened by Chairperson Eithne Carey and Local Historian

William Henry. It is always good to see the talent of

Local residents

Human Library in Westside Library

As part of Library Ireland Week 2011 Westside Library will host Galway’s first ‘Human Library’. This event will be held at Westside Library on Wednesday 16^th March 2011 between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm.
In the Human Library books are people! The shelves are full of people who frequently face prejudice. In the Human Library you can chat to these human books and change your preconception of them and maybe theirs of you.

Galway Library Service plan to have ‘books’ for the following stereotypes: Traveller (ethnic group in Ireland), disabled, lone parent, early school leaver, refugee, Muslim, former homeless, Irish language speaker, member of An Garda Síochána, and Blonde Woman. The titles of our books all represent people who the local organizers know have been stereotyped in the community.

The Human Library is prepared with funding from the Social Inclusion Unit of Galway County Council to cover the running costs for the event. As always, the services of the Human Library are free to its readers.

For more information please contact Westside Library at 091-520616

'Adventures in Music’ - Ballybane Library

Jimmy Fitzgerald came to Ballybane Library in early March to entertain children from Senior Infants of Scoil Dara in Renmore. This event was sponsored by ‘Adventures in Music’. The children were very inquisitive. They sang along to fun songs and were allowed to strum the guitar. A great musical treat for all.

Adventures in Music is a parent-run, non-profit organisation based in Galway, which was set up in 2004 in order to promote family-oriented musical events. The committee was formed by nine

mothers who met while attending Galway's Parent and Toddler groups.

Dedicated primarily to the cultural enrichment of children through music, Adventures in Music is aimed at providing children – and their families – with the opportunity to enjoy and learn about music, in a fun environment for both adults and children alike.

Édouard Glissant - Discover the roots to open itself to the world

Portrait of the writer of Martinique dead recently at the age of 82

Discover the roots to open itself to the world

Édouard Glissant, the patriarch of the Caribbean literature, on last February 3rd is dead in Paris at age of 82. In his writings Glissant has strongly expressed that the World is lacerated between the fear of the globalization (it conforms and it cancels the differences) and the exasperation of the differences (that is it brings the people to stay isolated and to hate each others).

Once he wrote: “The roots do not sink into the darkness of ancestral origin, searching the purity, but they widen in surface as branches of a plant, to meet other roots and to shake them as hands."

This thought is direct expression of the " creolization." This word refers to the Creole, this language which is a mix between the French dialect spoken by master of the slaves and the language of the slaves themselves. It became the frank language of the Caribbean.

In the literature of Glissant we can find therefore the influences of the black slaves picked up from Africa, of the French masters of the slaves, of the Caribbean and of the people who later arrived, including the Indians, the Chinese and the Syrians.

Glissant has written numerous essays and novels. His masterpiece is The Fourth Century (1964), a narration of that four centuries in which the slaves' humanity, in the hold of the slave ships, leans out to life and history.

Édouard is hard in his report of the slavery but he is immune entirely from the vengeful resentment that would remove his interior liberty and his work.

This great author, well known in France and in the USA, accepted the limits of mutual human understanding (we have to learn to live with that limit) and in one of the last interviews he said: “we need to learn to live with the other and to love him, accepting to not be able to understand him and to be able to be understood by him.”

Adapted by Alberto Fostinelli, internship student with Galway Libraries, from an article in Corriere della sera written by Claudio Magris.

Westside Library Seisiún

Library Ireland Week 2011 & Seachtain na Gaeilge - Westside Library

As part of Library Ireland Week 2011 and Seachtain na Gaeilge, Westside Library will host the following events
.

‘Get into Reading’ – a reading group with a difference

The first ‘Get into Reading’ event will be held at Westside Library on Tuesday 8^th March 2011 between 6.30 pm and 8.00 pm. Get into reading is a reading group with a difference. Prose and poetry are read aloud on the night and it is then followed by a discussion on what was read. You don’t have to read aloud or even speak but if you like to hear literature read aloud, come along on the night. Guest readers from the BAFFLE Poetry Group will read at this first event. The event is free and all are welcome.

Seisiún at Westside Library
As part of Seachtain na Gaeilge, Westside Library is delighted to present local musicians, singers and creative writers for a medley concert. The Seisiún will take place on Friday 11 March 2011 between 3.00 pm and 5.00 pm. The will also be storytelling for children. The event is free and all are welcome.

For more information please contact Westside Library at 091-520616

Concord Exhibition at ED Ballinasloe Library

An exhibition by the European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development CONCORD is on view at the Europe Direct Centre, Ballinasloe Library, until the end of March.

CONCORD represents over 1600 European Development and Relief NGO's and has a common drive to fight poverty and injustice. It aims to influence the policies and practices of the European Union so that the Union and its member states enhance social justice, equality and human rights throughout the world.

The confederation includes organizations such as :Dóchas, World Vision, Oxfam, Terre des Hommes, Caritas Europa, Save the Children, MVRO Slovak ngdo platform, NG Italiane to name only a few.

The photographs in this extensive exhibition give some idea of its work throughout the world today.

Europe Direct Centres were set up by the European Commission in partnership with the Library Council to make information on the European Union readily accessible to citizens.