AskaboutIreland
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr John Gormley pictured at the launch of the new ENFO service (Photo: Nancy Pineda/ Photocall Ireland).
A new version of www.askaboutireland.ie went online in the beginning of 2009.
Using a clear, structured layout, the latest version makes it easier for users to find the content they want. The majority of the content can be reached through the website’s ‘Reading Room’ and ‘Learning Zone’, while the public libraries’ information has been given more prominence.
A new ‘Related Archives’ section provides access to the new services developed in 2008; Griffith’s Valuation, the Digital Book Collection, and the Public Library Information Services.
In 2009, co-operation with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland resulted in the addition of a large number of Valuation maps covering the northern part of the island to the Griffith’s Valuation service. Map coverage for the island of Ireland is now almost complete and it is planned to add the remaining sheets in early 2010.
The Full Story is a series of essays on science, history and geography, written for the primary schools’ section of the ‘Learning Zone’. Working with education experts in St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra, the Church of Ireland College of Education and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire, the Changing Libraries team developed overviews on the three subjects, providing students with a full background of the subject, its evolution in Ireland, and the key Irish contributors.
The Full Stories are widely illustrated and feature interactive activities to enhance learning and interest.
IrishScientists.ie
The Changing Libraries team worked with the National Science & Engineering Commemorative Plaques Committee in the development of a section on Irish Scientists which provides information on all key Irish men and women who have contributed to science. Biographies of the individuals are provided, together with details of their major scientific achievements. The content is online on www.askaboutireland.ie and may also be accessed via www.irishscientists.ie.
ENFO Content
In 2008 the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government asked An Chomhairle and the public library authorities to take on an enhanced role in providing environmental information to the public.
During 2009 the content on the ENFO website was reviewed, edited and transferred to a new ENFO section on www.askaboutireland.ie.
In addition, the Changing Libraries team, working with environmental experts, developed new content covering the most important environmental issues, daily environmental news from Ireland and around the world, public consultation notices and event listings, and practical guidelines on how individuals, businesses and schools can become more environmentally friendly.
The site provides links to online environmental resources from state and other environmental bodies both nationally and internationally, as well as contact details and website links for key environmental organisations in Ireland.
A number of electronic environmental exhibitions can be downloaded, and an ENFO section was created for the Primary Section in the www.askaboutireland.ie Learning Zone.
Change.ie
Change.ie, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s website providing Climate Change information, was incorporated into the www.askabotireland.ie website in Autumn 2009. Existing content was adapted and additional content developed.
County Focus
The Changing Libraries team held a series of familiarisation workshops for library authority staff to introduce them to the new content management system of the www.askaboutireland.ie website. A County Focus section was created with a view to the library authorities creating content on local heritage and local environmental topics for each authority in Ireland.
Launch
The new www.askaboutireland.ie website was launched in September at the Central Library, ILAC Centre, Dublin, by Mr John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.