Publications

An Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan T.D launched The public library and the school: policies and prospects for library services to primary schools in Ireland at Bundoran Community Library on 25th August 2010.  The report is the result of an extensive research project carried out with the help of city and county librarians, school principals and teachers in Dublin, Kerry, Wexford and Wicklow.

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The Schools Library service has been in place since 1971 with the purpose of giving children in primary schools easy access to books and reading.  The public library service has worked with teachers, to identify and deliver the books and other materials best suited to the curriculum requirements and students’ needs.

Up until 2008, the library service to primary schools was part-funded by the Department of Education. Due to the economic downturn, the Department of Education and Skills was regretfully unable to continue funding the service. The report takes this new economic reality into account and looks at better ways of delivering services.   It also identifies new ways of delivering services electronically and the need for library and education bodies to work more closely together to ensure that public libraries are supporting the school curriculum in the most effective way possible.

An Tánaiste commented that,

‘Given the longevity of the scheme, it was timely, however, that this research project was initiated to examine the service and consider ways of doing it better… It emphasises the need for library and education bodies to work more closely together in the future to ensure that public libraries are supporting the school curriculum in the most effective ways possible…

I will ask my Department to carefully examine this report, in conjunction with Department  of Environment, Heritage and Local Government  and consider what needs to be done to address the issues raised so that the valuable work of the School Library Service can be carried forward in an efficient and cost effective way.’

The Public Library Research Committee is managed by An Chomhairle Leabharlanna and funded by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Local Authorities.

For further information contact Annette Kelly, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, 01 676 1167 or akelly@librarycouncil.ie

The public library and the school: policies and Prospects for Library Services to Primary Schools in Ireland. Dublin: An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, 2010 – (Public Library Research Programme report; 4). ISBN: 978-1-873512-38-8.

The report can be downloaded here.