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Today is Africa Day, designated by the African Union as an annual celebration of the continent’s unity, on 25 May each year. Why not explore African literature, newspapers, magazines and music through Dublin City Libraries’ eResources? This list is just a taster of some of the great content available – we encourage you to explore Borrowbox, Pressreader and Freegal for more!Happy Africa Day 2020!African LiteratureIf you would like to read evocative and gripping novels by African writers, there is a large selection of eBooks and eAudiobooks available with Dublin City Libraries using Borrowbox. Many readers will be familiar with established and acclaimed authors such as J.M. Coetzee, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ben Okri, and Nadime Gordimer. Important breakthrough novels from some of those listed include Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which re-created a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra’s impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria in the 1960s. In the period since it won the Booker Prize in 1991, The Famished Road by Ben Okri has become a classic, combining brilliant narrative technique with a fresh vision to create an essential work of world literature.For those looking for more contemporary and emerging writers, why not check out some of the following authors and titles? Akwaeke Emezi explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self in her debut novel, Freshwater. This powerful story illuminates how we all construct our identities. The Society of Reluctant Dreamers by José Eduardo Agualusa is a surreal, vivid novel about courage versus fear, change and the old order, amidst the politics of Angola's tumultuous past, present and future. A debut novel published in 2019, The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell bounds along with colour and energy. It relates the story of three Zambian families (black, white, and brown) as they collide and converge over the course of the century, into the present and beyond.Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi begins with the story of two half-sisters, separated by forces beyond their control: one sold into slavery, the other married to a British slaver. This compelling tale traces the generations of family who follow, as the legacy of slavery is fully revealed. Novuyo Rosa Tshuma examines the death of colonial Rhodesia in her novel The House of Stone. Bukhosi has gone missing. His parents cling to the hope that he has run away, rather than been murdered by government thugs. Only the lodger seems to have any idea…The Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa tells the story of the young, beautiful and ambitious Bontle Tau, who has Johannesburg wrapped around her finger. Her generous admirers are falling over themselves to pay for her Mercedes, her penthouse, and her Instagrammable holidays.African Newspapers and MagazinesOn Pressreader you’ll find dozens of magazines and newspapers from all over Africa, in different languages. There are titles from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and many more! Log in to Pressreader selecting Dublin City Libraries as your service provider, use your library card membership number and then browse by country to see what’s on offer!African MusicFreegal is the free music streaming service for Dublin City Libraries members. We have compiled a playlist for Africa Day 2020 of some legendary and newer African artists. Some of the artists on our playlist include legendary South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Grammy nominated Afro-fusion artist BurnaBoy; the beloved singer, songwriter and activist from Benin, Angelique Kidjo; and Nigerian entertainer Wizkid, who has collaborated with multiple international artists including Drake, Wale, Skepta and Beyonce. Log in to Freegal using your library card membership number and PIN.  

We have all become aware over the last few years of the decline of many species on our planet. From the polar bear (who has become synonymous with climate change) to butterflies and bees, approximately one quarter of plant and animal species are threatened with extinction.Because of this, The UN has selected Friday, 22nd May, as International Biodiversity Day. Under normal circumstances, this would probably entail organised outdoor events, with schools playing a major role by involving children in activities such as building bug hotels, searching rock pools or counting butterflies/bees etc. Obviously we are all constrained by Covid19 restrictions but fear not, Dublin City Libraries is here to help. We can't actually bring you on a bug hunt or organise a day trip to search for rare species of flora and fauna, but our online resources can certainly educate and entertain you.BBC Wildlife's May issue for example, has articles from” Seven Species To Spot”, “ Working With Nature”,  and “Wild Month- What to Look Out For”. These have wonderful images to accompany them and are a joy to read.National Geographic's May issue also focuses on similar themes, citing the importance of insects for our planet, and the reasons we should be concerned that many of them are disappearing. There is even National Geographic Little Kids magazine which headlines “FUN WITH FROGS” ! Most kids love the idea of tadpoles and mucking around in a pond, so this is sure to catch their attention. These magazines and many more are available FREE to Dublin City Library members from RB Digital, one of our many online resources. Register for RB Digital magazines or via the Rbdigital app:  Google Play - Android | iTunes - iOS | Kindle Fire Watch our how to video for more information.If you have a particular interest in  butterflies, Matthew Oates's book “In Pursuit of Butterflies” may appeal to you. A life long conservationist, he chronicles his fifty year career researching these beautiful insects. This is also free to download for our library members from BorrowBox. Indeed, if you are more broadly interested in climate change and the many factors which contribute to it, there is plenty of choice on BorrowBox, from Tim Smedley's “Clearing The Air” to “No More Plastic” by Martin Dorey. These issues which affect us all are perhaps more relevant than ever at the moment, as we face an uncertain future with Covid 19.Access eBooks/eAudiobooks on your phone, tablet or reader. Once you have installed the app, search for Dublin in the ‘Library’ field provided and then sign in using your library membership card number and PIN. Watch our how to video on Borrowbox. Members of other library authorities will need to log in using a different link.So whether you  want to have fun with bugs and butterflies, or delve deeply into climate change and the environment, Dublin City Libraries can provide you with the necessary resources. Some of the following links may be of interest also: Otters in the city!,  Green-schools stay-home biodiversity,  or this YouTube video on the subject.Submitted by Maeve from Finglas Library

Our libraries are not merely places where people borrow books. They are places of learning, informal and formal, conversation (yes, really) and exchange of ideas. Many of our libraries facilitate the learning of history through local history talks, reading groups and promotional events. We know that these remain popular, and we hope to be able to facilitate them once our doors are open again. In the meantime, we have dug around for some documentaries and lectures to whet the appetite of history lovers. These are all freely available, some on our very own resources, and some on other brilliant platforms that are open to all. This is just a selection however.  There are countless eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and lectures available on RBDigital, Borrowbox, Freegal and The Great Courses covering loads of aspects of Irish History and World History.‘Ireland in Rebellion, 1782-1916’ – Trinity College Dublin (2015)This lecture series was created by staff at Trinity College Dublin and made freely available online ahead of the centenary remembrance of the 1916 rebellion. It is available through Trinity College Dublin’s YouTube channel. Originally delivered over 14 weeks, it offers 69 lectures, each between 10-20 minutes long. They chart the creation of modern Ireland from the Constitution of 1782 up until the 1916 rising and its immediate aftermath. It covers much in between, the impact of the French Revolution in Ireland, the 1798 rebellion, Act of Union, Robert Emmet, Daniel O’Connell and Catholic Emancipation, Parnell, Home Rule, Ulster Unionism and the Rise of Irish Nationalism. For anyone interested in Modern Irish history, this delivers in-depth coverage in concise and easily digestible form.The Irish Revolution – RTÉ Documentary Series (2019)This was a major documentary project commissioned by RTÉ to commemorate the centenary of the Irish War of Independence. Only broadcast in 2019, it is available to watch on the RTÉ player. There are 3 episodes, each 50 minutes long which detail the causes of conflict, the formation of a first Dáil and the process which ended in the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921.Alive Alive O : A Requiem For Dublin – Sé Merry Doyle (1999) IFI PlayerThe IFI player is worth checking out for loads of interesting documentaries on aspects of Irish history and heritage. You could easily lose hours on this brilliantly curated resource. We’ve picked one for those local for some very local history. Sé Merry Doyle’s documentary chronicles some of the unique people and places of Dublin as the city and its spaces changed over the course of the 1980s. It features remarkable interviews with real Dublin people on how these changes impacted them on a personal level. Look out for footage of a very young U2 and Tony Gregory. The Irish Identity: Independence, History, and Literature -  Professor Marc C. Conner, Ph.D. Washington and Lee University.The Great Courses (RB Digital)The onset of the 20th Century saw the Irish Renaissance or Irish Revival occur; a time in which Irish identify, cultural and artistic traditions and renewed nationalist pride awake. Prof. Marc O'Connor explores how art and politics intertwined in the creation of this Irish Identity, all against the backdrop of centuries of British Rule and at a time of enormous national upheaval. Delivered across 36 lectures, this is available to Dublin City Council Library Card holders through the Great Courses on RBDigital.Register for RB Digital and watch our how to video here.Submitted by Peter in Pembroke Library.

John McGahern’s Dublin: the 23rd Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture will take place on Thursday 23rd January 2020 at 6pm.The lecture will be presented by Professor Frank Shovlin, University of Liverpool, at Dublin City Library & Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2,John McGahern is often thought of as Ireland's quintessential chronicler of rural life, a writer who, through his Leitrim and Roscommon roots, helped to represent the delicate facets of the countryside more accurately than any writer since Patrick Kavanagh.From Howth of The Leavetaking, to Drumcondra and Contarf of The Pornographer or the city centre pubs of High Ground, he lovingly recreated the city he knew, first as a student teacher and in later years as a mature writer. The lecture will examine moments from the published fiction as well as considering an extensive unpublished correspondence that allows us access to McGahern's social networks and his motivations and preoccupations as he develops into one of the greatest writers of fiction in the post-war era.Reception to follow. No Booking Required. Come early to ensure a place. Further information: 01 674 4999 or [email protected] or [email protected]  

Dublin City Library and Archive is pleased to present its latest exhibition which launches on Wednesday 6th November at 6pm in Pearse Street Library. The exhibition will be opened by Joe Conlan, who plays Widow Twankey in this year’s Gaiety production of Aladdin.It takes audiences down memory lane with material relating to the Theatre Royal and the Queen’s Theatre, as well as from the collections of Jimmy O’Dea, Vernon Hayden, Cecil Sheridan and Noel Purcell. This colourful exhibition traces the history of the pantomime tradition in our capital city, through the stories of its theatres and its entertainers.There will also be lots for the younger audience with features on more recent heroes, such as Twink,  Jedward and Joe Conlan.  There will be costumes and props, film, events and prizes.The exhibition will be based in the Dublin Room of Pearse Street Library (138-144 Pearse Street) and will open to the public on Thursday 7 November, running until the end of January 2020.  Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm Friday-Saturday 10am -5pm and admission is free of charge.Free tours can be arranged for groups on demand. If you’d like to find out more about booking a tour, please email us at: [email protected] or call us on (01) 674 4997. 

October was a busy month at Ballymun Library for children’s activities with many events organised in conjunction with Children’s Book Festival 2019 and Stemsational Saturdays’ activities for 8 to 12 year olds to name but a few.This time of year wouldn’t be complete without the Library’s dedicated Hallowe’en storytelling sessions for 0 to 4 year olds. These took place on the 29th of October at 10am and 11am, respectively. Most of the attendees dressed up for the occasion and had a spooktacular time.Millie Donnelly dressed as a witch at the Baby/Wobbler Hallowe’en Book Club. At the baby session, the book ‘Spot’s Spooky Fun’ by Eric Hill was read by Maria Sheahan (Librarian). Eric Hill has written many stories for babies including ‘Spot Says Goodnight’ and ‘Spot Goes to School’. This is a lovely story for babies and wobblers where Spot has the difficult task of deciding which costume he should wear for Hallowe’en. The group was captivated proving this story is a perfect Hallowe’en read for young babies. The Toddlers heard the story ‘Usborne Noisy Spooky Book’. As you can see from the photos, this book is always a big hit with small children! Isabella Forsyth is the dashing pumpkin and Amelia Sweeney is batgirl. They love hearing the creepy sound effects that go with the story and it’s a fun choice for grown-ups to read! Hallowe’en rhymes were also taught to the children after each storytelling session. Finally, toys and sweet treats were provided to complete the sessions.Ballymun Library’s Book Clubs for Younger Children will continue on a weekly basis on Tuesdays during November and early December.  The Baby/Wobbler Book Club (0 to 2 Year Olds) runs from 10.00am to 10.45am and the Toddler Book Club (2 Year Olds to pre-school age) runs from 11.00am to 11.45am.  No advance booking is necessary.Join us each week in making family reading a magical and fun experience! 

The “Join Up, Join In” initiative aims to encourage schoolchildren in 4th class to join their local Library. The competition was launched by the Lord Mayor in Ballymun Library on October 10th.The winning design will be used for all children’s library cards in the future. Speaking at the launch the Lord Mayor said: “I want to see every child in the city get a library card and use their local libraries.  The libraries provide such an amazing range of free services from books to creative activities and introduce children to reading at an early age.  To kick-start this initiative I’m inviting 4th class students across Dublin city to enter the competition to design the new children’s library card.  Be as creative as you can and you may see every child in Dublin holding a library card with your design!”Children can enter the competition by handing their designs in to their local library or enter through their schools. A design template in Irish and English is available from all branches of Dublin City Council Libraries and participating Schools.The competition will run until 22nd November 2019.  A welcoming pack, including the new card, will be delivered to all 4th classes in the New Year.Mairead Owens, Dublin City Librarian, said, “I am very proud to support the Lord Mayor’s initiative. In libraries, we celebrate childhood, and children, through the joy of reading. Our branch libraries provide fun spaces to enjoy, imagine and explore, so I invite all 4th class children in the Dublin City area to ‘Join Up and Join In’.  We look forward to welcoming you and your friends and family to your local library.”The Lord Mayor with 4th class pupils from the North Dublin National School Project, Ballymun. 

This Culture Night marks the beginning of a fantastic opportunity for teenagers to borrow a musical instrument from Dublin City Libraries. Dublin City Libraries and Girls Rock Dublin are proud to present “GRD Gear Library”, the gear loan service designed for teenagers under 18 and launching on Culture Night with “Instrument Carousel”. Girls Rock Dublin is a non-profit, volunteer-led organisation that builds girls’ self-esteem through music creation and performance. On 20 September at 6pm 16 teenagers will take over Pearse Street Library in a fun and loud experiment involving electric guitars, basses, synths, keyboards, ukulele, glockenspiel, pedal effects and drums. By moving through different rooms and engaging with GRD coaches, participants will learn a song on each instrument, and finish by performing the song together. This is open to teenagers of all genders. From Culture Night any teenager who is a member of Dublin City Libraries can borrow their preferred instrument for three weeks. All you need is your   library card! . Dublin City Libraries are free, fun and easy to use. Joining is easy and completely free. Get  access  to  great  online  resources, borrow  books, DVDs and now musical instruments. There are no fines and you can use your card in any library in Ireland.The GRD Gear Library is a collection of instruments, amplifiers and musical accessories that Girls Rock Dublin use for their summer camp and events and are now making available throughout Dublin City Libraries all year round. Teenagers will need the signature of a parent or guardian when completing the membership form. Their parent or guardian will need to bring photo I.D. and proof of address.Take a look at the instrument gallery, then call into Pearse Street library and borrow what you need! Email Pearse Street Library to make a booking.The collection is made up of donated instruments from people in the community who value the work of Girls Rock Dublin and purchases made through funding from ​Reverb.com​.It's is an ongoing project so donations are welcome! 

This spring children in Dublin are urged to keep their eyes peeled for mysterious aliens at their local library as Bumpfizzle – the Best on Planet Earth by Patricia Forde, has been chosen for the 2019 Citywide Reading Campaign for Children.Bumpfizzle is an alien, sent to Earth from Planet Plonk on a research mission. Or is he really just a ten-year-old boy who is feeling a bit disgruntled at all the attention his parents are lavishing on The Baby? It is up to readers to make up their own minds. The author, Patricia Forde, has published numerous books for children in English and in Irish, two plays, in addition to several television drama series for children and teenagers. She has worked as a writer on both English and Irish language soap operas. In another life, she was a primary school teacher and the artistic director of Galway Arts Festival.The illustrator Elīna Brasliņa is an illustrator from Riga, Latvia. She has illustrated fifteen titles to date, most of them picturebooks, children’s books and young adult novels. Her work has been nominated for many local awards as well as the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal. She has twice received the Zelta Abele Award for Book Design, as well as the Janis Baltvilks Baltic Sea Region Award (2017).This is the eighth year of the city wide reading initiative. Previous books selected for the Citywide Reading Campaign in previous years include; Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent by Alan Early, The Nightmare Club series featuring Annie Graves, The Powers by Kevin Stevens, Danger is Everywhere by David O’Doherty and Chris Judge, The Book of Learning by E.R. Murray, Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden and last year’s book was Making Millions by Erika McGann. The aim of the campaign is to encourage children to read for pleasure. There will be author visits to many Dublin City Council branch libraries as well as city-centre based events in bookshops, the National Library of Ireland and Dublin City Gallery – Hugh Lane. The campaign ends with fun events based on the book, as part of the St. Patrick’s Festival’s in Merrion Square. Copies of the book are available in all Dublin City Public Libraries as well as in all good bookshops.  Dublin City Council Library stock can be borrowed from libraries nationwide.Key Events;•    Author visits to Dublin City Public Library branches between January and March. Class visits booked locally at branch libraries.•    Cabra Library, Navan Road, Dublin 7, Tuesday 29th January at 3.30pm (Booking Essential; [email protected] or ph. 8691414).•    The National Library of Ireland, Kildare St, Dublin 2. Thursday 7th February at 10am (Booking required: Contact Bríd O’Sullivan  [email protected])•    Dublin City Gallery - The Hugh Lane, Charlemont House, Parnell Square North, Dublin 1 Saturday 16th March 11am-12pmAuthor Patricia Forde says: “I am delighted and very excited that Bumpfizzle The Best on Planet Earth is the 2019 Citywide Read.  Bumpfizzle is an alien- which may attract some funny business from other planets - but I think Dublin children are up for that. I sincerely hope so.  We may need heroes before this is over.”(Dublin City Public Library Staff, Patricia Forde and Kids at Launch)(Photo Credit Fennell Photography)You can download a Reading Guide to the book, suitable for teachers and parents at http://www.dublincityofliterature.ie/projects/citywide-read/The campaign is run by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and Dublin City Council Public Libraries, in partnership with Little Island Books, and is funded by Dublin City Council’s Public Library Service and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. 

Dublin Festival of History returns for it's sixth year and takes place from the 24th September to 7th October. This year will see over 140 events across the city, with talks, walks, tours and exhibitions on a wide range of topics, including the historical impact of gaming, former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ time spent in Ireland, a queer history of Kilmainham Gaol, an evening of conversation and music with Christy Dignam, as well as numerous events marking 100 years of Irish women’s suffrage. All events are free.The Festival will culminate with a ‘Big Weekend’ series of talks at City Hall and the Printworks, Dublin Castle, taking place from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th October featuring many best-selling historians. Michael Palin will bring to life the history of the ship HMS Erebus, Anne Applebaum will discuss Stalin’s war on the Ukraine in the 1930s, while Helen Rappaport will shed new light on the murder of the Russian Imperial Family after the Bolshevik Revolution, 100 years after their death.Commenting on the launch of the full programme of events, Brendan Teeling, Dublin City Librarian, said: “The Dublin Festival of History has been growing year-on-year since we started in 2013 and we’re delighted to launch an expanded and diverse programme of events for this year’s Festival, all completely free of charge. We’re immensely proud of the diversity of topics, and we’re also really pleased that once again the Festival has achieved gender balance, in fact we have a majority of female speakers on our line-up this year. “History isn’t just for academics – whether you have an interest in fashion, gaming, GAA, maps or want to know more about the first wave of Irish feminism – we’ll have an event for you. We’d encourage everyone to check out our programme, come along to an event and learn something new.”If you have an interest in history you can’t miss this Festival and remember, all events are free!The Dublin Festival of History is brought to you by Dublin City Council and is organised by Dublin City Public Libraries.View the full programme at dublinfestivalofhistory.ie | Library-based Events |  Dublin Festival of History programme (PDF, 6.32MB)