An Chomhairle’s Research and Information service provides research resources, facilities and expertise to assist the staff of An Chomhairle, users from the public library and other library sectors, and library and information science students studying in Ireland and elsewhere.
Information services include the research library, an enquiry service and range of publications including Irish Library News, the current awareness service TIPS, and analyses of public library statistics.
Websites
The Research & Information Service is responsible for the continuing development of the library news website www.library.ie.
Library.ie publishes news and information from and about Irish libraries and is updated daily.
In 2009 Facebook and Twitter streams were added to the site, offering users new ways of accessing the content.
In 2009 the site received 338,574 visits, an increase of 23% on 2008.
Librarybuildings.ie provides information about over 100 local authority public library buildings in Ireland and aims to promote best practice in library planning and design.
During the year the database was extended to include refurbished library projects funded under the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s revised guidelines, Capital Funding Programme for Public Libraries (Circular Letter LSS 03/08). Other amendments were made to facilitate ease of searching.
It is planned to increase the coverage of libraries in heritage buildings during 2010.
An Chomhairle thanks library authorities for their input into the database.
Research Library
An Chomhairle maintains a research library which consists of books, serials, archive material, photographs and multi-media material on the library and information sector and the needs of the library and information professional, library design teams, and local authority staff, with particular reference to public library authority services.
The Library provides an enquiry service – by phone, email, letter and online – on matters relating to libraries and librarianship in Ireland.
The Library is open from 9.30-13.00 and 14.00-17.00, Monday-Friday, by appointment.
Publications
From January 2009 onwards, Irish Library News was distributed electronically as a pdf. Eleven issues were produced during the year (nos. 287-297).
Seven issues of the current awareness service TIPS were published in 2009 (nos, 201-207).
Changes to the format of TIPS were also introduced during the year and issues were forwarded electronically to public library authorities.
Each issue contains details of the contents of selected journals. Where these journals are themselves available on-line, relevant hyperlinks were provided in order that public library staff could access the articles on-line.
Statistics
An Chomhairle continues to collect and analyse statistics on public library authority services, and published the following (electronically and online) during 2009:
- Public Library Authority Statistics: Actuals, 2006
- Public Library Authority Statistics: Actuals, 2007
- Public Library Authority Annual Estimates of Expenditure, 2009
- Public Library Authority Annual Estimates of Expenditure, 2009 Executive Summary