Ballinasloe Library Summer Programme

Children's Summer Reading Challenge at Loughrea Library starts in July. Registration this Saturday, 29th June

Lunchtime @ The Library - Galway City Library

The Lunchtime Concert Series with The Contempo Quartet is one of our most popular programmes and it takes place the first Tuesday of each month.
The next performance is Tuesday, 2nd July.
This event caters for all tastes and interest levels in classical music from the novice to the professional. Each performance is preceded by a short discussion of the music and the event is 50 minutes

'Creepy House' Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge in all Galway Libraries encourages children aged 4 to 11 to read six books during the long summer holiday. Check with your local Galway Library for details.

There is a different theme each year. This year it is 'Creepy House' Children can read whatever they like - fact books, joke books, picture books, audio books - just as long as they are borrowed from the library.

Every time your child finishes a book they get stickers and rewards and there's a certificate for everyone that finishes.

The Summer Reading Challenge is open to all children and is designed for all reading abilities. Schools work with local libraries and give out information to encourage children to take part.

Luigi Pirandello

The books and libraries of our lives

During the Madrid Book Fair, which is currently underway, El Pais the Spanish newspaper is inviting readers to pay tribute to "the books and to the libraries of our lives."

For the next week they are publishing, in a section entitled “The library of my life," some of the reports and pictures which their readers are sending in.

Here is the choice of one of their readers:

1- Elisa María Sosa, from San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

2- Profession - Doctor in Latin American Literature. Teacher.

3- Why does she like reading?
“Since I was young, reading has been a passion for me. Through it, not only do I access knowledge, but I can also discover the complicities and conversations that transcend time and space. There is an enrichment that doesn’t have borders, it is my daily drinking trough.

4- What kind of literature do you prefer? 

  Essays and novels.

5- What is the place of your library and how is it organized?

My library is quite big and it takes up a full room. It is an area created to enjoy literature (good armchairs, white light and music). The books are classified according to the subject/theme, country and author so we can find Spanish, Latin American and Universal Literatures as well as reference works.

June Art Exhibtion in Clifden Library/Art Space

Galway City Library Young Adult titles Summer 2013

Seisiún Léitheoireachta amarach sa Leabharlann na gCeathrú Rua

EBook

You cannot own an ebook. It has no aesthetic properties: no ornamentation, no weight, no smell; in short, no character. It offers no choice between

nice-to-handle and that experience's opposite. It does not furnish a room.

 (From page 32 of the TLS, Oct. 5th 2012).

Harpist Kathleen Loughnane Lunchtime Concert in City Library

Poetry Reading with Patrick Deeley in Loughrea Library

Junot Diaz

Independent Foreign Fiction prize 2013

IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winner Gerbrand Bakker wins the £10,000 Independent Foreign Fiction prize 2013, with latest novel The Detour.

Dutch tale The Detour has been announced as the winner of the 2013 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, at an awards ceremony sponsored by Tattinger in London on 20th May 2013. Themes of infidelity, exile and isolation won over the judges of this year’s Prize to give the author his second major prize win. His previous novel The Twin won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Translator David Colmer will share the prize money with Bakker, in this unique award that recognises writer and translator equally.

The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize is awarded annually to the best work of contemporary fiction in translation. The Prize celebrates an exceptional work of fiction by a living author which has been translated into English from any other language and published in the United Kingdom in 2012. Uniquely, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize acknowledges both the writer and the translator equally, recognising the importance of the translator in their ability to bridge the gap between languages and cultures.

Contempo Quartet to perform in Tuam Library

The Enormity of the Tragedy by Quim Monzó

Joana Torres Tamarit has just arrived in Galway County Libraries on an EU Leonardo internship from Valencia in Spain.

We sometimes ask our interns the question: "What are the five books you think everyone should read?”

Joana has answered this question and one of the 5 books she recommends is The Enormity of the Tragedy by Quim Monzó.

Quim Monzó is the foremost Catalan writer of his generation (Joana, our intern, is a Catalan speaker) The Enormity of the Tragedy is regarded by many as his greatest work.

‘With an incomparable narrative rhythm, page after page multiplies and augments and surprises the imaginative capacity of the reader . . . Quim Monzó has managed to create a novel in which life and death are drawn with a untameable peculiarity. He has also achieved something more important: that the reader doesn’t despair and comes to trust blindly in the morality of high literature’ – El País 

The library currently does not have copies of this book. Please contact us if you are interesting in reading the work of Quim Monzó.

Afternoon Concert in Westside Library 22nd May

Taha Muhammad Ali

And so
it has taken me
all of sixty years
to understand
that water is the finest drink,
and bread the most delicious food,
and that art is worthless
unless it plants
a measure of splendor in people's hearts.


-Taha Muhammad Ali

Eurochild Workshops in Ballinasloe, Portumna & Tuam Libraries

Loughrea Library Coffee Morning

Islands in Poetry At Inishbofin Library

Europe Day Celebrations in Europe Direct, Ballinasloe Library

A selection of short films in English,Irish,German and French and produced by the Irish Film Institute entitled:"Euro-paens:celebrating Ireland and Europe in film",will be screened throughout the day at the Europe Direct Centre, Ballinasloe Library on May 9th next, which is Europe Day.

This compilation marks the Irish Presidency of the European Commission during the first 6 months of the current year.

Screenings are available throughout the day and may be pre-booked by groups by contacting the library at 0909643464 during library opening hours.

The Ballybane Library Blackbird (An Lon Dubh).

 ‘‘Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, deerit nihil.’’

(If you have a garden in a library, nothing is missing.)

So wrote Cicero.

In keeping with this library philosophy, earlier this spring a blackbird built its nest in the bushes in the grounds of Ballybane Library. The Blackbird and the young chicks did well and have now flown the nest.  Currently on display in Ballybane library is the blackbird's nest, some photographs of the young chick's in their nest and other books and documents about An Lon Dubh, the blackbird.

 It is said that Blackbirds symbolize reincarnation.

Of St.Kevin, an Irish 7th century Saint who loved wildlife, it is said that in the temple of the rock at Glendalough, St.Kevin was praying with his hand outstretched upwards when a blackbird flew down and laid her eggs in his palm. The story goes on to say that the saint remained still for as long as it took for the eggs to hatch and the brood to fly the nest.

Cúirt Kitchen Readings in Westside

Free concert in Loughrea Library

The University of Oregon Chamber choir under conductor Dr. Sharon Paul will give a concert in Loughrea Library on Wednesday 1^st May at 7.30pm. 

The Choir is one of eleven choirs chosen worldwide to compete for the Fleischmann International Trophy in Cork in May. 

Admission is FREE, but any donations offered will be given to aid Music Matters Music School, New Inn.

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2013

Books are nominated for the Award by public libraries in cities throughout the world, making the Award truly international and making the longlist unique in its coverage of international fiction.

Participating libraries can nominate up to three novels each year for the Award.

If you would like to propose a novel which you feel that Galway County Library should nominate for the award, please send details of the novel to pmcmahon@galwaycoco.ie.

In order to be eligible for consideration for the 2013 Award a novel must have been: first published in English between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2013, both dates inclusive, or first published in a language other than English between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2012 and first published in English translation between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2012 (all dates inclusive).

The five member international judging panel, chaired by Hon. Eugene R. Sullivan, will select one winner which will be announced by the Lord Mayor of Dublin and Patron of the Award, Councillor Naoise Ó Muirí on Thursday 6^th June 2013.

Galway City Library hosts 'Inspired' Exhibition of photography

 An exhibition of photography from students of the VTOS Adult Education Centre in Galway is being held in the City Library from this weekend until April 30.

Inspired will feature a beautiful collection of work by the talented adults in ‘second-chance education’ and is free to all members of the public.

The exhibition includes a diverse range of the best photos produced by amateur photographers for their FETAC level 5 portfolios. These photographers were all beginners when they started the VTOS course and have now qualified at FETAC Level 5. Many have now moved on to third-level courses and others have found employment or started up in their own business.

VTOS is a community college which offers opportunities to adults to acquire educational and training qualifications in a friendly and supportive atmosphere, allowing them to progress to further education and employment. It was established in 1989 under the auspices of City of Galway VEC.

Inspired will run at Galway City Library and will be open on Mondays from 2pm to 5pm; on Tuesdays from 11am to 8pm; on Wednesdays from 11am to 8pm; on Thursdays from 11am to 5pm; on Fridays from 11am to 5pm; and on Saturdays from 11am to 5pm until April 30.

Some April Events in Tuam Library

Exhibition @ Clifden Library Art Space

Cúirt Kitchen Readings in Westside and Ballybane

Kitchen Readings.

Cúirt in conjunction with the Galway City Library Service  will be hosting Kitchen Readings in a number of homes in Galway City during the week of the festival. Novelist, playwright and actor Michael Harding will visit houses in the Westside and Ballybane areas of the city during the week of Cúirt reading sections of his memoir Staring At Lakes. These informal gatherings are free and will be open to all.

For more information please contact:
Ballybane Library: (091) 380590 ballybane@galwaylibrary.ie
Westside Library: (091) 520616 westside@galwaylibrary.ie

Michael Harding

Michael Harding’s fiction works include The Trouble With Sarah Gullion and Priest, described by Pat McCabe as “two of the finest Irish novels of the 1980’s.”

His most recent stage play, The Tinker’s Curse - nominated for Best New Play at Irish Theatre Awards 2007, toured Ireland in 2011.

He is a weekly columnist with The Irish Times where he writes a creative chronicle of life in the Irish midlands. His new book, Staring At Lakes - a memoir of love, melancholy and magical thinking, has just been published.

Easter in Tuam Library

Over one hundred children took part in this years Easter activity at Tuam Library.  As well as a lively egg-hunt, which saw the children help one another in finding Easter mallows amongst the shelves, they also had a craft workshop which involved making cards and decorations for the season. 

The egg-hunt and crafts was followed by the library’s monthly ‘Soundbites’ concert, which included poetry, songs and storytelling.

East Galway Art Trail 2013 in Ballinsloe, Portumna, Kilimor & Woodford Libraries

George Moore, 'Irish Messiah - Irish Pariah' in Gort Library

Galway Film Centre ID Projects 2013 - Information evening in Westside & Ballybane Libraries

Galway Film Centre invites community, social and voluntary groups from around Galway city and county to take part in an exciting project that will enable them to make their own documentary.

Funded principally by The Arts Council, Galway City Council, and Galway County Council, this project is now in its fourteenth year, during which time Galway Film Centre have built up an impressive track record of giving people from a wide range of backgrounds access to the art-form of documentary making. The project aims to facilitate community groups to take an active part in the filmmaking process, to develop and create a short documentary in order to tell their own story.

Free Open Information Evening:
Westside Library: Wednesday April 3rd at 6pm
Ballinasloe Library: Thursday April 4th at 5pm

For more information and application form please contact:
Nuala Broderick at Galway Film Centre, phone (091) 770748 or
Email: projects@galwayfilmcentre.ie.

Closing date for entries is 19th April 2013

Children's Events in Loughrea Library

 

One Book, One Tuam Library

Author Marilyn Taylor visited Tuam Library on Thursday, the 28th of February and Friday the 1st of March. Her book, Faraway Home was this year’s choice of book for ‘One Book, One Tuam’.
The book is about two Jewish children, Karl and Rosa, who are sent from Vienna to Northern Ireland in 1938, as part of the Kindertransport, to ensure their safety. There they have to adapt to a very different community and way of life, and when Belfast is bombed, they are made aware that war is never far away. With the help of other local children they learn that out of conflict and despair extraordinary friendships can grow.
Speaking to over 300 children over the two days, Marilyn told those present that she had very much drawn on her own life story and family background to inform her writing. ‘One Book, One Tuam’ is an annual community reading project, now in its fourth successive year, the aims of which are to improve literacy, promote reading for pleasure and to encourage a deeper sense of community. It is fully supported by local schools, training facilities and businesses.

Europe Direct in Ballinasloe Library

The competition ‘The European Parliament : Why should I care ?’ invites young citizens from EU member states and Croatia to express in an innovative and convincing manner why the European Parliament is important to them, or not if that is the case, and why there is a need to vote in the next EP elections.

European Policy Centre would like to remind you to spread the message as much as possible as the deadline is on the 28^th of March.

This competition gives the chance to young people to express themselves and share their opinions.  It will also give the opportunity for the twenty awarded participants to discover Brussels, learn more about the EU Institutions and share ideas with the EU decision makers.

More information about the competition and how to apply can be found on the EPC website:http://www.epc.eu/prog_forum.php?forum_id=30&prog_id=1