10/11/2008
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
Press Release issued 10th November 2008
The new County Library in Tallaght, one of the largest public libraries in the country, has recently been added to a European database of Inspirational Libraries www.librarybuildings.info/ .
The library which reopened in April 2008 having been entirely redesigned and re imagined sits in the heart of a new cultural and civic centre in the town centre of Tallaght.
This new light filled library is designed as a living room for local communities offering spaces to read, learn, relax and surf the internet. Here, parents of young children can relax in a parent lounge area while young readers explore the childrens library and check out the best childrens websites. The new design allows people to use the library in a freer way and ground breaking technologies offer express checkout facilities and improved customer and reader centered ways of navigating the building.
To date over 200,000 visitors have enjoyed the wide variety of spaces and services, especially the light filled digital zone offering state of the art computing on over 100 PCs. The conference room offers film, exhibitions, lectures, recitals, classes and presentations on a daily basis and the Digital Training Suite is a centre where local communities can learn to use information technology and develop their knowledge skills.
Public Libraries are both a very old and a very new idea and this library sits as a space where imaginations are fed, where life long learning is nurtured, where latest technologies allow access to the worlds knowledge and learning and all in a beautifully designed and truly inspirational building.
NAPLE (National Authorities on Public Libraries in Europe) decided to make a European database presenting the best new library buildings in Europe. The vision is to create a database presenting new, inspiring library buildings by letting each member country select minimum five good buildings to be presented in the database. South Dublin County Councils County Library is one of five Irish libraries to be recognised on the website.
Project Manager
Connect
South Dublin County Council