Exhibition by young artists in Westside Library

A recent exhibition of oil paintings by local school children from Scoil Bhride in Shantalla generated lots of interest in Westside library.

Some of the paintings were solo works while others were collaborative between all the students. The paintings were a mixture of representational and abstract work with lots of experiments in application techniques and use of colour. The results were an outstanding display of creative work showcasing some very unique talent and imagination.

The exhibition was visited by classes from the school as well as library members and the young artists received lots of positive remarks and praise.

World Book Day in Galway City Library

World Book Day 2012, which was celebrated in over 100 countries, was marked with a special reading of poetry in translation in Galway City Library. There is a Catalan tradition of exchanging books and roses on Saint Jordi’s Day, April 23rd and UNESCO have chosen  this date to pay a worldwide tribute to books and to the extraordinary contributions of poets and writers who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.

Photographed in Galway City Library  exchanging  a book and a rose on World Book Day  are  Grachy Venegas from the village of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda in Catalonia and Gabriel Mannion, Galway City Library.

Presentation Primary School Shared Reading project in Tuam Library

The Presentation Primary School completed a six week shared reading project with children from second class and their parents.

Tuam library supplied the books to the school and each Friday parents joined their children in the classroom for an hour of reading together. The children, their parents and teacher were invited to the library for the final shared reading session where the children were presented with a certificate for partaking in the project. They were encouraged to join the library and to borrow books and all enjoyed a story which was read aloud.

Westside Library

LISTEN TO WESTSIDE LIBRARY Staff (Talking about WALTER MACKEN, BOOK CLUBS And galway libraries SUMMER READING CHALLENGE) ON GALWAY BAY FM

World Book Day in Tuam Library

 A World Book Day celebration was held in Tuam library on Monday 23^rd of April. Author Alan Durant talked about his writing and his many years in publishing and entertained with his humorous poems. He presented each person present with a rose. World Book Day originated in 1923 when a bookseller decided to commemorate the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare, who died on 23^rd April 1616.  In Spain, books and roses are traditionally exchanged on April 23^rd, “ a rose for love and a book forever”. In 1995, UNESCO adopted this date as World Book Day and Copyright Day.

Free lunch time music concert Thursday 3rd of May in Loughrea Library

Bealtaine Exhibition in Gort library

Bealtaine is an annual festival which takes place every May to celebrate creativity in old age.  Gort Active Retirement Association will be holding an exhibition of oil paintings in Gort public library throughout the month of May as part of the Bealtaine Festival.  There will be a celebratory launch of the exhibition in the library at midday on Saturday 28^th April.  All are welcome.

The painting to the left is called Reading or Sleeping? And the artist is Caroline Forde from Gort Active Retirement Association.

Galway City Children's Library - Book of the Week

Galway Schools Library Service - Reading & Literacy Week Workshops

Tuam Library presents...Alan Durant

Galway County Council’s ‘Environmental Information Pack’ launched in Loughrea Library

The launch of Galway County Council’s ‘Environmental Information Pack’ and ‘Greening Your Workplace’ Leaflet Series took place in Loughrea Library recently. 

This Leaflet Series was developed as an environmental education and awareness tool and contains bi-lingual leaflets, bookmarks and display stands. 

The series covers topics such as Waste Prevention, Energy Conservation, Water Conservation, Home Composting and Food Waste Prevention 

'Bí Linn'...Scéim léithoireacht i Leabharlann na Ceathrún Ruaidh

March Madness in Loughrea Library

World Book Day

On World Book Day, March 1^st, Gaeilge Locha Riach launched their Irish summer reading challenge in Loughrea Library. Some children attended the event dressed as a character from their favourite book.

  

Mother's Day Display

For Mother’s Day on March 18^th, craft, cooking, baking and colouring ideas were provided for eager dads and kids to celebrate all mothers in 2012. Children coloured in ‘World’s Best Mom’ diplomas and checked out cookery books in order to pamper mom on Mothering Sunday. Activities were held in Loughrea, Westside and other libraries across Galway.

Loughrea Nature Watch held an evening meeting in Loughrea Library on Monday, March 5^th. Some of the discussion featured ‘The Beetles of Sherkin Island and Roaringwater Bay’. The group provided a few editions of the Sherkin Comment, an environmental quarterly of Sherkin Island Marine Station, for our reader’s consideration.

The coffee morning for Daffodil Day on March 22^nd, held in Loughrea Library was a great success. All proceeds went to the Irish Cancer Society and the event was hosted by local volunteers. A raffle was held on the morning, with the top prize winner being our own assistant librarian Anne Callanan!

Easter weekend was a busy time in Loughrea Library. On Saturday afternoon an ‘Easter Craft’ session was held for our junior members from 2-5pm.

  

Book of the Week - Galway City Children's Library

Manga Drawing Workshop in Galway City Library

Tuam Library - Origami Workshop

Book of the Week - Galway City Library

Clár Fhéile Raifteirí 2012 - Loughrea Library

Forge at Gort Library

The fifth Forge at Gort Festival takes place in venues throughout the town of Gort on March 30^th and 31^st. 

Two of the festival events will take place in Gort public library.  On Saturday 31^st March, storyteller, Eddie Lenihan, will perform in the library at 12noon and at 8pm on the same evening there will be a concert in the public library with music by Siobhán Armstrong and Roisín Elsafty with poets Ciarán O’Driscoll and Martin Dyar. 

The Forge at Gort Festival is organized by the Western Writers Centre and details of other events taking place during the festival can be found at www.twwc.ie or by contacting westernwriters@eircom.net

'Start Reading' in Ballybane Library

Children from Scoil Caitríona visited Ballybane Library to receive their gift of books under the ‘Start Reading Initiative’ which is a pilot scheme running in both the Ballybane Library and Tuam Library

The aims of the initiative are as follows;

       To introduce children to the library service and all it offers

    To encourage children to become readers 

        To encourage children to join the library
        To instill a culture of reading at a young age

Daffodil Day Coffee Morning Loughrea Library

Loughrea Library will host a coffee morning for Daffodil Day in aid of the Irish Cancer Society on Thursday 22nd March between 11am and 1pm.
Your support would be appreciated.

Children's Book of the Week - Galway City Library

‘Bí Linn’ in Carraroe Library

6th East Galway Library Art Trail launches in Ballinasloe Library

The 6th East Galway Library Art Trail commences on Thursday, March 1st at 7.30pm with the launch of  an exhibition by Eve Woods at Ballinasloe Library.
 The art trail is a joint project between the staff in the 5 libraries in East Galway area and Joyce Little, a Ballinasloe based professional artist.The aim of the Art Trail is to bring professional art, in its various mediums, to people of all ages and in all areas,both urban and rural, of East Galway.....and in doing so, to expose them to art in their own locality in an intergenerational and socially inclusive way.
 Art exhibitions will open in the libraries on Thursdays during the month of March.....the exception being Portumna,whose exhibition opens on Wednesday, 7th March at 7.30pm. Libraries taking part are Ballinasloe,Portumna,Eyrecourt,Killimor and Woodford. All members of the general public are welcome and details are available from local libraries.....available on www.galwaylibrary.ie.

Book of the Week - Galway City Library

‘Environmental Information Pack' launch in Loughrea Library

The launch of Galway County Council’s ‘Environmental Information Pack’ and ‘Greening Your Workplace’ Leaflet Series will take place in the Loughrea Library on Thursday 23rd February 2012 at 11.00am.   

This Leaflet Series was developed as an environmental education and awareness tool and contains bi-lingual leaflets, bookmarks and display stands.  The series covers topics such as Waste Prevention, Energy Conservation, Water Conservation, Home Composting and Food Waste Prevention.  

The leaflets contain information on how each of us as individuals can improve our environmental performance either in the home or in the workplace and will assist in  further enhancing the creation of environmental awareness throughout the County.

Individuals, schools, businesses and organisations can benefit from this information.

Martin Reilly Lecture Series in Galway City Library

Loughrea Music Club in Loughrea Library

Loughrea Music Club celebrated their 3^rd Birthday last Sunday night- 5^th February 2012. A melodic night was enjoyed by the huge turn out of patrons, for the first meeting of 2012. Instrumental pieces were performed by Philip Short on Piano, Tom Murphy and Yvette Gorham on Violins, David Clarke on Viola and Denise Moorcroft on Cello.
Padraig and Madeline Connaughton sang tunes including ‘I left My Heart in San Francisco’ and ‘The Last Rose of Summer’. 

The next concert will take place on Saturday March 3^rd at 8pm in the Carmelite Church, in aid of Trocaire. Tickets are €10. It will feature the eighty strong ‘Firhouse Singers’ from Dublin, the Loughrea Abby Adult Choir, and Japanese violinist Yuki Nishioka. 

'Start Reading Initiative' in Ballybane Library

On Wednesday 1^st February, the Mayor of the city of Galway, Councillor Hildegarde Naughton, visited Ballybane library for the launch of the “Start Reading initiative”

The aims of the initiative are as follows;

   To introduce children to the library service and all it offers

·         To encourage children to become readers

·         To encourage children to join the library

·         To instill a culture of reading at a young age

  

85 Junior Infants,  their parents and teachers from Holy Trinity National School, Mervue attended the event. The pupils were presented with library membership cards and a library bag with two books.

The event was a great success and is the first in a series of visits to Ballybane library by local Junior Infants and their parents.

 The Start Reading Initiative is a pilot project in Tuam and Ballybane Libraries by Galway County Libraries. 

Loughrea Library Blind Date 1st February to 13th March

Borrowers in Loughrea Library are in for a treat this month as they can participate on a Library Blind Date, tying in with Valentines’ day. Library staff have selected, and covered in newspaper, over 50 books for borrowers to try. The selection includes some classics, staff favourites, borrower recommendations, literary gems and some pot luck. However, the catch is that borrowers have no idea what book they are taking home.

Loughrea staff has imposed a few Dating Rules: 

1. Choose a covered book from the selection.

2. Decide if size matters to you.

3. Bring it to the counter to check out.

4. If you have had previous relations with the book and do not want to give it a second change, bring it back and try another date!

5. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try three or four blind bates?

6.  Join us on Tuesday March 13th from 6 to 7pm to ‘rate my date’ (optional).

The aim of the blind date is to introduce borrowers to a new author, genre, style or theme that they may usually overlook, especially through the haze of bestsellers and new fiction. 

Newbery & Caldecott Medal Winners 2012

The Newbery and Caldecott prizes, the most prestigious in children's literature, were announced recently by the American Library Association.  No cash prizes are given, but the awards are watched closely by booksellers and librarians. Previous winners include such favorites as Louis Sachar's "Holes" and Brian Selznick's "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," the basis for Martin Scorsese's film "Hugo."

The 2012 Caldecott Medal winner is 'A Ball for Daisy', written and illustrated by Chris Raschka, published by Schwartz & Wade Books.In a wordless book with huge children’s appeal, Chris Raschka gives us the story of an irrepressible little dog whose most prized possession is accidently destroyed.  With brilliant economy of line and color, Raschka captures Daisy’s total (yet temporary) devastation. A buoyant tale of loss, recovery and friendship.
“Chris Raschka’s deceptively simple paintings of watercolor, gouache and ink explore universal themes of love and loss that permit thousands of possible variants,” said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Steven L. Herb. ‘A Ball for Daisy’ holds as many unique stories as there will be young readers and re-readers.
Runners-UpBlackout, written and illustrated by John Rocco, published by Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.
Grandpa Green, written and illustrated by Lane Smith, published by Roaring Brook Press.
Me … Jane, written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell and published by Little, Brown and Company.

The 2012 Newbery Medal winner is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, published by Farrar Straus Giroux

The importance of history and reading (so you don’t do the same “stupid stuff” again) is at the heart of this achingly funny romp through a dying New Deal town. While mopping up epic nose bleeds, Jack narrates this screw-ball mystery in an endearing and believable voice.

“Who knew obituaries and old lady death could be this funny and this tender?” said Newbery Medal Committee Chair Viki Ash.

Runners-UpInside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, published by HarperCollins Children's Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Irish Successes Abroad Exhibition at ED Carraroe Library

An exhibition, compiled by the European Union Representation in Ireland, is now showing at the Europe Direct Centre, Carraroe Library until  21 February 2012.
The Irish Success Abroad exhibition was put together by the European Commission Representation in Ireland. It consists of a collection of colourful panels demonstrating the achievements of Irish people in a wide variety of areas, including sport, business, literature, music and technology, to name but a few. It is a testimony to the achievements of Irish people, companies and organisations, and serves as an inspiration for those following in their footsteps. 

Europe Direct Centres were set up by the European Commission with the purpose of making information on the EU readily available to the citizen.

There are 8 such centres in Ireland, with 2 in Galway ..at Ballinasloe and An Cheathru Rua.

"Mini Clifden Exhibition" at Clifden Library

Razzle Dazzle Book Launch in Loughrea Library

The launch of the 2011 edition of the Loughrea Writing Group's publication Razzle Dazzle took place recently in Loughrea Library.
Razzle Dazzle was launched on the night by Liam Nolan who also edited and introduced the book. The cover art was designed by local artist Oonagh Nolan. The contributing authors read from the book on the night. The book is available for purchase from all good book stores and local vendors.

Comic Book Art in Galway City Library

Happy Birthday to Over the Edge

The first Over The Edge: Open Reading of 2012 takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, January 19th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Dearbhaile Houston, Damian Cunniffe & Leanne O’Sullivan. This is a very special occasion as it is now exactly nine years since Over The Edge was born in Galway City Library in January 2003.