Dublin City Libraries will be closed from Saturday 4 May to Monday 6 May 2024 (inclusive). Our online services will continue as usual. We will reopen on Tuesday, 7 May.
Last month I was in the King’s Inns building for the launch of a remarkable short film. Trish McAdams directed and wrote Confinement for the Grangegorman Development Agency, who asked her to create a public art project. The film’s 30-minute running time evokes three hundred years of the history of the King’s Inns, Henrietta Street and the Grangegorman Asylum. The story is told through the imagined voice of Tony Rudenko, an artist who lived in Henrietta Street until his death in 2014, who was also a friend of the director.(Poster for Dublin International Film Festival showing of Confinement)The film opens with animated maps of the Henrietta Street area in the early 18th century. It tells how the beautiful houses in the street were built originally for the wealthy, eventually accommodating the poor, and recently seeing many of them currently undergoing restoration to former glory. This is a history well told by the Tenement Museum at 14 Henrietta Street.The King’s Inns was built with its back to Henrietta Street and its magnificent frontage facing in the direction of Grangegorman, which was at various times since the late 18th century the site of a workhouse, a prison and an asylum for the mentally ill.(The King’s Inns building seen from Constitution Hill)By the early 19th century, the workhouse and prison had been merged into the hospital, which was added to over the years until its peak in the early 20th century, when it had over 2,000 patients. During the cholera epidemic of 1832, the hospital was used to isolate patients and was referred to as the Dublin Cholera Hospital for the duration of the epidemic.(Surviving gate to the asylum buildings at Grangegorman)For the film, McAdams animated her own wonderful drawings that are based on actual photographs of the inmates of the asylum, contained in the inmate records. The site is now part of the huge development in the Grangegorman area, which hosts the DIT campus of the new Technological University Dublin. Dr. Mary Muldowney, Historian in Residence, Dublin City Library and Archive.Dublin City Council Historians in Residence are available to meet groups and schools, give talks, walks etc, run history book clubs and advise on historical research.
History Document of the Month: Rally round the banner boys!
Gerald Crofts (1888–1934) was one of a small group of musicians and lyricists who made a huge contribution to the Irish independence movement in the early 20th century. He came from Capel Street originally, where his family had a shop and he was a popular singer. His brother Joseph was a composer who arranged the words and music for this marching song, which was dedicated to Crofts.Gerald had joined the Irish Volunteers in 1914 and he was a close friend of some of the leaders of the Rising. He was imprisoned in Dartmoor and Lewes prisons in England and suffered poor health for the rest of his life. Crofts continued his republican activities after his release from prison although he was curtailed in what he could do by a problem with his hands, which meant he could not hold weapons. Family papers suggest that he was involved in intelligence work with Michael Collins. In the later years of his life he was well known for singing his friend Constance Markiewicz’s anthem 'A Battle Hymn’ (dedicated to the Irish Citizen Army) at political gatherings and concerts. He died on 14th November 1934. History Document of the MonthEvery month the Dublin City Council Historians in Residence will be highlighting a document from Dublin City Public Libraries and Archives Digital Repository. An image of the selected document will be on display in branch libraries during the month.Historians in Residence are available to meet groups and schools, give talks, walks etc, run history book clubs and advise on historical research.
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.
Our featured online resource this week is Freegal ,a free music service which offers access to about 15 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists, and over 40,000 music videos.The Freegal Music website has thousands of artists, tens of thousands of albums, and millions of songs.In total the collection is comprised of music from over 40,000 labels with music that originates in over 100 countries. There is no software to download, and there are no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions. Dublin City Public Library users have unlimited streaming and can download 5 songs per week. All you need is your library card number and PIN. Go to https://dcpl.freegalmusic.com/ or download the free App from Google Play or the Apple Store
From the 1st of January, library members will not have to pay fines for overdue items and no existing fines will be collected.There will be no overdue fines charged on any materials taken out from the library by library members from the 1st of January 2019. All charges on members' accounts as of the 1st of January 2019 will also be removed.We are encouraging members of the public to return undamaged, overdue library items to their local libraries. There will be no fines to pay and we would be happy to reactivate your library membership for you to begin using your local library again.The removal of fines is a key aim of the new public library strategy Our Public Library 2022: Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering Communities which was published jointly by the Department of Rural and Community Development, the County and City Management Association and the Local Government Management Agency and launched by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring T.D. in June 2018. The strategy states, ‘The library is a free lifelong resource that should be available to all without barriers or charges. Library charges have been shown to have a detrimental effect on library use by children and the disadvantaged. However, there is little evidence to show they ensure timely returns – rather they may actually dissuade members and users from returning overdue items.The elimination of overdue fines is another way for libraries to encourage people who might not regularly use the library to experience what they have to offer.No Fines Does Not Mean No ResponsibilityYou will continue to receive reminders and overdue emails to prompt you to return items to the library. Please return items on or before their due date to allow them to be borrowed by other library users. Please continue to renew your items online, by phone or in person at your local branch.Please return overdue items once you receive an overdue notice. If there is an issue in returning the item, please contact a library staff member to discuss this.If you do not either return an item or contact a library staff member to discuss an overdue item before you receive a third reminder, your card will be blocked from taking out or renewing any further items, including e-books and e-audio books. Borrowing privileges cannot be restored until either the overdue item is returned, or you have made contact with a library staff member to discuss the matter.RemindersReminder emails are sent as follows:3 Days Before Due Date: Reminder Email1 Day after Due Date: Reminder Email3 Weeks after Due Date: Reminder Email9 Weeks after Due Date: Item considered lost, card borrowing privileges blocked and user requested to present to the libraryYou can check the details of your membership including whether you have overdue items at any time by logging into your online account.Replacement CostsThere will be no replacement charge for children's items which have been lost or damaged. Library members under 18 will not be asked to pay replacement costs. You will be asked to pay a replacement charge if the item which has been lost or damaged is an adult item. This cost will be calculated as the purchase price of the item.Replacement charges can be paid at any library branch, regardless of where the item originated from.Q&AsI just paid off my late fines. Do I get a refund? No. We do appreciate your responsible use of library materials. This new policy to eliminate overdue fines takes effect on the 1st of January 2019 and previously paid overdue fines will not be refunded.Fines have been removed, so why does my account still have a balance? Fines cannot be cleared from an account until the overdue item is returned to the library as the library management system does not charge fines to the account until this time. Once an item is returned, the system automatically charges the fine and this can then be cleared. Fines may be cleared on request by a library staff member, or a central clearing will take place once daily. Overdue fines are being removed in libraries throughout Ireland from 1st January 2019. Fees for lost or damaged adult items will be charged and these will be shown as a balance on a library account.What if I return my loans at a self-service Kiosk?Kiosks cannot remove fines, so library members who are charged fines at a kiosk will have to go to a member of staff to have them removed.
The e-resource featured in this week’s blog is World Book Online. A suite of three websites from the publishers of the famous World Book encyclopedias. Supplying you with accurate information at age appropriate levels in a controlled safe learning environment.From pre-primary to secondary school – from the wobblers and toddlers to tweenies – World Book provides fast and accurate information at every level in an immersive learning environment. The information is reliable, age-appropriate, and easy to read and comprehend.· Early World of Learning for ages 3 to 6 years: this is a resource for preschoolers and children in early primary education. Developed with experts on early childhood education, it offers rich resources designed for the younger child.(An example of a webpage on World Book Online)· Kids for ages 7 to 11 years: this is a premier reference website developed especially for young students. It features an intuitive user interface, thousands of easy-to-read articles packed with stunning illustrations, videos, interactive maps, and a wealth of engaging games and activities.(Example of the search function on World Book Online)· Student for ages 12 to 15 years: this contains numerous tools to engage users in 21st-century education and blended-learning practices.(Further example of the search function on World Book Online)And best of all, it’s free with your Dublin City Public Libraries membership card.See World Book Online for more details.
Whatever your area of interest, we have an online resource for you. Today we’re going to take a look at The Great Courses Library Collection. This resource gives our library members access to an amazing world of knowledge.
Marx, Engels and Ireland Historian In Residence Blog
As the world commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx, it may come as some surprise to hear that both Marx and Fredrich Engels, authors of The Communist Manifesto and creators of modern-day Marxist thought, were both strong proponents of Irish independence.
In the run-up to the referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment in May 2018, a mural appeared near the George Bernard Shaw pub in Portobello, Dublin. The mural by Aches graffiti artists depicted Savita Halappanavar who died in Galway University Hospital in October 2012 following a septic miscarriage. Dublin City Library and Archive photographed some of the messages that were left at the Memorial Wall so that a record of these transient notes might be preserved for future scholars and historians on what was a transformative event in Irish social history.
We are delighted to announce that Kevin Street Library is set to re-open on Wednesday, 25th July following a lengthy closure for major refurbishment.The refurbishment works were necessary in order to accommodate the requirements of a public library beyond those envisaged when the building first opened in 1904. Works included:Specialist repairs to the roof and structureConservation of original architectural featuresRestoration of original wooden shelving and flooringIncreased public space for study, exhibitions, community groups & children’s library (In part, facilitated by the construction of a new floor and mezzanine/gallery).Universal accessibility to all areasPublic restroomsThe newly refurbished library containsa spacious adult library with a reading room adjacent,a children's library equipped with a large screen TV, 4 PCs with access to a list of selected websites, and a slide (see photo below), a digital display area for exhibits and public information,a suite of PCs for public use andfree WiFi. Access to the WiFi is via your library card number and PIN.The public access PCs, three of which are for short period use ('express' PCs, maximum time allowed 20 minutes) , one for use by those wishing to avail of assistive technology and nine other PCs, contain LibreOffice, which includes word processing spreadsheet and presentations applications. A Surfbox print/scan/copy station is also available.Branch opening times from the 25th July will be as follows:Monday and Wednesday: 10.00am - 5.00pmTuesday and Thursday: 1.00pm - 8.00pmFriday and Saturday: 10.00am - 1.00pm, 1.45pm - 5.00pm (closed for lunch)Access full branch details.
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