Minister Ring announces roll-out of transformative My Open Library service to 17 further branches

22 libraries to receive Magic Tables which benefit people with dementia, autism and learning difficulties

Mr Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development , has today announced funding of almost €1.5 million to support the continued roll-out of the My Open Library service to 17 further branches.

My Open Library allows access to public libraries on a self-service basis from 8am to 10pm, 365 days a year. The Department funding will be matched by local authorities to the value of c.€0.5 million giving a total investment of almost €2 million.

The public libraries strategy Our Public Libraries 2022 – Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering Communities aims to introduce the My Open Library service to 100 library branches around the country by 2022. The My Open Library service is currently available in 15 public libraries with a further three due to open before the end of the year.

The service offers extended opening hours to library members including:

Opening hours of 8am – 10pm, 365 days per year.

Automated access to the branch for library members via membership card and pin code during unstaffed hours.

Provision of self-service activities including, but not limited to:
issue and return of books and other library stock,
internet access on PCs,
use of wi-fi,
printing and photocopying,
study/reading spaces, and
meeting facilities.

The service is available to library members aged 16 years and over (under 18 years with parental consent).

Announcing the funding the Minister said :

“The My Open Library service has been an amazing success. It is an exciting development and is transforming our libraries. I am delighted to provide this funding which will see a further 17 branches enabled to provide the service.

“The My Open Library service extends the availability of library services to customers at times that suit them best, providing greater flexibility and convenience through increased opening hours in addition to the invaluable staffed hours.

“It has facilitated increased access for students to study from early in the morning to late at night; families with working parents; commuters; people up-skilling; and community groups to use the meeting room facilities”

The Minister continued :

“Included in this funding package is funding for innovative technology including 22 ‘Magic Tables’ which have been piloted across the country over the last year and have been a great success. These tables are being used by carers and people with dementia, autism and learning difficulties and I have seen first-hand the joy they bring to people using them.

“My Open Library is one of a number of initiatives I have introduced to increase usage of our libraries which are a fantastic and free community resource. I have also abolished library fines in an effort to remove any barriers to people using the library service.”

The popularity of the My Open Library service is evident from statistics for the recent August Bank Holiday weekend when more than 1,334 people visited the 15 My Open Library branches. Deansgrange Library alone had 175 visits over the three days. These branches would traditionally have been closed for the bank holiday weekend i.e. Saturday to Monday inclusive.

Minister Ring thanked the library staff in the existing My Open Library branches, saying :

“The My Open Library service that is being provided would not have been such a success without the cooperation and commitment of the staff in these libraries. The staff as well as the users, are to be complimented for its success. I would encourage more local authorities to endorse and become involved in this initiative, to the benefit of their customers and the communities they serve.”

ENDS

Notes for editors:

The new public library strategy, Our Public Libraries 2022 – Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering Communities, was launched in 2018. The strategy seeks to improve access, use and visibility of the library as a community hub and develop it as a focal point for community development. To this end, a key action in the strategy is to extend opening hours, ensuring each library provides the optimum user-friendly staffed service and operates My Open Library in appropriate branches in addition to staffed hours.

The initiative was piloted in libraries in Banagher and Tullamore, Co. Offaly and Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo with great success and is now also available in the following 12 libraries:

Ferbane, Co. Offaly
Deansgrange, Co. Dublin
Muine Bheag, Co. Carlow
Trim, Co. Meath
Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Gorey, Co. Wexford
Ardee, Co. Louth.
Arklow, Co. Wicklow
Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan
Ballymahon, Co. Longford
Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny
Nenagh, Co. Tipperary

The following branches are due to open as My Open Libraries in December 2019:

Swinford, Co. Mayo
Cappamore, Co. Limerick
Portarlington, Co Laois

The following branches are to open as My Open Libraries in 2020:

Johnstown, Co. Cavan
Buncrana, Co. Donegal
Oranmore, Co. Galway
Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
Edenderry, Co. Offaly
Moate, Co. Westmeath
Athy, Co. Kildare

Funding for the following branches has been approved under this call:

		17 New My Open Library branches
List A	Local Authority	Branch	Total Cost DRCD Cost
1	Carlow	Borris	€129,850	€97,388
2	Cork City	Douglas	€99,000	€74,250
3	Cork County	Fermoy	€189,950	€142,463
4	DLR	Dalkey	€134,000	€100,500
5	Dublin City	Pembroke	€54,850	€41,138
6	Fingal	Baldoyle	€100,000	€75,000
7	Leitrim	Dromahair	€153,000	€114,750
8	Longford	Granard	€37,225	€27,919
9	Louth	Drogheda	€96,409	€72,307
10	Mayo	Ballina	€185,000	€138,750
11	Meath	Kells	€39,000	€29,250
12	Meath	Slane	€43,000	€32,250
13	Monaghan	Clones	€128,000	€96,000
14	Tipperary	Tipperary Town	€76,454	€57,341
15	Waterford	Lismore	€149,456	€112,092
16	Westmeath	Castlepollard	€103,350	€77,513
17	Wexford	New Ross	€105,026	€78,770
		Total	€1,823,570	€1,367,681

		My Open Library Branches Innovative Technology Funding re: ‘Magic Tables’
List B	Local Authority	Branch	Total Cost	DRCD Cost
1.	Carlow	Borris	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
2.	DLR	Dalkey	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
3.	Louth	Drogheda	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
4.	Mayo	Ballina	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
5.	Meath	Kells	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
6.	Meath	Slane	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
7.	Monaghan	Clones	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
8.	Tipperary	Tipperary Town	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
9.	Waterford	Lismore	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
10.	Westmeath	Castlepollard	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
11.	Wexford	New Ross	Included in costs in List A	Included in costs in List A
12.	Donegal	Buncrana	€8,500	€6,375
13.	Longford	Edgeworthstown	€10,450	€7,838
14.	Longford	Ballymahon	€10,450	€7,838
15.	Mayo	Swinford	€10,000	€7,500
16.	Offaly	Ferbane	€8,499	€6,374
17.	Offaly	Tullamore	€8,499	€6,374
18.	Offaly	Edenderry	€8,499	€6,374
19.	Offaly	Banagher	€8,499	€6,374
20.	Tipperary	Nenagh	€10,454	€7,841
21.	Waterford	Dungarvan	€10,454	€7,840
22.	Wexford	Gorey	€10,400	€7,800
		Costs in addition to List A	€104,704	€78,528
		Overall Total	€1,928,274	€1,446,209