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Dublin supported James II at the Battle of the Boyne, but following his defeat by William III, a protestant ascendancy resumed control of the city and began to forge links with the new and successful monarchy. This process intensified after the death of Mary II in 1695 left William III as sole monarch. Dublin Corporation added William’s arms to the City Sword; in 1697 and in the following year, the king presented a chain of office to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, carrying the monarch’s bust on a medallion, which is in use to this day.

In an online world that is connected 24/7 we have never had access to so much information; so much so that people sometimes feel overwhelmed. We are constantly subjected to conflicting messages from pundits, advertisers, politicians and talking heads and many ideas in public and political discourse are greatly contested, such as global warming or the safety of vaccines. Additionally, much public debate has arisen concerning the veracity of many information sources often accompanied by claims of ‘fake news’.For the month of November Rathmines library will be hosting a book display featuring many titles on the topic of critical thinking which will aid readers in discerning just how reliable many of the claims with which we are constantly bombarded really are. So if you would like to pick up new techniques to cut through the polemic and cunningly crafted narratives why not nip in and peruse our selection of materials to help you THINK! Can't get into Rathmines, no problem just reserve any of these reads from our catalogue and pick them up at your local library.

JSTOR is a comprehensive online resource that spans a variety of topics. Access to The Ireland Collection – JSTOR can be accessed at Dublin City Public Libraries free of charge. The Ireland Collection is an interdisciplinary collection of journals and other materials. The Collection contains titles and resources across the arts, humanities, and sciences in disciplines such as music, art, history, literature, archaeology, mathematics, and biology. Materials span from the 1780s to the present.Find out more about this and other research materials available at Dublin City Public Libraries. Whether you want to satisfy your curiosities, increase your content knowledge or for personal research the information is at your fingertips. For example you can find a copy of every Dublin Historical Record article ever written since 1834. Students can access further information to assist their studies. Researchers who may not have access to journal databases will find a wealth of information available."JSTOR (short for Journal Storage) is an online system for archiving academic journals, founded in 1995. It provides its member institutions full-text searches of digitised back issues of several hundred well-known journals, dating back to 1665. Membership in JSTOR is held by 7,000 institutions in 159 countries. JSTOR was originally funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, but is now an independent, self-sustaining not-for-profit organization with offices in New York City and Ann Arbor, Michigan. In January 2009, it was announced that JSTOR would merge with Ithaka, a non-profit organization founded in 2003 and "dedicated to helping the academic community take full advantage of rapidly advancing information and networking technologies." (Wikipedia)JSTOR is an example of information storage and access that is required to protect the masses of information available. It was a solution for libraries to deal with the growing level of print journals that were in circulation.  In the 2003 copy of JSTOR News (Issue 2 No. 7) Michael P. Spinella of JSTOR writes “Though there is not yet a complete tally at the time of this writing, it is believed that many thousands of artefacts, works of art, ancient manuscripts, and historic letters housed by the Iraqi National Museum and National Library have been destroyed or stolen. These works encompass some 2000 years of history and culture. We should take a moment to contemplate the enormity of these losses. Beyond this, we must act to guard against such tragedies in the future. The situation underscores the urgency of preserving history in as many places and forms as possible. Digitization cannot replicate the experience of an original work; nevertheless, digital copies are preferable to the calamity of total loss. In my first few months at JSTOR, I have encountered many people who share an awareness of the need to protect intellectual and cultural histories. JSTOR staff members demonstrate this commitment through their work to ensure the continued accessibility of the literature entrusted to us.”

You can find out how to do and be lots of things in the library.Actors, gardeners, jugglers, farmers, knitters, bakers, candlestick makers, secretaries or being idle. Staying single or looking for partners?From the practical to the mundane, finding jobs to healing pain. Would you like to speak Irish or Chimpanzee? How to be good, how to be positive, how to be beautiful, how to be mean, how to be rich...... Random things like being a superhero 101 Things To Do To Become a Superhero . . . or an evil genius by Helen Szirtes and Richard HorneOr mowing the lawnHow to mow the lawn, the lost art of being a man by Sam MartinOr be a womanHow to be a woman by Caitlin MoranOr give those dreaded presentationsPublic speaking, everything you need to know by Jacey Lamerton   Really there's no excuses you can be anything you want to be really!! 

Walk away the Winter blues!Have you overindulged over the festive season. Do you feel lethargic and tired? Are you afraid to step up on the scales. Has Operation Transformation (TV Programme) frightened you into keeping fit? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, fear not! Dublin Public Libraries can help!Dublin City Public Libraries have a very comprehensive collection of maps and guides with interesting walks, hikes, and trails contained within: encouraged yet to venture out in the fresh air, and explore and enjoy the countryside?Suss out any of our 21 library service points spread across the city and checkout these walks. Included are: Best Walks in Ireland by David Marshall (2006)Glasnevin Cemetery: A historic Walk (1997)Leisure Walks Near Dublin by Joss Lynam (2004)Literary Walking Tours of Gothic Dublin by Brian J Showers (2006)Lonely Planet Hill Walking in Ireland (2010)Secret Dublin. 25 original walks exploring the hidden city by Pat Liddy (2001)Walks Around Medieval Dublin by Dublin City Council (2004)A Walk Across Ireland from Coast to Coast including the Royal Canal Way by John Mulligan (2006)Also, there are a number of very useful websites available with downloadable maps attached. Look up:Coillte OutdoorsDiscover Ireland Route PlannerDublin Mountains WayHeritage Ireland MapsDublin Discovery Trails: Self-guided walking tours of DublinNational Parks and Wildlife ServiceIrish Trails - DublinCommit to be fit in 2012. Beir bua!