Library Ireland Week events In Galway Public Libraries

Loughrea Library
Spring Concert - Sunday 1st March @ 7pm. Concert of classical music, the second in the series, including Bach, Mozart & Debussy by local musicians. Admission is free.
Toddler story time - Thursday 5th March @ 11am. A 45 minute session of story time and colouring for toddlers with a member of library staff.

Ballybane Library
Seminar is entitled “Life Balance” and is a presentation by Oranmore based Life Coach Rachael Hewetson. Wednesday 4th March at 11.15am.

Galway City Library
'ConTempo Quartet Lunchtime Concert' - Tuesday March 3rd at 1.10 p.m A free lunchtime concert by Galway's Ensemble-in-Residence ConTempo. ibrary, Hayden Sun Quartets Op.20 no. 6. "A group set on pushing the interpretative envelope...full of imaginative daring." The Irish Times
An Taisce's "Spring Into Action"- An exhibition to celebrate the work if Galway schools involved in the first year of the national rollout of An Taisce's Green Schools Travel Programme. Throughout the week.

Gort Library
11.30am Wed. March 4th - Gort Reading Circle will be having an open discussion on “The Book Thief” by Martin Zusak

Portumna Public Library
Book Club Meeting - Monday 2nd of March at 7.15pm to discuss 'The Olive Farm' by Carol Drinkwater.

Westside Library
Westside People Reads - Tuesday 03 March @ 6.30 pm where Westsiders will share their favourite books with other readers. Come along and either participate or enjoy the suggestions. The event is free and all are welcome.

Plenty more of events are being held thoughout the county, so check with your Galway local public library. More details will be posted here soon. All events are free.

Over The Edge: in Galway City Library

The February ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, February 26th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Hajo Quade, Marie Cadden & Geraldine Mitchell.

Geraldine Mitchell from Killadoon, Louisburgh, was awarded the prestigious Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award in November 2008. This award was previously won by now established poets such as Paul Durcan, Pat Boran, Eíleain Ní Chuilleanain and Joseph Woods.

Hajo Quade was born in Germany but has lived in Galway since 1989. He took up writing in 2007 when he did a number of creative writing classes with Susan Millar DuMars. He was runner-up in the 2008 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition.

Marie Cadden was reared in Dublin and the North of England. She has lived in Spiddal, Co. Galway since 1977. She was a teacher of deaf children and children with autism, retiring last year.

Away with Words in Ballybane library

Events at Gort Public Library

Gort Reading Circle for adults takes place in the library at 11.30am on the first Wednesday each month. The Reading Circle is a friendly, informal discussion group for people who wish to share their love of literature. Each month the reading circle members choose a particular title for discussion.

Storytime for Preschoolers takes place in the library at 12.00 every Friday

The Forge Literature Festival will be taking place in Gort during the last weekend of March. The Forge Literature Festival is organised by the Galway Writers’ Centre. Author Readings and Workshops will take place in venues throughout the town of Gort between Fri. 27th and Sun. 29th March 2009. As part of the Forge Literature Festival, Gort Public Library will be hosting a children’s reading with Gabriel Fitzmaurice at 12.00 on Saturday 28th March and an adult reading by controversial archaeologist Michael Gibbons at 3.00pm on Saturday 28th March. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Upcoming events for April 2009 at Gort Public Library include a Chamber Music Evening at 7.30pm on Sunday April 5th and Exhibitions by Local Artists. Details will be posted closer to the time.

Library Ireland Week

Library Ireland Week will take place from 2nd to the 8th of March 2009.

The first Library Ireland Week took place in 2005. In an effort to promote the work of Librarians and Libraries, the Library Association of Ireland (LAI) co-ordinates events and activities, with the help of libraries and information units all over Ireland.

Posters, bookmarkers, a logo and a website will all feature in this year’s publicity campaign.

Galway Public Libraries events and activities will be posted here.

Public Lending Remuneration Scheme

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has announced recently that it has launched the Public Lending Remuneration Scheme in respect of the public library service.
The Scheme, which will be administered by An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) with the co-operation of the local authority library service, will provide that qualifying authors, whose books are loaned by public libraries, will receive remuneration in respect of such loans.
Under PLR, a payment will be made to registered authors, resident in the European Economic Area (EEA), in respect of books registered with the PLR and loaned by public library authorities.

Authors are required to register with An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, providing an address and bank details, etc. Details of books registered will be entered into an author/title database and checked against bibliographic databases for accuracy. Authors are required to register each title and each edition of each title for which they are claiming payment.

Public library authorities will provide An Chomhairle Leabharlanna with loans data, giving details of the number of times each book in their collections is issued during a specified period.

At the end of the PLR period, the loans data from each authority will be matched to the author/title data and a list of authors whose books have been loaned, and the number of issues of each, will be produced. Authors will then be notified of the amount they are to receive and payments will be made.

Payment will be made to authors in respect of their contribution to the work for which the payment is due. The scheme will allow for the percentage of the payment to be made for various levels of contribution, which include, inter alia, contributions such as sole author, joint author, editor, translator, and illustrator.

The rate of payment will be set each year and will be the product of the total number of loans for which a payment is due, divided by the total amount available. Illustrators, photographers, editors and translators may all register for PLR (providing they are named on the title page of a book).

Pictorial Allsorts in Ballybane Library

“Pictorial Allsorts: (The Story so Far)” an art exhibition by local artist Terry Smith, is on display in Ballybane Library from Saturday 31st January to Saturday 28th February inclusive. The exhibition chronicles Terry’s work over the last eight years since he began painting.

It is a stunning mixed media exhibition featuring many local landmarks including Merlin castle, Ceannt station and views of Galway canal. Terry is well known as a musician and is clearly a man of many talents.

The exhibition was formally launched on Saturday 31st January at 2.30pm in Ballybane Library. The distinguished author, John Arden, launched the collection and praised Terry’s inspiration and talent. John Arden also commented on the wonderful facilities and welcoming ambience in Ballybane Library. The library is a community library in the true sense of the word.

The exhibition may be viewed during library opening hours Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm.

RTE visits Tuam Library as part of One Book, One Tuam initiative.

On Tuesday 20th January, RTE filmed some of the workshops taking place as part of ‘One Book, One Tuam…From Tuam to Terabithia’ for The Den. Midi Corcoran of Earwig Arts Festival performed a drama workshop with the children. Midi read from ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ and the children acted out scenes from the book. Leo Moran from the Sawdoctors talked to the children about how much he enjoyed the books and sang some of the songs included in the book.
As it was the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, it was interesting that these songs included ‘This land is your land’ and ‘Free to be, you and me’

‘This land is your land …
‘Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking,That freedom highway
Nobody living can make me turn back
This land was made for you and me…

And also ‘Free to Be You and Me…

‘I see a land bright and clear
And the time’s coming near
When we’ll live in this land
You and me, hand in hand…

Workshops will continue in the library over the next few weeks. A website has also been created for the project http://www.onebookonetuam.com/

Contempo Quartet in Galway City Library from 3rd of February

2009 Caldecott and Newbery Medal Awards

The American Library Association (ALA) has announced the top books, videos and audiobooks for children and young adults for 2009-

The Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children in 2009 is The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company).
Richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Krommes' elegant line, illuminated with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home and family, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world.

2009 Caldecott Honor Books
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, written and illustrated by Marla Frazee (Harcourt, Inc.)
In lively, detailed, subtly retro cartoons, Frazee gently pokes fun at adult expectations and captures the unbounded joy of two friends experiencing a parent-free summer adventure.
How I Learned Geography, written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz (Farrar Straus Giroux)
Recounting memories of his family's flight from the Warsaw Blitz and his years as a refugee during World War II, Shulevitz employs watercolor and ink to depict a boy liberated from his dreary existence through flights of fancy inspired by the map his father buys in the village market.
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Sweet's mixed-media collage and primitive watercolors flow seamlessly with Bryant's prose to reveal the important bits and pieces of Williams' ordinary, yet extraordinary, life as a doctor and poet.

2009 Newbery Medal winner

The Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature for 2009 is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean, and published by HarperCollins Children's Books.
A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, the tale of Nobody Owens is told in magical, haunting prose. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens.

2009 Newbery Honor Books

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
Underneath the canopy of the loblolly pines, amid the pulsating sounds of the swamp, there lies a tale. Intertwining stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope. Appelt's lyrical storytelling heightens the distinguished characteristics of this work.
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt & Comapny)
The Surrender Tree utilizes compelling free verse in alternating voices to lyrically tell the story of Cuba's three wars for independence from Spain. Combining real-life characters (such as legendary healer Rosa La Bayamesa) with imagined individuals, Engle focuses on Rosa's struggle to save everyone--black, white, Cuban, Spanish, friend or enemy.
Savvy by Ingrid Law (Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group in partnership with Walden Media, LLC
This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. Newcomer Law weaves a magical tall tale, using vivid language and lively personalities, all bouncing their way to a warm, satisfying conclusion.
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson (G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Books for Young Readers)
This tightly woven novel looks back on two years in a New York City neighborhood, where life changes for two 11-year-olds when a new girl joins their game of double Dutch. Bonded by Tupac's music, the three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities.

In the Picture at Westside, Tuam and Ballinasloe Libraries

The Play4All Committee of Galway City and County launched the booklet “In the Picture” recently in Westside Library . An exhibition of the books and posters associated with the collection will be exhibited till the end of February at Westside Library and during February and March in Tuam and ED Ballinasloe/Ballinasloe library.

A travelling exhibition will also be made available for other groups to borrow. For further information please contact ourselves, the Library Service or the City and County Childcare committee. View the booklet here.

The In The Picture campaign is about encouraging publishers, illustrators and writers to embrace diversity - so that disabled children, who have been virtually invisible until recently, are included alongside others in illustrations and story lines in books for young readers. It is not an attempt to create a separate strand of children’s literature, tackling disability issues. People from every area concerned with children's books - from makers to sellers to buyers can influence and be part of this changing culture.

Gort Archives available on Microfilm -

Galway County Council is pleased to announce that the Gort Poor Law Union archive collection is now available on microfilm. Access is available at the Archives Section in the County Library Headquarters, Island House, Cathedral Square, Galway.

The collection contains the minute books of the Board of Guardians of Gort Poor Law Union throughout the famine period, and subsequent minutes which chart the history of the Union right up to 1921. It contains, for instance, weekly statistics on the number of persons accommodated in the workhouse, together with the numbers of births and deaths, and the number receiving outdoor relief. The highest recorded number of deaths occurred in January 1848, with 26 dying in one week, 63 the following week, 79 deaths are recorded for week-ending 15 January (1848), and 65 died during week-ending 22 January 1848.
At that point the Board’s Medical Officer reported that the medical department of the Workhouse was in a ‘most deplorable condition’ and that ‘whole [work]House is one mass of disease and infection without accommodation classification, clothing, bedding or proper attendants...’ (February 1848, G01/12/5, pp538-539).

The Minutes also reveal that the Board was involved in a programme of assisted emigration in the early 1850s. The minutes record for example that the Board ‘Resolved that the Commissioners be requested to get Aid from the Treasury to Emigrate some of the unmarried females now in this workhouse to Van Dieman’s land’’ (G01/12/11, p13).

The minutes also record that ‘The Medical Officer of the Kinvarra District reported that the town of Kinvarra is at present in a filthy state, owing to heaps of manure being allowed to remain in several parts of the town which polute (sic) the air and are highly dangerous to the health of the inhabitants’ (1888 , G01/12/81, p157), and also that Lady Gregory often invited the workhouse children to spend afternoons at Coole Park (for instances, G01/12/79, p449, 1887).
There is a whole wealth of interesting and important historical and human interest information to be gleaned from this wonderful archive collection. It is a valuable record charting local administration, and social and public infrastructural development in the south Galway region during a very important and poignant era in Irish history. It should be of interest to administrative, economic, political and social historians. In particular, it should be a major source of information for local historians.

The Poor Law Union collection was microfilmed as part of the ongoing program to preserve our County’s documentary heritage, to ensure the protection of original records, and to facilitate access for interested readers. Access to the records is by prior appointment with the Archivist at Island House (Tel. 091 562471).

Poet to speak at Obama's inauguration

Elizabeth Alexander has been selected to compose and deliver a poem at Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration at the United States Capitol on January, 20, 2009. She is the fourth poet in history to be so honored. She will deliver her poem after president-elect Obama’s inaugural address.

"She is a superb choice for the inauguration," explains Tree Swenson, Executive Director of the Academy of American Poets. "She is from Washington, she represents Obama's generation, and she has written about the Civil Rights conflict and other historical events that have shaped the character of this country. At the same time, her intense personal vision reveals the commonplace life illuminated from startling new angles—as good poetry always does."

Alexander said: "This is a powerful moment in our history. The joy I feel is sober and profound because so much struggle and sacrifice have brought us to this day. And there is so much work to be done ahead of us. Poetry is not meant to cheer; rather, poetry challenges, and moves us towards transformation. Language distilled and artfully arranged shifts our experience of the words – and the worldviews – we live in.
This is only the fourth time in our history that a President has featured a poet at his inaugural. I hope that this portends well for the future of the arts in our everyday and civic life.”

Costa Book Awards

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry won the novel category at the Costa Book awards announced on the 5th January.

Other category winners were The Outcasts by Sadie Jones, first novel award.
Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill, biography award.
The Broken Word by Adam Foulds, poetry award.
Just Henry by Michelle Magorian, children’s award.

Each winner will now compete for the 2008 Costa Book of The Year, which will be announced on the 27th January 2009.

‘One Book, One Tuam…From Tuam to Terrabithia’

‘One Book, One Tuam…From Tuam to Terrabithia’ was launched in Tuam Library on Thursday 8th January.
This project was organized by Tuam Library and the Home/School Liaison Services. The aim of the initiative is to get everyone in Tuam, of all ages, to read ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ by Katherine Paterson during January and February.
Tuam Library and two Home/School Liaison teachers worked together to raise sponsorship to buy copies of the book. Local businesses very generously donated funds as well as John Treacy from International Education Supplies, Tuam Lions Club, Tuam Credit Union and RAPID.
As a result of this sponsorship, over 600 copies of the book are in circulation in Tuam town.
The initiative was launched by Irish storyteller Niall de Burca.

The Mayor of the County of Galway Councillor Peter Feeney, the Minister of State Michéal Kitt and Mayor of Tuam Pete Warren also spoke at the launch. Councillor Michael Connolly and Town Commissioner Gilleesa Lane were also present.

Representatives from Tuam book club, local schools, adult literacy groups, Youthreach, Tuam Herald, RAPID and IES attended. All events associated with this book will take place in the library over the next two months. These events include readings, creative writing, art, dance and drama workshops.
Midi Corcoran of Earwig Arts will work with children from local schools to create a ‘Terabithia’ float for the St Patrick’s Day parade.
The Mall Cinema will re-open for the purpose of screening this film.
This initiative demonstrated Tuam’s warm community spirit.

Ballybane Library Book Launch

At the recent Launch of ‘Down Memory Lane-Ballybane and its People at Ballybane Library in December 2008.
Memoirs of Ballybane written by the Ballybane Active Retirement Association’s Writing Group.

1. Signing the book.
2. Informal group photo.
3. Margaret Dowling, Siobhan Arkins, William Henry.
4. William Henry.

Most popular books in 2008

Once again, "A thousand splendid suns" is Galway's most lent title. According to our lending records the most popular book issues in Galway Public Libraries for 2008 were as follows:

Most Popular Adult Books in 2008

• A thousand splendid suns -Hosseini, Khaled
• The memory keeper's daughter -­Edwards, Kim
• Half of a yellow sun -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Out stealing horses -Per Petterson ; translated by Anne Born
• The mistress's daughter :­a memoir - A.M. Homes
• ­Under the Tuscan sun - Frances Mayes
• The olive farm :­a love story -Carol Drinkwater
• You've been warned -James Patterson with Howard Roughan
• 7th heaven -James Patterson
• ­The gathering‑Anne Enright
• This year it will be different :a Christmas treasury-Maeve Binchy
• ­The book thief /­Markus Zusak

Most Popular Juvenile Books in 2008

• ­The Spiderwick Chronicles:The field guide /­Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
• Harry Potter and the deathly hallows /­J.K. Rowling
• The seeing stone : the Spiderwick Chronicles /­Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
• Captain Underpants and the big, bad battle of the Bionic Booger Boy /­Dav Pilkey Pt.1, The night of the nasty nostril nuggets
• Skulduggery Pleasant / ­Landy, Derek
• ­Captain Underpants :­three more wedgie-powered adventures in one /­Dav Pikley
• The Ironwood tree :the Spiderwick Chronicles /­Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
• Captain Underpants and the preposterous plight of the purple potty people /­Dav Pilkey
• Best friends /­Jacqueline Wilson ; illustrated by Nick Sharratt
• Lucinda's secret: the Spiderwick Chronicles /­Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
• Captain Underpants and the invasion of the incredible naughty cafeteria ladies from outer space ... :­the third epic novel /­cby Dav Pilkey

Compare these with last years results here

Christmas story telling in Ballybane Library

Here are some of the many happy faces at the Christmas Story Telling session that took place in Ballybane Library on Saturday 20th of December 2008 with Clare Muireann Murphy

Winning Young Poet from Ballybane

The Library
By
William Ikenna-Nwosu

The Library is my favourite place
There I always see a friendly face
In the Library there are a lot of books
But you cannot judge them by their looks

There are lots of books on the shelves
Some about fables some about elves
Lots about the human body
For the babies, some about Noddy

If you just ask me
It’s a wonderful place to be
You could go with your buddy
Instead of getting very muddy.

This poem was a winner in the Junior Poetry Competition which was held as part of Children’s Book Week during October in Ballybane Library.

Final Over The Edge: Open Reading of 2008

The final Over The Edge: Open Reading of the year will take place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, December 18th, 6.30-8pm.

The Featured Readers are Paula Gilbert, Denise Heneghan & Clare Muireann Murphy.

Clare Muireann Murphy is a professional storyteller. She has performed at festivals such as The Electric Picnic, Vienna Lit, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Baboró Children's Festival with Rab Swannock Fulton and Singapore Out of the Box Puppet Festival. Clare played Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in a solo show as part of the Tales for Winter series in November. Her repertoire includes the Irish myths and legends as well as many more tales from world folklore. She founded Story Night, the monthly story share gathering at the Spirit Centre on Nun’s Island. She is an Arts Foundation Fellowship nominee and a winner of the Social Entrepreneurs Award 2007 for her storytelling work.

Paula Gilbert is originally from Meath but moved to Claremorris, Co. Mayo when she was young. She has always loved writing and would love to write a book of short stories. She has attended John Corless’s Creative Writing Classes at G.M.I.T-Castlebar. She read her story ‘Mad Mooney’ at this year’s Force 12 Writers’ Weekend in Bellmullet. She is secretary of Mayo Writers Block, who won first prize at this year’s National Writers Group Festival in Longford.

Denise Heneghan is a social entrepreneur with a background in technical management and voluntary leadership. She started writing poetry four years ago, and has attended workshops facilitated by Geraldine Mills and Kevin Higgins. She is currently a member of the advanced poetry class at Galway Arts Centre. She has been a finalist at a number of Cúirt and Baffle Poetry Slams. She won third prize at Baffle 2005, and was shortlisted in the 2008 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year competition.

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are always especially welcome. For further details phone 087-6431748.