Issued by An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) No. 234 October 2003 ISSN 0332-0049 QUALITY LIBRARY SERVICES FOR ASK ABOUT IRELAND WEBSITE AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE REPORT LAUNCHED The Equality Authority and An Chomhairle Leabharlanna launched Library Access at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street on 11th September. The publication examines how services within the library are best delivered in a manner that includes people with disabilities and provides new guidance to libraries on how to make reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. The Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and The Employment Equality Local Government, Mr. Pat “the Cope” Gallagher T.D., recently launched Act and the Equal Status the Ask About Ireland website www.askaboutireland.ie and the report Our Act require employers and L Cultural Heritage: A Strategy for Action for Public Libraries. service providers to Ask About Ireland is a showcase accommodate the needs of images of Irish heritage of people with disabilities. housed in the collections of local Service providers are libraries, museums and archives required to make reasonable changes in countrywide. Themed on the what they do and how they ‘Big House and Landed Estate do it, where without these Life in Ireland’, the site offers changes it would be very visitors a range of ways to difficult or impossible for explore Ireland’s colourful people with disabilities to history. The ‘Big House gain or remain in Experience’ is the interactive employment or obtain story of the rise and fall of the goods and services. This landed estate in Ireland, told is subject to a nominal cost using authentic maps, photo- exemption. Speaking at graphs and prints taken from the launch, Niall Crowley, collections around the country. CEO of the Equality Authority said “Failure of employers and service A clickable map of Ireland allows providers to make reasonable accommodation has been a feature of access to stories and images most casework on the disability ground. In 2002 19% of casefiles under from featured houses and estate the Employment Equality Act and 11% of casefiles under the Equal life events for almost every county, ranging from Dublin’s Mansion Status Act related to the disability ground. The Library Council and public House to Lissadell House in Sligo and the infamous Bodyke Evictions libraries have approached the reasonable accommodation of people of 1887 in County Clare. The history of one big house, Clonbrock House with disabilities with an ambition that goes beyond compliance with the Co. Galway and information on how to research big houses, is available legislation to seek and ensure a full inclusion for library users with for downloading. For anyone wishing to look at, or search for, particular disabilities. This is a challenge to all service providers and the public images, there is a large and growing collection to browse through. libraries are showing a vital lead in this regard”. Ask About Ireland also provides information on the best way to carry out Library Access is a planned and systematic approach to develop library a digitisation project. Digitisation models for different materials, ranging services that accommodate library users with disabilities. from photographs and manuscripts to audio, video and three- It establishes the need for: dimensional objects, were created by staff from a selection of libraries, a) an inclusive service design that realises a physical environment that museums and archives. Visitors can trace the progress of the showcase people with disabilities can approach, enter and navigate, and that projects, from beginning to completion, through the project reports, achieves an accessible service covering all dimensions from library which are available to read or download from the site. collections in alternative formats, to the use of assistive technology, The Cultural Heritage Project is an initiative co-ordinated by the to outreach services that target and include people with disabilities. Branching Out Steering Group Cultural Heritage Panel, managed by An (b) a marketing strategy that communicates effectively with people with Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) and funded by the disabilities, that employs different formats and media, and that Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with engages with the channels of communications used by people with support from the Information Society Fund and The Heritage disabilities. Council.The Ask About Ireland website and the report Our Cultural Norma McDermott, Director of An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, said at the Heritage: A Strategy for Action, are products of the combined effort of launch “The public library service is continually changing to meet the the local studies librarians around the country and the project team at increasingly diverse needs of people. Its development is dependent on An Chomhairle Leabharlanna. the requirements and observations of its users. This document is a For further information on Ask About Ireland and the Cultural Heritage means to increase dialogue between users and libraries”. Project, please contact Annette Kelly, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, 53 In addition to the Library Access booklet, the initiative involves the & 54 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2 - telephone: 01 676 1167; fax 01 development of a training module and resource for public library staff. 6766721; e-mail: [email protected] or Joan Ward, An Chomhairle This training will be piloted in four library authorities, Cavan County Leabharlanna, 53 & 54 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2 - telephone: 01 Council, Dublin City Council, Kildare County Council, and Mayo County 676 1167; fax 01 6766721; e-mail: [email protected] Council. Copies of Our Cultural Heritage: a Strategy for Action for Public Copies of this free booklet are available from An Chomhairle Libraries are available on request. The report can also be down-loaded Leabharlanna. It can also be downloaded from our website at from An Chomhairle’s website at: www.librarycouncil.ie www.librarycouncil.ie news & events The newspaper library in Belfast Central Library was officially re- At the formal handover Rev. Bobby McKenna recalled the setting opened by the DCAL Minister Angela Smith on July 29th following up and development of the Library in Mount Oliver and the various major refurbishment. strands to the collection. Rev. Bishop Clifford expressed the hope Around 50 guests attended including the members of the that the Library would be used by students of DKIT and by the Newsplan Ireland board who were having their meeting in Central public who are welcome to visit the Library at any time. Library. A most entertaining speech was made by Roger Dixon, a The Mount Oliver Institute Trust also donated funding for the member of the Newsplan Ireland board and former Local Studies ongoing development of the collection to DKIT Library. Veritas Librarian who in fact was responsible for the opening of the have also donated a selection of their top titles to the Library. Newspaper Library for the first time to the general public in 1987. The newspaper library houses the largest collection of IBBY Ireland’s 2003 conference, Fighting for Writing: Children’s newspapers in Northern Ireland and includes bound volumes and Books in Areas of Conflict will be held on Saturday 13th microfilm of all the major newspaper titles published in Northern December at the Marino Institute of Education, Griffith Avenue, Ireland and several from the Republic of Ireland. The library Dublin 9. attracts visitors from all over Northern Ireland and further afield The opening speaker will be Mary Robinson, Executive Director of (with an average of 6,000 a year). The refurbishment includes Ethical Global Initiative and former President of Ireland. new carpeting, counter, lighting, disabled access, and 3 new International and local speakers will give personal experience of microfilm reader-printers for the increasing number of newspaper bringing books and stories to children in conflict situations. By titles now available on microfilm. exploring the value and impact of these experiences, it is hoped For further information please contact Belfast Central Library, that an environment of mutual understanding and respect for phone (048) 90-509150; fax (048) 90-332819; e-mail buis.belb@ differing cultures can be fostered and nurtured. It is also hoped ni-libraries.net that national and international policy will be influenced by addressing these issues in a meaningful way. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Libraries hosted many events to The conference is ideal for educators, librarians and others with coincide with the 3rd Festival of World Cultures organised by the responsibilities for children in a multicultural environment. It will County’s Arts Office. This Festival has gone from strength to show that the need for books for children in areas of conflict is more strength and attracted over 100,000 people during the weekend than just a material one – that books educate in both a cultural and 22nd-24th August. Highlights in the library programme included creative way, and open a door to a world with greater horizons. drumming workshops, art workshops on Maori art and North Speakers include: Jehan Helou, director of the Tamer Institute for American art (dreamcatchers and totem poles) and storytelling Community Education, Ramallah, Palestine; Shpresa Vreto, from the South Pacific and West Africa. founder of IBBY Albania.