Issued by An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) No. 262 July / August 2006 ISSN 0332-0049 THE MASTER WINS THE 2006 INTERNATIONAL IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD Contents For the first time in its eleven year history the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award IMPAC Award announced has an Irish winner with Colm Tóibín’s The Master, a fictional account of Henry James. Colm was present in City Hall on Tuesday 13th June when the Lord Mayor, Councillor Ballina Library opened Catherine Byrne, Patron of the Award, made the announcement to an audience which Assistive Technology at Cootehill Library included many members of the libraries’ reading groups, diplomats, people from the literary world and the judges. Minister Roche has the time of his life COLICO updates • Pathways to Learning Conference • Irish Research eLibrary • The Long Room Hub New Library Buildings news & events Mallow Library has them in stitches Irish Traditional Music Archive on the move Art on the Move in Kerry County Library Leitrim People Abroad Bealtaine in Louth John Fitzgerald (Dublin City Manager), Deirdre Ellis-King (Dublin City Librarian), Marsh’s Library and the New World Cllr. Catherine Byrne (Lord Mayor) and Colm Tóibín. Book launches in Mayo and Meath As well as being the first Irish winner it is also the first time that the novel which received the most nominations from libraries was chosen by the judges as winner. Meath’s reading mission The Master was nominated by 17 libraries worldwide including Dublin City Public Libraries, Cork City Libraries and Limerick City Library. It was also nominated by 7 MS READaTHON American libraries, 3 Oceanic, 2 European, 1 South African and 1 South American. In all 180 libraries from 124 cities participated in the 2006 award. Roscommon County Library’s The Master was chosen from a shortlist of ten by the judges, who said in their development plan published comments: “This probing portrayal of Henry James is not merely an outstanding SEELB’s Beyond Words Festival narrative. In crisp, modulated writing, it subtly balances a range of devices that leave the reader in no doubt about the accomplishment of this work. For its deftly excavated Heritage trails and awards psychology of the Jamesian childhood and youth, for its quiet revelations of the in Westmeath artist’s journey and the emotional and material necessities accompanying this, for the melancholic undertone which surfaces through the probing landscape of this writer’s life, The Master is, and will continue to be a work of novelistic art: its vacancies preoccupations are truth and the elusiveness of intimacy, and from such preoccupations emerge this patient, beautiful, exposure of loss, and the price of the publications pursuit of perfection.” Colm was presented with his cheque for €100,000 and the Waterford Crystal trophy people at a dinner in City Hall on the evening of June 13th attended by almost 200 guests. calendar of events In his speech Colm paid tribute to the central role of libraries in promoting literature which is as much about empowerment as about entertainment. news & events Cork County Library: the idea of having a children’s knitting club in Kerry County Library: for up to 50 years the CIÉ Art Collection Mallow Library arose at a St. Patrick’s Day card-making workshop. remained hidden in CIÉ offices and reception areas largely unseen Some of the children wanted to learn to knit, asking staff if they could by the general public except on rare occasions when individual ‘fix holes’ in knitting; some wanted ideas for toys they could knit. works would be loaned for exhibitions. Now the Collection is on a While many of the young, established readers are well-used to national tour and Art on the Move: Hidden Gems from the CIÉ reading for pleasure, this was seen as the perfect opportunity to collection was on show to the public at Killarney and Tralee present the children’s non-fiction collection in a new light, Libraries during June and July 2006 respectively. demonstrating how library sources can support a hobby or interest. The Exhibition was officially opened by John O’Donoghue, It was decided to start on a pilot scheme of Saturday workshops, Minister for the Arts, Sport & Tourism at Killarney Library on run by Margaret O’Callaghan, Branch Librarian. It was envisaged Monday, 12 June before a large invited audience. that there would be 8 to 10 little knitters every Saturday, but after Some of the finest works in the collection are available for the first the first day, everybody seemed to bring a friend. The children time to the public, including real gems such as William Leech’s A socialise very well and swap ideas, helping each other and sharing Cottage Window which was last seen on public exhibition in 1949. materials. Language and cultural barriers are overcome in the fun Many of the other important works including Leech’s Monday of achieving something new and having a giggle at their own Morning, Connemara by Maurice McGonigal, a magnificent portrait mistakes. On Saturday 27th May, all the hard work came to fruition of the poet Patrick Kavanagh by Patrick Swift as well as works by in the form of a Bealtaine inter-generational display of craftwork, Patrick Collins, Norah Mc Guinness, Gerard Dillon & many others Threading through the Generations. which have not been seen by the public since the 1960’s. The CIÉ These workshops will be an ongoing activity from September: the art collection was acquired mainly in the 1960’s and was co-funded children benefit from them in many ways, but most importantly by the Arts Council. they enjoy them, and having good fun is an incentive to keep using the library. Opening of Exhibition – Art on the Move: Hidden Treasures from the CIÉ Art Collection – Mary Murray (Killarney Library), Tom Doherty (Mayor of Killarney), Kate Kennelly (Arts Officer, Kerry Co. Council) John O’Donoghue (Minister for Arts, Sport. and Tourism), Photograph by Gerard O’Meara Blaithín McElligott (Bus Éireann, Tralee). The Irish Traditional Music Archive, currently situated at no. 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, will be moving to new premises during July in order to improve and expand its public services and archival facilities. The Archive holds the largest collection in existence of the materials of Irish traditional music, and of information about it, which it makes available to the general public free of charge. In recognition of the growth of its collections and services, and its potential for further development, the Archive has been allocated no 73 Merrion Square, a 200 year-old listed heritage building ten doors from its present premises in the centre of Georgian Dublin. The Office of Public Works, which is responsible for Government and historic buildings in the Republic of Ireland, is currently finishing high-grade conservation and restoration works on the building. The move to new premises will involve a period of closure for the archive. From Monday 26th June the Archive will be packing its collections and dismantling the storage equipment for the move to the permanent home at no. 73 Merrion Square. After a relatively Schoolchildren from Lyrecrompane N.S. receiving Certificates of brief period rehousing its collections, installing a new computer Achievement at a presentation in Tralee Library recently. The network, and setting up an audio-visual studio and various certificates were awarded to the children at the conclusion of a six specialist rooms, it will reopen to the public there at 10.00 a.m. on week ‘Shared Reading’ programme. Kerry County Library Monday 14th August. supported the initiative in a number of schools throughout the During the period of closure, it will not be possible to access the county by supplying reading material suitable to the children’s Archive’s collections and its query service (by prone, fax and letter) reading level and personal interest. will be suspended. Archive staff will however be able to continue to a degree with their work on collection, conservation, cataloguing, Leitrim County Library: an exhibition entitled Leitrim People field recording, publication, lecturing, consultation and broadcasting. Abroad will be touring the county over the summer months. It was The archive is financially supported by the Arts Council and the compiled to coincide with the Leitrim Roots Festival which was Arts Council of Northern Ireland. held in April last. This exhibition features many Leitrim people who For further information check the archive’s website at www.itma.ie became famous throughout the world. Most notable of these tel: +353-1-6619699. were two Australian Prime Ministers, Stanley Melbourne Bruce and Francis Forde who were sons of Leitrim men. Jimmy Gralton, Speaking at the launch the Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, who was a native of Effernagh, was the only Irish man ever to be Mr. Henry Kenny stated that the book and exhibition were part of deported from his own country. Phil Fitzparick, Aughavas native a wide programme of events which the council had organised to who wrote the song Lovely Leitrim and was shot dead in New York commemorate Davitt’s centenary. in 1947. These are examples of what can be seen in this exhibition. Also on display are two very rare letters from Davitt which are from Further details of venues can be had from 071 9645571. the Jackie Clarke Library in Ballina. One of these is embossed with Leitrim County Library catalogue is now accessible through Irish. “Ballybrack, Co Dublin” and the emblem of Neo Celtic images and ‘Land League Cottage’ and is dated 6 May 88. The other is a letter Louth County Library hosted three events to celebrate the from Davitt to Mrs Hartley, Dalkey, 19 July 1902, outlining his view Bealtaine Festival – a table quiz for retired people; a talk by local on Catholic education.