Minister Hogan launches 'Opportunities for All', the new public library strategy

Minister Hogan launches new strategy

Launched at IPA, Dublin

If you could build your ideal public library, what would it be like? A bright, spacious place to work, study, relax or enjoy community events? Free access, longer opening hours, wifi, self-service, ebooks and professional staff to help you with any research you might need? Or maybe you'd prefer to enjoy the digital library from the comfort of your own home? All of the above...or is that too much to ask?

City and County Librarians at the launch of 'Opportunities for All'

City and County Librarians at the launch of 'Opportunities for All'

City and County Librarians at the launch of 'Opportunities for All'

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Paul Dunne, Minister Hogan, Barry Quinlan and Annette Kelly

At the launch of 'Opportunities for All' at the IPA

Paul Dunne, Minister Hogan, Barry Quinlan and Annette Kelly

Paul Dunne, Minister Hogan, Barry Quinlan and Annette Kelly

At the launch of 'Opportunities for All' at the IPA

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You may think this idyllic service is only available within the bounds of your imagination, but the new public library strategy 2013-2017, Opportunities for All: the public library as a catalyst for economic, social and cultural development, sets out a progressive plan to makes these dreams a reality.

Published by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Opportunities for All was launched today, 19th December, by Minister Phil Hogan at the Institute of Public Administration, Dublin.

"This strategy is, for the first time, a joint initiative of my Department, the County and City Managers’ Association and the Local Government Management Agency. This very welcome development reflects the strengthening of the partnership between all of the stakeholders those remit it is to deliver a dynamic and responsive public library service to all Irish citizens and we are committed to continuing to work effectively together to ensure full implementation of this ambitious strategy."

Split into seven strands of activity, Opportunities for All sets out concrete action plans to revitalise the public library service to meet the needs of the 21^st century community. Under the overarching social, economic and cultural policies, the foundations have been laid for the construction of our ideal public library.

So, what exactly will this new strategy deliver? Redefined library spaces with more accessible hours, upgraded IT, opportunities to develop new skills and so much more, all with the support of professional staff to help us wade through the ever-growing world of information.

The construction of this new library service is already underway with the first major project of the strategy: to implement a new national library management system (LMS). What will this mean for the public? Well, this momentous project will pave the way for single national membership and universal access to all public libraries. When in place, it will allow people to browse and borrow from any of the 336 public libraries in the country, not just those in their own locality. So, whether you find yourself on business or pleasure in another part of Ireland, you’ll have guaranteed access to all public library resources, both in-house and online.

A concrete step in the right direction.

Michael Malone, Chair of Libraries Development Committee

Michael Malone, Chair of Libraries Development Committee

Michael Malone, Chair of Libraries Development Committee

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Happily, the importance of the bright, comfortable, contemporary public library spaces achieved under the previous Branching Out strategies has not been forgotten. In fact, the development of "The Physical Space" is given the justly deserved place as the first programme of action of the Opportunities for All.

While public libraries have erstwhile conjured up images of old Carnegie buildings of the early 20th century, 95 new or refurbished state-of-the-art library buildings have been opened over the past 15 years, thanks to the Library Buildings Capital Programme under Branching Out. New library buildings, such as the those in Ballyroan, Athlone or Mountmellick, have provided a facelift to the library service and set a new standard for public services in general. It is encouraging that despite the tightening of the public purse-strings in recent years, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will continue to endeavour to provide financial support to the Library Buildings Capital Programme throughout the five year lifetime of Opportunities for All.

Deansgrange Library, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
Courtesy Donal Murphy Photography

If the bright, spacious architecture and lively design of libraries such as Deansgrange are an indication of things to come, the future of public libraries looks promising indeed. Another requirement of the ideal public library addressed.

Minister Hogan with staff from the Department of the Environment and the LGMA

L-R: Anne Marie O'Dwyer, Eva McEneaney, Paul Dunne, Minister Hogan, Barry Quinlan, Annette Kelly, Ruth Montague, Joan Ward

Minister Hogan with staff from the Department of the Environment and the LGMA

Minister Hogan with staff from the Department of the Environment and the LGMA

L-R: Anne Marie O'Dwyer, Eva McEneaney, Paul Dunne, Minister Hogan, Barry Quinlan, Annette Kelly, Ruth Montague, Joan Ward

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Of course, the public library is about more than just the building and the atmosphere; it’s about expert advice from professional staff, learning, community activity, culture. In this respect, public libraries have long been woven into the fabric of community life, but Opportunities for All aims to enhance the library’s role within the community:

"Public libraries will further develop the roles of information, literacy, learning and job-seeking support centres in the community in addition to the traditional functions of promoting, literature, reading and culture."

New technologies such as self-issue and RFID will be rolled out across the public library service, freeing up staff to concentrate on service development, spend more time with users, organise community events, expand the service to ensure all sectors of the community are reached; reinforce their primary role as information professionals.

Given the high level of unemployment, coupled with the increase in start-ups and SMEs, the planned developments in the area of job skills, information and business support outlined in Opportunities for All are welcome. Operating as a learning and meeting place, as well as providing incubation space for entrepreneurs and new businesses, the public library will act as a catalyst for local economic development. Critically for businesses, and the public in general, high on the list of the ambitions set out in Opportunities for All is the extension of high quality broadband and wifi to all public libraries.

And so, with professional staff freed up to support our research and wifi extended to all branches, the foundations of universal access and contemporary spaces for our ideal public library have been reinforced. 

For many people, the public library is the birth place of a lifelong love of reading, where the first steps into new worlds of the imagination are made. The key role of the public library in literacy support is set to expand under Opportunities for All. High quality collections, reader development activities, in-library and online support for literacy and numeracy resources are planned to foster reading and numeracy as basic skills for life. According to the latest OECD PIACC survey (2012), 17.9% of adults lack basic literacy skills, ranking Ireland 17th out of the 24 participating countries. In this context, enhancing the public library's role in literacy support makes Opportunities for All a timely publication.

Of course, business, reading and learning have long since extended from the physical to the virtual realm, with ever-evolving technologies changing the way we work, live, play. How will the public library address this growing need for digital resources and stay relevant to the modern user? Under Opportunities for All, the digitisation of cultural heritage, educational, environmental, and genealogy resources will continue. Interactive online courses and learner support in virtual environments are planned. Public libraries are set to engage in creative digital development. With a single LMS underpinning the service, access to a national digital public library is imminent.  

In this economically challenging time, the ideal public library would of course be free of charge. A welcome goal of this progressive new strategy is to enable free access to core information, learning and cultural services by 2017. It is also planned to develop an automatic registration mechanism for universal public library membership for all children born in Ireland. Another box ticked.

What about opening hours? For many people, access to the library beyond regular business hours is essential, and although most libraries open late at least once a week, this isn't always sufficient due to work and family commitments. Opportunities for All outlines plans for an innovative approach to flexible opening hours.

In 2014, an 'Open Libraries' initiative will be piloted in a number of libraries throughout the country, offering seven day opening from eight in the morning until ten at night. Staffing levels and hours will remain the same as present, while the extended hours will be unstaffed. An innovative service, Open Libraries grants members the freedom to use the library at the hours that suit them best.

Overall, this highly progressive strategy sets out to redefine the public library service to meet 21st century needs. Its successful implementation by 2017 will indeed create our ideal public library, and will justly deserve the title 'Opportunities for All'.