A New Library for Westport

WHY?

2008-08-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Westport Library is 35 years old and has not been renovated or extended in that period.

At 2,000 sq foot it is only double the size of Achill and one fifth the size of Castlebar and Ballina.

As a result it carries a greatly reduced amount of stock than either Castlebar or Ballina.

It is open the same hours as Castlebar and Ballina and provides the same services. It does so with a staff of three.

It has 6 public access PCs compared with 20 in Castlebar and Ballina.[1]

It has no Public Toilets.

Its local history and exhibition areas are too small.

It does not have any meeting rooms, study areas, or research facilities.

It does not have adequate parking
[1] Mayo Library Service Plan “Reading the Future”

HOW CAN I HELP?

2008-08-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

You can help by lending your support to this campaign.
Contact the local media and issue a statement calling for a new library in the Convent. You have all the facts and figures you need in this report.
james.laffey
james.laffey@westernpeople.ie

majella.loftus
majella.loftus@westernpeople.ie

Deidre Kelly
dkelly@con-telegraph.ie

Denise Horan
denisehoran@mayonews.ie

Liamy MacNally
liamy@ireland.com

Mayo Advertiser
news@mayoadvertiser.com

Contact Westport Town Council and Mayo County Council officials and councillors and call on them to deliver the new library promised in the County Development Plan 2003-2008 as part of the Civic Buildings project at the Convent.

TOWN COUNCIL Email amoore@mayococo.ie or write to Town Clerk, Westport Town Council, Westport Civic Offices, Westport, Co. Mayo

COUNTY COUNCIL email jcondon@mayococo.ie. Or write to County Secretary, Mayo County Council, Aras An Chontae, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Organise your members to contact the media and write letters to the editors and their councillors in support of the new library.

WHY A NEW LIBRARY?

2008-08-25T10:53:00.002-07:00

The existing site is too small and there is no way it can be extended to provide the space and parking needed for a 21st Century library facility.

We need a new library which will provide all the above services and provide
· Public Toilets
· Meeting rooms for local groups and organizations
· Parking
· Dedicated Reading and Research areas
· Proper Children’s area
· A fully equipped local history archive
· Local newspapers archives
· Phone/Fax/Photocopy/Email/Printing facilities
· Full sized exhibition area
· Increased Irish Language and EU language media
· Increased shelf space for collections and business library

WHAT?

2008-08-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

Westport Library is a centre for entertainment, education, information, culture, community and communication.

Westport Library caters to 25,000 people in the greater Westport area in addition to the thousands of tourists who visit it each year to use its facilities.

Westport Library provides thousands of fiction and non-fictions books, books on CD and cassette, music CDs, DVDs, PC-Rom CDs and other multi media.

It provides a dedicated Business Library in conjunction with Westport Chamber of Commerce.

It provides free computer and internet access to the general public.

It provides maps and tourist information to visitors.

It assists with CV writing and Job Seeking.

It provides exhibition space free of charge to local artists and organizations.

It has a local history and reference section.

It provides links to centres of further education and night classes and the Open University

It is a centre of information for County and Town Council and provides council forms and motor tax forms.

It is a study and research centre.

It provides Office and photocopying facilities.

WHERE?

2008-08-25T10:52:00.002-07:00

The purchase of the Convent Grounds by Westport Town Council and Mayo County Council means that there will be a site available for a new library. This is the best chance for the provision of a new building. If we do not ensure that a new library is at the heart of the proposed Civic Offices then it is unlikely that there will be a library at a later stage.[1]
[1] www.newlibraryforwestport.blogspot.com

HOW?

2008-08-25T10:52:00.001-07:00

Over the last five years Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has provided on average about €2million for the construction of each new library. [1]

The Department grant-aids the construction and refurbishment of public libraries through Exchequer funding.

The Dept revealed in June 2008 that funding will be available to construct new libraries in the publication Branching Out – Future Directions and according to the Dept “Libraries play an important community role as centres of knowledge, information and culture.”

It is likely that the Dept would pay about 75% of the cost a new building and about 50% of the stock and equipment costs. This means that Mayo County Council will only have to stump up 25% of the cost for a new library for Westport.

The balance will be met by Mayo County Council (as in the case of Ballina and the newer branches). Mayo County Council committed itself to providing a new library for Westport in the County Development Plan 2003-2008.[2]
[1] Dept of the Environment http://www.environ.ie/

[2] Mayo County Council Plan 2003-2008

WHO?

2008-08-15T06:40:00.001-07:00

The campaign is chaired by Cllr Keith Martin of Westport Town Council and is made up of organisations, groups and individuals who are united in their demand for a modern library for the Westport area.