KILDARE CARNEGIE LIBRARIES
Leinster Leader 28 January 1928
KILDARE CARNEGIE LIBRARIES
Branch Established in Castledermot
A Step in the Right Direction
A largely attended meeting was held in the Girls’ School, Castledermot, on Monday night, the Very Rev. Fintan Carroll, P.P., presiding, for the purpose of forming a local Committee in order to take advantage of the County Circulating Library. Mr. John C. Connolly, County Librarian, Newbridge, was in attendance.
The Chairman said they had the County Librarian, Mr. Connolly, present, who would explain to them the steps to be taken to avail of the Co. Circulating Library. It was a new movement in that district which was spreading throughout the county. Mr. Connolly informed him that the library movement was progressing very well, and was very much appreciated. He was sure the people of Castledermot and district would avail of the Library to the fullest, and he would leave it to Mr. Connolly to explain the working of the branch.
Mr. Connolly: I have great pleasure in attending this meeting to-night to start a branch of the County Kildare Carnegie Library. I am sure you are all aware that the scheme is free. There is no charge whatsoever made for the use of the books. I will just read for you the circular which gives a full account of the scheme: –
Owing to the generosity of the Carnegie Trust, it has been made possible to establish a County Circulating Library for the use of all resident, men, women and children residing in the administration area of this county. The object of the library is to supply books, both for students and the general reader in each town and village in the administrative area of the Co. Council of Kildare, where there are readers who wish to take advantage of the library. Among those who are likely to use the library are – (a) Farmers’ sons, and others who wish either to study agriculture generally from the scientific side, or to consult agricultural books on some special point. (b) Engineers, mechanics and indeed, all workers, for whose success some knowledge is indispensable. (c) Fruit growers and other horticulturalist. (d) School teachers. (e) Boys and girls who have left school and who under the influence of their late teachers, wish to continue their reading, especially in connection with their occupations, present or future. There are believed to be a large number of those, but at present teachers cannot do much for them, as any but cheap books are beyond there reach. If they are attending evening schools, they need books all the more, and it is impossible to organise such classes successfully without a plentiful supply of books. (f) Persons of all classes who are interested in some special subject, such as literature, history, travels, biography, local antiquities, Irish language, sociology, economics, or different braches of art and science. (g) School children, for whom there is a special juvenile section. (h) The general reader. The headquarters of the library are at the County Book Repository, Newbridge, and it is administered under the direction of the County Librarian. The books are selected by the County Libraries Committee. Each town, village, parish or district wishing to use the library must form a local committee, with an hon. secretary, who would probably, as a general rule in the other counties of Ireland with a similar scheme, be a school teacher. The local committee are responsible for the details of the local administration, and, on formation, frame rules, to govern their activities, subject to the general regulations of the County Library Committee. The books are sent out from headquarters, packed in special boxes, and will be stored in and distributed to readers from, the school, village hall or other convenient place in the locality.
Notes for Guidance of Local Librarians and Library Committees
The headquarters of the library are situated at the County Book Repository, Newbridge, and all letters should be addressed to the County Librarian at that address.
Arrangements for Carriage
1 – The boxes of books will be addressed to the Hon. Secretary (or Librarian) of the Local Library Committee, and will be forwarded by rail or car. 2 – Collection of books are to be sent back to headquarters at the end of three months. New editions will be sent out as early as possible after receipt of used collections. No collections may be kept at any branch longer than three months, but if any local committee desires to retain any of the books at the time of exchange for a further three months, this may be done. A note of the books so retained should be forwarded a fortnight previous to the date on which the collection is to be returned. 3 – The labels on the boxes have the return address printed on the reverse to facilitate local arrangements. 4 – Hon. Secretaries (or Librarians) of Local Library Committees will be advised from headquarters on the despatch of collections. The receipt of all collections must be acknowledged on the printed postcards provided for the purpose.
Selection of Books by the Local Committee
A copy of the catalogue of the library is supplied for the use of each local committee. A list of the books which a committee desires to have included in each new collection should be sent to headquarters so as to be received there not less than one week before the exchange date. At least half the books in each collection must be other than fiction. Lists should give the author and title of each book. As a number of books may be asked for by several centres at the same time, lists from local centres should contain considerably more than the number of books allotted to the centre, and should state when any of the works of a particular author will suit equally. The most satisfactory method of selection, where it is convenient, is for the local librarian or a member of the local committee to visit the County Book Repository, and choose the books for the centre from those actually available.
Registration of Borrowers
A Borrowers; Register will be kept in each library, and such a register is attached to each Record of Book Issues. Local Libraries are requested to fill in particulars of all borrowers in the column provided.
Records of Issue Books
A Borrowers’ Register and a Record of Book Issues is sent out with each collection. It is very important that each issue of a book should be carefully entered in the Record. From the Record is made up the statistics showing the use made of the books at each branch. Observance of the rule limiting the initial period of loan to 14 days must be insisted on, but books may be issued for a further 14 days to any borrower, in the discretion of the local librarian. All such re-issues are to be entered in the Record.
General Notes
1 – A copy of the catalogue should always be available for the use of borrowers. 2 – Books which become so worn as to need repairing or rebinding should be withdrawn from circulation. 3 – Local librarians and local library committees are invited to make periodical suggestions to the County Librarian of names of books not in the library which they consider to be desirable, of on points connected with the organisation of the library generally. 4 –Boxes are sent from the depository to local centres and vice versa carriage free. 5 – Claims for postage and other expenses incurred should be rendered quarterly to the County Librarian on the forms provided. Receipts for all payments other than those for postage stamps must be attached to the form.
Rules for Local Centres
Local library committees should frame rules for guiding the activities of the library. The following are specimens of such rules as will be found necessary –
Books are loaned free of charge to all persons resident in the neighbourhood. School children must obtain permission to borrow books from their teachers. Borrowers may not keep any book for longer than 14 days from the date of issue. If any borrower wishes to keep a book for a longer period, application for re-issue must be made to the local librarian. Books will only be re-issued when they have not been requested by other borrowers. Any borrower who keeps a book for longer than 14 days without having it re-issued will be fined one penny for each week or portion of a week that the book is kept beyond that time. Any person incurring such fine will not be permitted to use the library again until the fine has been paid. Borrowers will be held responsible for the safe-keeping of all books borrowed by them, and any borrower may, at the discretion of the local library committee, be required to make good any damage caused to any book while the book was in that borrower’s possession. If any borrower is fined for damaging any book, and refused to pay the fine, that borrower will not be allowed to use the library again until the fine has been paid. If a case of infectious disease occurs in any house where a library book is in the possession of anyone living in that house, the book is to be handed to the Sanitary Inspector when he comes to disinfect the house and not returned to the library. In order to preserve the books in the library in a serviceable condition for as long a period as possible, borrowers are requested to handle them with the greatest possible care. Books must be protected from rain; they must not be marked in any way, and the corners of the leaves must not be turned down.
N.B. – Students using the libraries are reminded that the special resources of the Central Library for Irish students are available to them. Application for service from the Central Library should be accompanied by particulars as to the books desired. All such applications should be made through the County Librarian, Co. Book Repository, Newbridge.
Mr. Connolly said that in connection with the last matter, any person studying a special subject could have any book as long as the price was over 6s and not more than two guineas. That would be a great advantage to any person in the locality who wished to study a special subject. The only charge would be for postage. The readers should handle the book with all possible care. In some centres they found it very difficult to get people to care [for] the books. To make the scheme a success it would be the duty of everyone to take as much care of the books as possible, as they would be getting them for free. As a result of this scheme it would not be necessary for the people to purchase any more books in that district (applause).
The Chairman proposed that the Rev. Liam Lillis, C.C., be appointed Chairman of the local committee.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. Flaherty and passed unanimously.
On the proposition of the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Wm. Tierney, the following were appointed [to] a committee with power to add to their numbers – Very Rev. F. Carroll, Rev. L. Lilles, [t]he Rev. Mr. Clarke, Rector; Messrs. F. P. Aylmer, Thomas O’Neill, John N. Greene, Co.C; Thomas O’Flaherty, N.T.; Samuel Wright, and Miss M. Nolan, N.T.
Chairman: In order to give other people a chance of giving their assistance, the committee can add to their numbers, and I am sure they will work in harmony and make the branch a success. I hope the observations Mr. Connolly has thrown out will be adhered to, as they are necessary for the preservation of books. We know that some people are very careless about returning books.
Vote of Thanks
Father Lillis – I wish to express our thanks to Mr. Connolly who has explained the library scheme in detail. It is scarcely necessary to impress on you the value to be gained by the county to have a free circulation of books. It often happens when books are borrowed that they are never returned, with the result that friendships are severed. There will be a moral obligation on everyone under this scheme to return the books. Every possible variety of reading will be available free of charge, and that will be a great advantage for most people. I am sure you will get the whole district to show their appreciation of this movement.
Rev. Mr. Clarke: I have pleasure in seconding the resolution. I think our meeting here to-night is in the right direction. I am quite sure if this scheme is properly supported you will find the library will be a great assed to this district. I have lived in every part of the world, and every little village had its public library. I don’t think I have anything to add to what has been said to you to-night. If this library scheme is to be a success, it will have to be supported, and we will have to abide by the rules and take great care to the books. If you make proper rnd [sic] full use of the books, I don’t think you will ever regret it.
Mr. Connolly: I thank you very much for your kind remarks. It will be a great pleasure to me to do all I can to provide the best books for the people of Castledermot. I am sure you can leave it to me to provide the best class of literature, and as much as you require. The chief drawback we had in the past was that we had not enough books at each centre, but from this [day] on we will have a larger supply of books, and Castledermot will be one of the first districts to get a full set (applause). I wish to thank you again for your very kind remarks.
Next Meeting
It was decided to hold a meeting of the Committee on Friday night at 7.30 when the question of appointed a Secretary and local librarian, and selecting a place for storing the books, will be dealt with.
Re-typed by Jennifer O’Connor
