Mayo's library service is thriving in its centenary year

Mayo County Council’s Library Service is enjoying huge demand with over 10,000 books a week being borrowed across the network of 14 libraries.

County Librarian Austin Vaughan told the July meeting of the council's Planning and Corporate Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) that libraries continue to go from success to success, as he outlined a multitude of free and diverse services and resources now on offer in libraries to young and old, adding: "There is so much going on that people don’t even know about.” 

A Mayo County Library Development Plan 2024-2028 distributed at the meeting noted the first library in Mayo opened a century ago and since then, libraries have become one of the most popular services provided by local authorities. Mayo has a network of 14 library branches as well as a school library service and multiple digital channels, with the main branches being in Ballina and Castlebar with two more full-time libraries in Claremorris and Westport, and the rest offering an average of 24 opening hours a week.

The plan highlighted that libraries are now about much more than just books, as they are also places offering digital and computer access to the public and vital resources and information and that they provide access to an extensive collection of half a million books, CDs, DVDs, musical instruments, technology items such as c-pens, blood pressure monitors and more. Online collections include thousands of ebooks and audiobooks as well as digital magazines, newspapers and e-learning courses. The library service also provides access to an extensive local studies collection with hundreds of articles on Mayo people, history and places and runs various education and community programmes such as Healthy Ireland and the Creative Ireland Programme around everything from literacy and education to community development. The reach of events has also been expanded to include cultural occasions, exhibitions, talks and workshops across a range of cultural, heritage and creative annual events.

Recent developments include the appointment of a new archivist to the Mayo Library Service, which Mr Vaughan said will complement the existing 40 staff, “35 of whom are at public desks because this really is a frontline service and we could not do it without them". Library fines and charges have also been done away with, opening hours have been increased and staff have been trained to offer the libraries’ broad digital offering of e-books, audiobooks and videos. Sensory services have also expanded significantly across Mayo libraries with special rooms and pods on offer.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Vaughan described libraries as vital facilities for all communities where people can meet and come together. 

“Our libraries are bright and welcoming, they are open in the evening and support the local economy. We find that if you can get people into the library as children, you have them for life.” 

SPC Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Burke congratulated the library team and Mayo County Council for facilitating the service to expand, saying it is crucial for young people to have access to books. He said Mr Vaughan and his team were “doing a fantastic job” and that “10,000 books per week being rented out takes a lot of organisation”, adding that the libraries have kept up to pace and are really modern with the numbers going the right way, even with the move to digital". 

Cllr Donna Sheridan said libraries are at the heart of the community and welcomed the diverse offering that includes everything from free binoculars for birdwatching and equipment for children’s parties. She queried whether the mobile library service for rural areas would return to Mayo or perhaps run once a month to local schools, to which Mr Vaughan replied that the service had been stopped following the recession, but there is a definite interest to provide some mobile offering again. He added: “It would require at least one driver and possibly two people to run, so it would be a strategic decision as that would involve a fair amount of investment.” 

Cllr Richard Finn congratulated Mr Vaughan on heading up the service for the last 30 years and wondered if Claremorris could also get a ‘supermarket library’, as he had described the libraries in both Castlebar and Ballina, telling the forum: “Claremorris Library is in a beautiful iconic building, but is very limited in the services it can provide. We are lacking in areas where people can study, public toilets and wheelchair access. I would not like us to lose the facility in the stand-out location it is in, but essentially, we need an upgrade to bring it into the modern age. There is a need for a supermarket library in Claremorris also.” 

Cllr Burke said Ballinrobe too had a lovely library, with films being shown in it and musical recitals. 

“It is a lovely building and well maintained but we could do with some upgrading also.” 

Mr Vaughan said both libraries were housed in old churches, with graveyards right next to them, so scope to expand was limited. However, he suggested there are options that could be looked at, referencing Buncrana Library, which is also located in a former church and has been expanded.

Director of Services Siofra Kilcullen said the focus is on strengthening the existing 14 libraries but fresh ideas for new enhancements are always welcome. She added that the new Open Libraries service that provides extended opening hours for members to access the library on a self-service basis is a fantastic new departure, saying the service is committed to exploring new ideas.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.