Upcoming Library Events October
Back to List12/10/2004
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
If you’re thinking of ‘branching’ out for Autumn and expanding your horizons, why not make your local ‘branch’ library your first stop? You can travel the world from your armchair with a book from the extensive travel guide section or curl up and watch a classic film from the soon to be launched DVD collection in the County Library. Collections in the other branches will follow shortly. And if you get tired of looking at the same old blank spot on the wall, why not borrow a print for three months to brighten up the place? Music cds in many different genres are available as well as Irish and foreign language periodicals and newspapers. And look no further than your local library if you need a passport application form, motor tax renewal form, driving test form and so on.
A comprehensive list of college brochures, both Irish and International, is also available to help you plan ahead for some serious self-development. Or use the standard guides to evening classes to indulge in a new hobby or pursuit. The libraries themselves provide many types of classes free of charge. In September, the weekly language classes resumed in the branches. Classes include English for non-nationals, Irish, French, Spanish and German. See your local library monthly programme of events for more detail or visit our website on www.southdublinlibraries.ie. Alternatively check with the Development Librarian in Library HQ on 4597834. If you’ve missed out on the Autumn sessions because of over-subscription you can leave your name at the library desk on a waiting list for the Spring schedule. Include your name on our mailing lists so you need never miss out on any upcoming activities or events.
Free computer classes for beginners take place throughout the course of the year so do take advantage of the abundant e-learning facilities and learn to master sending e-mails and searching the Net. NetDays in November are specifically geared to making people e-savvy so look out for news about what classes will be available then. Look out also for art appreciation classes as well as various other workshops, seminars and exhibitions. Creative writing workshops and reading groups are features of all of the branch libraries, and again you will find details of all of these in the library brochures or on the Internet.
Of particular interest for some in the Autumn programme will be the series of Adult Literacy classes in Clondalkin Library in conjunction with the local Adult Literacy Centre, which are backed up the stock of modern, well-produced literacy material available in all branches for anyone experiencing reading difficulties. The County Library is hosting a series of art classes with John Carpenter for those who have suffered health setbacks and remember that if you are housebound for any reason, a library van will come to your door twice a month with books and other items hand-picked to suit your particular taste. In Lucan Library a group called Home-start meet every Wednesday afternoon. Home-Start is a voluntary organisation in which volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to families with young children in their own homes helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown. Parents and children are welcome.
Themed programmes take place almost on a monthly basis in the libraries, the latest being the very successful History and Heritage month in September. Next up is the Children’s Book Festival from 14th to 29th of October. We are very excited about the line-up this year. Mayor Cllr. Robert Dowds will officially launch the festival in the County Library on Tuesday 19th October in the company of RTE rugby commentator Brent Pope. Brent Pope was chosen to be invited because writing children’s books is his other career and also 2004 is the International Year of Education Through Sport. His latest book is ‘Woody; a whale’s tale’ (think Irish rugby team!). Dr. Drake the dragonologist will be time-travelling from 19th century England to bring the last surviving copy of his precious book ‘Dragonology’ to show to the children in Ballyroan, Castletymon and Tallaght libraries. The librarians have a surprise though, they have unearthed some more copies of the book and these will be given as special prizes along with other dragon ‘stuff’ to some lucky children! Authors Orla Melling, Terry Hassett Henry, Grainne Tyndall, Jim Halligan and not forgetting Darren Shan will be paying visits to the libraries. We also have drama, rap writing, angel wisdom, animal magic, soccer skills workshops, magic workshops (the 5 oldest tricks in the world) a musical gymboree and much much more. The brochures will be available in the branch libraries shortly and booking for events will take place from Friday October 8th. Don’t forget to enter the competitions, you might see your name in lights, well at least on a billboard.
Reader’s Day takes place on Saturday 6th November in The Plaza Hotel this year. The line-up will include some of Ireland’s most respected writers as well as new and emerging talent. Dermot Bolger will take the chair as MC once again, and he will be joined by (see below)
Reader’s Day 2004
Outline of the day
9.30 – 10.00 Registration
10.00 – 10.15 General introduction and welcome
10.15 – 11.15 The Voices in My Head – Three of the most exciting recent voices to emerge in Irish fiction, Christine Dwyer-Hickey – author of the current best-selling book Tatty (and from Palmerstown in South Dublin) June Considine and Noelle Harris read from their work and discuss the process through which the characters which began as voices in their heads grow to take on lives of their own on the printed page.
11.15 – 11.45 Coffee
11.45 – 12.30 Sebastian Barry one of Ireland’s most successful playwrights and poets, reads from his work and discusses with Dermot Bolger how several short poems written about long dead family gradually grew into a series of plays staged around the world.
12.30 – 1.00 Theo Dorgan – a reading by this acclaimed Irish poet
1.0 – 2.00 Lunch
2.00 – 2.30 Pat McCabe – author of the Butcher Boy, whose novel ‘Breakfast on Pluto’ is currently being made in to a film
2.30 – 3.00 Anthony Cronin is one of the most important living Irish writers. He looks back with Dermot Bolger over a career half a century and discusses his recently published Collected Poems .
3.00 – 4.00 Workshops
(participants should choose one workshop when booking)
John Waters A Matter of Opinion:The newspaper columnist in Irish Society
Niall MacMonagle Beyond Harry Potter:Opening your children’s Imaginations with Books
Anne Haverty This Writing Life: Writing Fiction
Jimmy Murphy From First draft to production Writing for Theatre
4.00 – 4.30 Songs of Rejoycing – a musical celebration commemorating the centenary of Bloomsday
4.30 Wrap up with Dermot Bolger
Science Week November 7th -14th
The programme this year so far includes star-gazing in a planetarium, 4 days of visits to the libraries from the Pfizer bus, the ‘Big Bug Show’ from the UK with live tarantulas and bugs. The staff at Forfas were responsible for making the bug show available to the libraries. For adults a series of talks on environmental issues such as composting is being prepared and we are also in the process of producing a listing of ‘popular’ science book titles for adults, everything from Hawking to Dawkins and much more in between.