A Service for All

Kilkenny County Library Service is here to serve you.

Service Points:
• Callan
• Castlecomer
• City Library, John’s Quay
• Co. Library H.Q (Administration and Local Studies)
• Graiguenamanagh
• Loughboy
• Mobile Service
• Schools’ Service
• Thomastown
• Urlingford.

A Community Service
If you can’t come to us, we come to you. Our computerised Mobile Service makes 60 stops around the County, from Johnstown and Galmoy in the North to Glenmore and Slieverue in the South.

Another countywide service is the Schools’ Library Service serving 77 primary schools, 9,404 children and their teachers. Schools are visited 3 times per school year for book exchanges.

A Family Service
The Library is a service for all the family. Whatever your age there is something for you.Perhaps you need general information for day to day living– an address; a new recipe, instructions on learning to drive, D.I.Y.; building a house; managing money; raising children etc. We cover these areas and much more.

We have books on all kinds of subjects from romances to thrillers, sports to fashion, whatever your interest. There are collections of paperbacks in our libraries. If we do not have a particular book in stock, we will do our best to get if for you, through our inter-branch and inter-library loan networks. Our Public Access Internet PC’s can be used to book a holiday or flight and to access many other services and information. You can also use them to keep in touch with your family and friends around the Globe by e-mail.

You can borrow CD’s or cassettes, from Eminem to Andrea Bocelli- there’s something for everyone. All our libraries have popular magazines that can be borrowed and newspapers for reading in the library. Large print books, books on tape, language course, and some CD-ROMs, are also available. We have comprehensive Reference Sections and staff can help to find what is needed, be it for study, interest, research, or just for fun.

Library membership for children under 14 years is FREE! Children are never too young to join and we have everything for reading, information, study and leisure - from babies to teenagers. All our libraries have books and tapes for children, while some branches have toys for playing with in the library. Lots of children’s activities take place in our library branches including: an annual Children’s Book Festival, Book clubs etc. and a Mother and Toddler Group at Castlecomer Library.

We have a well stocked Local Studies Department at Co. Library H.Q, Whether you are doing a thesis for a Local Studies Degree, writing a local parish history, interested in checking old newspapers for hurling match reports, looking up your family history, we can help. We answer hundreds of enquiries every year, in person, and by telephone, letter and E-mail. Our stock includes: 1901 and 1911 censuses, local papers from Finn’s Leinster Journal of 1767 to present day Kilkenny People. The 1911 census is a recent acquisition and a location index is currently being created. You will also find some general local studies files in your local branch library.

Libraries are for everybody including, people who can’t read very well and who would like to improve their skills, and people who can’t read at all. We help through our Literacy collections and by providing facilities for Adult Literacy tutorials.

Highlights of 2002

Children’s Book Festival 29th October –1st November
Events and activities were held in all branches. There were art and craft sessions which produced, books, bookmarks, chalk art, Halloween crafts and painted wellies! For the under sixes there was “Gymboree music on the go”, a music workshop with instruments, shakers, dancing and poetry. There were author visits, with Tony Hickey and Liam Farrell, who told his story “The True story of the three little pigs” in full wolf costume. There were also stories at bedtime and with Mother Goose. For the nighttime stories, the audience came in their pyjamas with teddies in tow. Other activities included an Inter-branch library quiz, presentations of Summer Reading Club certificates and voting for the most favourite children’s book in Ireland.

Kilkenny Arts Festival 2002
Tutti Fruttis Production “Humpty goes SPLATT!” took place in Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh, Urlingford and Thomastown Libraries while children’s author Siobhan Parkinson visited Loughboy Library.

Bealtaine Festival
During May, Castlecomer Library staff ran a series of talks for older people entitled “The Time of your Life”, which included such subjects: as Tai Chi, Flower Arranging, Holistic Health, Your Rights, and Retirement and the Law.

Babies Love Books 2002
This scheme provided for a book pack containing five colourful children’s picture and board books with accompanying parents guide, to be given to children by their local Public Health Nurse at their nine month developmental check up. Kilkenny County Library Service managed this nationwide project at local level . Over 5,000 books and guides were packed by Library staff - together with a insert about books and library membership for children- and delivered to all Health Centres Countywide. A local launch of the scheme was held in the City Library on the 11th March, attended by a number of Public Health Nurses from around the County.

Relocation of Co. Library H.Q
Kilkenny County Library Service’s Administration, Local Studies and Schools’ Service relocated to 6 Rose Inn St, Kilkenny in September. Members of the Public have warmly welcomed the new Local Studies Research Room, with additional space for our 2 Microform Reader Printers and an enhanced study area.

Statistics 2002
• 204,000 library visits
• 8394 Registered Borrowers
• 280,104 Items loaned
• 9501 Internet Access Sessions