Dublin City Public Libraries has a wide range of services providing for and embracing the ethnic diversity of our library users.
Guide to City Centre Services
A Dublin City Directory and Map of essential services for migrants is now available from all of Dublin City branch libraries and Citizens Information Service (CIS) in O’Connell Street. The 'Find Your Way' directory is currently available in five languages – English, Polish, Chinese, Russian and French. It contains contact details of migrant organisations, community groups and information on education, employment and social welfare. Find Your Way is also available online.
Check availability of 'Find Your Way' in library catalogue
Language Learning
Self-learning language facilities are available in several branch libraries and in the Open Learning Centre in the Central Library. A certificate is awarded on completion of 50 hours of study. In addition each library has a range of multi-media language courses that may be borrowed and dictionaries that may be used in the library.
The Central Library holds Institute of Linguists examinations in January and May of each year.
Conversation exchanges offer an opportunity to practice speaking a language with native speakers in an informal setting.
The Central Library holds conversation exchanges in Italian, Spanish, French, German, Irish, Japanese and Russian - Cabra Library holds conversation exchanges in Spanish, French and Irish
- Raheny Library holds conversation exchanges in Spanish and Irish
- Dublin City Library and Archive holds conversation exchanges in Polish
The Central Library holds and English language bookclub on the second Monday of each month, 2.30pm. This bookclub is for people who want to improve their English. Tel. +353-1-8734333
Library Material
Dublin City Public Libraries has books, films, newspapers and periodicals in foreign languages.
Bright Books Collection
Adult fiction books in a variety of languages are held in the following libraries:
Central Library, Cabra, Charleville Mall, Dolphin’s Barn, Finglas, Kevin Street, Marino, Pearse Street, Rathmines and Terenure.
Languages include Polish, Russian, Czech, Slovak, French, Spanish, Chinese, German and Italian.
To search the catalogue, use the 'keyword search' and enter the language in which you are interested and the word “literature” e.g. Polish Literature
Rosetta List
A collection of contemporary Irish writing translated into thirty languages, donated to Dublin City Public Libraries by the Irish Literature Exchange. To view titles in this collection use a keyword search of the catalogue using the term "Rosetta” and the language that is of interest to you. View the Rosetta List in our catalogue.
All books are held in the Central Library.
Moldovan Collection
The Moldovan Community in Ireland has donated dozens of titles to the World Books collection in the Central Library. The collection consists of fiction and nonfiction titles for both children and adults. This donation makes the books available to over 5000 Moldovans currently residing in Ireland, either by borrowing the books directly from Dublin City Public Libraries or nationwide through the Borrowbooks website and service.
View the Moldovan Collection in the library catalogue. Members of local authority libraries all over the country can access the collection through the Borrowbooks website.
Bulgarian Favourites
The Bulgarian Embassy has donated best loved Bulgarian books to the World Books Collection.
Goethe Collection
A collection of contemporary German fiction books for adults and children. A list of titles can be viewed in the library catalogue. To access this list do a subject search of the catalogue using the terms "Goethe Institute Collection". View the Goethe Collection in our catalogue.
All books are held in the Central Library.
Children's Books
All libraries hold an excellent collection of children's picture books in a variety of languages and in dual language format.
Newspapers and Periodicals
A number of newspapers and periodicals in different languages are available in the Central Library, including Bunte, Corriere della Sera, Izvestia, Jeune Afrique Intelligent, Le Monde Selection Hebdomadaire, El Pais (Sunday edition). Some branch libraries hold copies of donated newspapers in French and Russian. Paris Match is available in Ballymun, Kevin Street, Pembroke and Terenure. Hola (Madrid) is available in the Central Library, Donaghmede and Rathmines. Metro Eireann is available in 14 branch libraries throughout the city.
Visit our web guide to browse a list of international newspapers online.
DVDs
All libraries hold a collection of DVDs, based on novels and plays, which can be viewed in a variety of languages.
Computers and the Internet
Dublin City Public Libraries provides free broadband and wireless access to the Internet and desktop applications through its network of branch libraries.
The following languages are supported on public access PCs:
English (English, Ireland as default), Arabic (Saudi Arabian), Arabic (U.A.E.), Belarusian, Bulgarian, Chinese (Taiwan), Chinese (PRC), Czech, Croatian, Croatian (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Danish, Dutch (Netherlands), Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay (Malaysia), Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Serbian (Cyrillic), Serbian (Cyrillic, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Serbian (Latin, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (International Sort), Spanish (Traditional Sort), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukranian, Vietnamese.
Assistive Technology
Kurzweil 3000 is available in Central Library, Pearse Street Library, Cabra Library, Ballyfermot Library and Ballymun Library. Kurzweil 3000 can be used to assist those wishing to improve their English pronunciation as they can scan text from any book onto the screen and listen to it as it is read back to them.
Netvibes
Netvibes is our gateway to the web and is the first page you will see on our PCs. Netvibes gathers together a variety of resources that you may find useful, such as job and house search, European press, mail and tool kit and much more.
Web Guide
Our WEB GUIDE offers a comprehensive list of recommended websites by subject area, for example:
Events and Exhibitions
Most libraries have exhibitions and hold events on a regular basis. These may relate to different cultures, in particular those events and exhibitions in the Central Library. Libraries actively encourage the celebration of other cultures. Examples of recent events and exhibitions include 'Many Faces, Many Places', an intercultural summer programme of events for children and young people; 'The Story of Africa' photo exhibition, 'Many Faces of Europe's Capitals' exhibition and African Story-telling.
View a list of current events