merrion street

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, have today (Thursday, 23rd February 2023) encouraged people to “squeeze in a read” on Ireland Reads Day which will take place on Saturday, February 25th.

This is the third consecutive year of ‘Ireland Reads’ - a campaign designed to get the whole country reading during February.

Highlighting ‘Ireland Reads’ today, Ministers Humphreys and Harris paid a visit to Raheny Library in Dublin where they officially opened the new ‘My Open Library Service’.

This is a service that allows members of the public to access their local library outside of normal opening hours. 

Minister Humphreys also today announced a €33 million investment in capital projects in libraries nationwide.  Local authorities will shortly be asked to submit proposals for projects in their local library facilities.

Speaking in Raheny this morning, Minister Humphreys said:

“As Minister with responsibility for public libraries, I am delighted to support the Ireland Reads campaign for a third consecutive year.

“This campaign is all about promoting the power of reading and highlighting the benefits of reading in terms of wellbeing. 

“So I’m encouraging everyone to ‘squeeze in a read’ on Ireland Reads Day this Saturday and to continue to avail of the wonderful services that our local libraries have to offer.”

Minister Humphreys added:

“I am also delighted today, along with Minister Harris, to formally launch the new ‘My Open Library’ Service in Raheny.

“This is a wonderful service that allows people to access their local library between 8am-10pm, 365 days of the year.

“Separately, I’m pleased today to announce a new €33 million public libraries capital programme.

“This will see the delivery and upgrade of library facilities the length and breadth of the country.

“Local authorities will be able to submit proposals for projects shortly and I’m encouraging them to be bold and ambitious with their ideas.”

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD is encouraging people to access vital literacy supports for Ireland Reads. 

One in five adults struggle with reading everyday text while a quarter lack basic maths skills. 

Speaking at Raheny Library today, Minister Harris said:

“All of us want to see and live in an Ireland where every adult has the necessary literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills to fully engage in society and realise their full potential. 

“Supports are available to everyone through their local Education and Training board as part of the Adult Literacy for Life(ALL) strategy. Courses are available to build and improve reading, writing and numeracy skills. 

“Gaining these skills can be a confidence boost for many people and open new doors for them. This could be something as simple as going to their local library and taking out a book to read.”

A list of My Open Library locations is appended below.

ENDS

Contact:

The Department of Rural and Community Development Press Office

01-7736843 / 087-1734633

Press.office@drcd.gov.ie

Notes to editors

Ireland Reads

Ireland Reads is a campaign to get the whole country reading this month in the lead up to a national day of reading on Saturday, February 25th. Irish libraries have teamed up with publishers, booksellers, authors and others for the campaign which aims to celebrate reading and all the benefits it can have for wellbeing and enjoyment. The campaign is asking everyone to ‘squeeze in a read’ on Saturday, February 25th.

Why is reading important?

Research shows that reading for pleasure is really important for all of us – no matter our age. For children, of course, it has a huge positive impact on their cognitive development and literacy. For adults, studies have found that reading for pleasure enhances empathy, understanding of the self, and is effective in combatting loneliness. Reading offers a way to escape and keep mentally active, and to lift our mood, and it doesn’t have to be a solitary experience – you can read with your kids of course, or you might use reading to connect with friends and family. Maybe through a book club, or just swapping recommendations. 

How can people join in the campaign?

It doesn’t matter how long you read for or what you read, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an avid reader, a reluctant reader, a lapsed reader or a new reader, this campaign is for you.

Visit www.irelandreads.ie to pledge to read on ‘Ireland Reads’ Day, February 25th, sign up for reading reminders, and check to see how much time has been pledged by the Irish public so far.

The Ireland Reads website also offers book recommendations, suited to a person’s interests and the time they have available. There are more than 1,500 recommendations from librarians all around the country.

A website user can simply enter their favourite type of book and how long they would like to read each day and the website will offer a suitable book suggestion and work out how long it will take to complete – so you can set yourself a reading challenge if you want - a couch to 5k for books!

Attend an event Campaign partners and libraries all over the country will be running ‘Ireland Reads’ initiatives and events throughout February in the build up to Saturday, February 25th.

Share on social media

We are encouraging people to share how they will #SqueezeInARead for #IrelandReads. Share your pledge to read on social media, tell others about your favourite books or recommend some reads to your followers.

Who is involved in the campaign?

The Ireland Reads campaign is a collaboration led by the Libraries Development Unit at the Local Government Management Agency, and part of the Healthy Ireland programme. As well as all public libraries, partners in the campaign include RTÉ Supporting the Arts, Bookselling Ireland, Publishing Ireland, Childrens Books Ireland, the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), the Arts Council, and the National Library of Ireland. A number of campaign ambassadors are on board to help promote the campaign, including:

• Joe Duffy, broadcaster and author
• Marian Keyes, author
• Áine Ní Ghlinn, Laureate na nÓg
• Liz Nugent, author
• Melatu-Uche Okorie, author and academic
• Rick O’Shea, RTE broadcaster
• Dave Rudden, author
• Colm Tóibín, author and Laureate for Irish Fiction
• Sarah Webb, author

You can find out what reading means to them and why they think it is important at IrelandReads.ie 

How can people access books?

Library members can borrow from 12 million items or choose from and download from thousands of eBooks, eAudiobooks, newspapers, and magazines online.

We’re also encouraging people to support their local bookshops. You’ll find a link to a map of bookshops on irelandreads.ie

And Ireland Reads is not just about books – if you want to read a magazine, a newspaper or a comic, that’s great too!

My Open Library

The public library strategy, ‘Our Public Libraries 2022 – Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering Communities’, was launched in June 2018. The strategy seeks to improve access, use and visibility of the library as a community hub and develop it as a focal point for community development.  To this end, a key action in the strategy is to extend opening hours, expand the My Open Library service and to ensure that each library provides optimum staffed service.

The service offers extended opening hours, providing library access to members from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days per year.  It complements regular staffed hours and ensures optimum delivery of the service, support for customers, community engagement and the development of programming activities. The staffed hours, combined with the extended My Open Library hours, allows library members to access the library at times that suit them, particularly those who may not be able to access their library during regular staffed times.

The provision of the self-service activities during My Open Library hours includes, but is not limited to:

• stock issue and return
• internet usage on PC and Wi-Fi for use on own device
• printing, photocopying and scanning facilities
• studying and reading spaces
• meeting space, and
• access to toilet facilities

The My Open Library service is currently available in 28 libraries (see Appendix 1).

Appendix 1 - My Open Library locations currently open