Merry Christmas!

We would like this opportunity to wish all our customers a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year; from all the Staff at Sligo Library service. For Opening Hours during the festive season please see posting immediately below. Thank you.

Sligo Libraries Christmas Closing Times

Ballymote Branch Library closed from Tuesday 22nd December at 5pm until Tuesday 5th January 2010 at 1pm
Enniscrone Branch Library closed from Tuesday 22nd December at 5pm until Monday 4th Januray 2010 at 6pm
Sligo Central Library closed from Wednesday 23rd December at 1pm until Tuesday 5th January 2010 at 9.30am
Sligo Local Studies Library closed from Wednesday 23rd December at 12.45pm until Monday 4th January 2010 at 9.30am
Tubbercurry Community Library closed from Wednesday 23rd December at 1pm until Tuesday 5th January 2010at 1pm
Sligo County Museum closed from Wednesday 23rd December at 12.30pm until Tuesday 5th January 2010 at 9.30am

FAS eLearning Official Launch

The FAS eLearning official launch took place on Thursday 12th November 2009 at 6pm in Sligo Central Library. Guest speakers included the Mayor Cllr Jim McGarry and Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Veronica Cawley. This event officially recognised the classes and workshops currently underway in Sligo Library branches facilitated by FAS co-ordinators. FÁS, in partnership with the Sligo County Library Service, were delighted to have successfully started the ‘FÁS eLearning at the Library Project’ in the Sligo City and Tubbercurry branch libraries.

FAS eLearning Course in Sligo Libraries

FÁS, in partnership with the Sligo County Library Service, are delighted to introduce the ‘FÁS eLearning at the Library Project’ to the Sligo and Tubbercurry libraries. This learning programme has been developed by FÁS for people with little or no IT skills as well as those with some basic IT skills.

The E-Learning at the library initiative aims to attract those who would like to develop their PC/IT Skills in a supported workshop environment in areas such as Introduction to Computing, Internet Use and Email. Progression to complete online courses such as ECDL, Health & Safety, Finance Fundamentals, and Microsoft Word/Excel (as well as many others) is wholly encouraged and supported.

A number of courses are available for free on-line at Sligo local libraries! Once a learner has become comfortable with the computer basics through practical library workshops, they will be registered on a suitable course and can then begin working from home if they wish. All you need to have is a computer and a broadband connection.

E-Learning at the library is a wonderful opportunity for people to develop and improve their IT skills at a pace that suits them. Each leaner will be assigned a FÁS facilitator who will help leaner’s to get to grips with computer and Internet basics through the use of workshops. The FÁS facilitator will help each learner to choose the right course and will introduce them to the dedicated E-Learning website. They will also be on hand to help learners with any difficulties that might arise.

Courses Available:

Computer Courses
- ECDL (Version 5)
- Microsoft Excel (2003 & 2007)
- Microsoft Word (2003 & 2007)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (2003 & 2007)

Business
- Introduction to project management
- Book Keeping
- Effective administrative support
- Practical budgeting skills for business
- Basic business Maths
- Digital Media
- Accounting
- Finance fundamentals

Health & Safety Courses
- Office Safety
- First Aid (CPR)
- First Aid (Basic)
- Back Safety
- Fire Prevention & Safety
- Success Over Stress

Ballymote Library News

Ballymote Library will reopen on Tuesday 6th October 2009 at 1pm.

Usual opening hours will apply,
1-5pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 1-5pm and 6-8pm Thursday, 9.30am – 1.30pm Saturday.

Preparations are underway for the opening of a new Ballymote Community Library in autumn of next year, 2010, and we look forward to providing a first class library service in a modern fully equipped branch. For further information you can ring us on 071 9111850 or email us at sligolib@sligococo.ie

The Cathach launched!

To view The Cathach please click here
The Cathach was officially launched on Monday 21st September 2009 in Sligo Central Library. Both well established published and novice writers as well as Councillors and TD's were present for the occasion which Sligo Libraries hope will be the start of a long fruitful road in the recognition and subsequent electronic publishing of Irish Writers.
The first edition brings together fiction and non-fiction, poetry and drama, as well as a pictorial essay in portraiture. It includes both Irish and international writers, prize-winning authors alongside some whose work is being published for the first time. As a further, twenty-first century chapter in this story perhaps, all of the authors included in The Cathach have given their work freely. It has been our aim to present it here in a way that complements that generosity, and with the hope that it will lead you to further reading of their work.

The Cathach - A Literary Journal launching soon!

The official launch of The Cathach will take place on monday 21st September 2009 at 4pm in Sligo Central Library. All are welcome to attend.

The aim of this Journal has been to create a new place for writing and painting, a kind of virtual Reading Room or Annexe off Sligo County Library where readers can come to find new work from writers both familiar and unfamiliar. In the same way as the browsing of a library shelf provides surprise encounters, The Cathach brings together fiction and non-fiction, poetry and drama, as well as a pictorial essay in portraiture. It includes both Irish and international writers, prize-winning authors alongside some whose work is being published for the first time. All of the authors included in The Cathach have given their work freely. It has been our aim to present it in a way that complements that generosity, and with the hope that it will lead you to further reading of their work.
This journal is part of the continuing support for Literature of Sligo County Library, without which it would not exist.

Questseekers Awards Ceremony a huge success!

Sligo Library Service invited all participants to Sligo Central Library on Monday 24th August at 3.00pm to celebrate the end of Quest Seekers Summer Reading Challenge. Cathaoirleach Cllr Gerry Murray, Deputy Mayor Cllr Jude Devins, County Librarian Donal Tinney and Executive Librarian Patricia Keane were on hand to award all with certificates, medals and goodies "galore" for all children who participated.

At the start of summer Sligo Central Library invited children to join the 2009 Quest Seekers Summer Reading Challenge, the theme of which was the power of the imagination. The initial launch took place in July & once all children were signed up as a Quest Seeker they were issued with a membership card, poster and collectable stickers.

All participants had to read six books of their choice from the existing library stock. On each subsequent return visit to the library they were given stickers to fill in the gaps on their poster - which completed the task of helping the Questseeker characters find the Golden Book. A website was also available online (www.questseekers.org.uk) for all participants to follow the adventures of the various Questseekers Belle, Louis and Raj


The Award Ceremony had a huge turnout with well over 100 children along with parents showing up to collect their certificates. As the large crowd entered the library and got comfortable Wayne O’Connor kept all entertained with a large variety of popular melodies. Executive Librarian Patricia Keane thanked all for showing up and in particular for the positive response from all the younger participants. Both Cathaoirleach Cllr Gerry Murray and Deputy Mayor Cllr Jude Devins then proceeded to hand out the various certificates and medals to all the children present. In wrapping up proceedings both Councillors were once again on hand to officially launch the start of the new DVD collection now available from the Sligo Library Service. The collection which spans both Juvenile and older age groups focuses on classical movies and educational documentaries which can be watched on numerous occasions.

Questseekers Awards: Monday 24th August 2009

Sligo Library Service invite you to Sligo Central Library on Monday 24th August at 3.00pm to celebrate the end of Quest Seekers Summer Reading Challenge. There will be Certificates, medals and goodies "galore" for all children who participated.
For further information please contact us on 071 9111675.

Storytelling in Central Library 7th and 8th July 09!

A large amount of younger members joined us for Sligo Libraries involvement in Cairde 2009 – 7 days of music, theatre, film, street performances, family events, poetry, exhibition and workshops. Sligo Central Library was the venue for interactive storytelling with Joanne Mitchell.


"Five year old Marie dreams of going to her first party – but this becomes a very difficult task when her mother disapproves. Watch Marie outwit giants and leprechauns as she sneaks out in the middle of the night to find the source of all the music and dancing!"

Winners of the 2009 CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals announced

The 2009 CILIP Carnegie Medal was posthumously awarded to Siobhan Dowd for ‘Bog Child’ and the 2009 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal was awarded to Catherine Rayner for ‘Harris finds his Feet’.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd - Set in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles, the story opens in 1981 close to the North-South border as teenager Fergus McCann makes an illicit raid to the South to gather peat and discovers a child’s body buried in the bogs, perfectly preserved for 2,000 years. The child’s history unfolds as Fergus struggles with the challenges of being a teenager as well as the pressure on him to take sides in the conflict.



Harris finds his feet by Catherine Rayner - Harris, a small hare with big feet goes out into the world with his Grandad, from whom he learns not only how to hop high into the sky and run very fast, but also about the joys of growing up and of independence.

Library Volunteer work: Summer 2009

Sligo Libraries, in conjunction with the Sligo Volunteer Centre, has a number of volunteer vacancies available for interested candidates. The two types of posts are (a) library branch volunteer and (b) library processing volunteer. Sligo Libraries would be looking for people interested in our service that have good interpersonal skills, are punctual and reliable and show a sense of accuracy and attention to detail. Successful volunteers would work for 3 hours per week gaining a valuable insight into the workings of the Library service from both a customer service level and an administration/processing point of view.
If interested please contact Sligo Libraries at 071 9111850 for more information and to obtain the relevant application form. Thank you.

"Man gone down" by Michael Thomas wins the 2009 IMPAC Award

“We never know his name. But the African-American protagonist of Michael Thomas’ masterful debut, Man Gone Down, will stay with readers for a long time. He lingers because this extraordinary novel comes to us from a writer of enthralling voice and startling insight. Tuned urgently to the way we live now, the winner of the International Dublin IMPAC Prize 2009 is a novel brilliant in its scope and energy, and deeply moving in its human warmth.”

Uniquely, the IMPAC DUBLIN receives its nominations from public libraries around the globe. Man Gone Down was nominated by The National Library Service of Barbados, Bridgetown, which described it as “A vibrant, well written first novel, an exploration of identity, inter-racial relationships and societal values through the eye of a black male.”

Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas
A beautifully written, insightful, and devastating first novel, Man Gone Down is about a young black father of three in a biracial marriage trying to claim a piece of the American Dream he has bargained on since youth. On the eve of the unnamed narrator's thirty-fifth birthday, he finds himself broke, estranged from his white Boston Brahmin wife and three children, and living in the bedroom of a friend's six-year-old child. He has four days to come up with the money to keep his family afloat, four days to try to make some sense of his life.

Encyclopaedia Britannica Competition Winners!

Congratulations to Mr Stephen Nealon who has won a Brittannica World Atlas and Ms. Katie McGoldrick (pictured with Library staff) who has won a Brittannica Visual Dictionary!

The competition was split into two categories, (a)Childrens' and (b)Teens and Adults. All answers could be found on the relevant Encyclopaedia Britannica version, by just clicking the link and filling in your library card number to get started. Sligo Library Service were delighted to recieve such a large amount of entrants for this competiton; both on the official printed entry form and by email. We went through the process of rechecking all answer forms and then selected the two overall winners by a random draw.
If you want to avail of free access to the on-line edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica all you need is your library card. Log onto the library website www.sligolibrary.ie, go to online resources, click on the Britannica Icon, carefully enter your barcode number and log on!

Robinson's "Home" wins the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction

Marilynne Robinson has won the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction for her novel Home. Fi Glover, chair of judges, called Home, ‘a kind, wise, enriching novel, exquisitely crafted. We were unanimously agreed – it is a profound work of art.’ She continued to state that 'This year's Orange Prize winner has a luminous quality to it that has drawn all of the judges to a unanimous decision. The profound nature of the writing stood out, as has the ability of writer to draw the reader into a world of hope expectation, misunderstanding, love and kindness.' The other judges were Sarah Churchwell, Kira Cochrane, Martha Lane Fox and Bidisha. This is the fourteenth year of the Orange Prize, which was established in 1996 to ‘celebrate and promote’ fiction written by women.

About the Title;
Hundreds of thousands of readers were enthralled and delighted by the luminous, tender voice of John Ames in Gilead, Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Now comes HOME, a deeply affecting novel that takes place in the same period and same Iowa town of Gilead. This is Jack's story. Jack ? prodigal son of the Boughton family, godson and namesake of John Ames, gone twenty years ? has come home looking for refuge and to try to make peace with a past littered with trouble and pain. A bad boy from childhood, an alcoholic who cannot hold down a job, Jack is perpetually at odds with his surroundings and with his traditionalist father, though he remains Boughton's most beloved child. His sister Glory has also returned to Gilead, fleeing her own mistakes, to care for their dying father. Brilliant, loveable, wayward, Jack forges an intense new bond with Glory and engages painfully with his father and his father's old friend John Ames.

Africa Day: Tuesday 26th May 2009

To celebrate Africa Day; Sligo Libraries hosted a Storytelling event for Primary Schools in Sligo Central Library. From the image attached its easily seen that all our members who attended these storytelling sessions thoroughly enjoyed them. The various tales/stories allowed the listener to understand and familarise themselves with various different but facinating cultures.

The Bisto Award Winner 2009 announced!

Winner : Bisto Book of the Year Award 09 - Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
"The story of Fergus’ journey of self-discovery as he struggles to make sense of his personal, familial, and societal situation, as well as the voice of a bog child that comes to him in his dreams. To journey through this layered narrative is to be confronted with not only the frailty of life but also the redemptive qualities of love: unsettling yet optimistic, this is radiant prose that sings of the pain and beauty of the human condition."

About the Bisto Shadowing Group
This year in Sligo Central Library we participated in The Children’s Books Ireland Bisto Shadowing Scheme for young readers, which follows - or ‘shadows’ – the judging of the shortlisted books. Children from six schools were invited to be involved in this experience. The shortlist of books was announced on March 11th. Shortly afterwards we got our hands on the books and had our first meeting. The children were encouraged to read the ten books on the shortlist which they admirably achieved. The closing date to vote for our favourite book was May 8th. Our last meeting was a heated occasion with two books in strong contention. The book which achieved the biggest vote was Airman by Eoin Colfer with Kate Thompson’s Creature of the Night coming in at a very close second. The eagerness and enthusiasm of the children who participated was very contagious. The library staff involved (Ms. Brenda Cawley & Ms. Eimear Sullivan - Senior Library Assistants) really enjoyed the whole experience and hope to do it again next year

SEI Interactive Workshops: 19th to 22nd May 09

Throughout the week of Tuesday 19th May until Friday 22nd May, Sustainable Energy Ireland Workshops for Primary Schools are being held in Sligo Central Library. 3 workshops are being ran per day with primary schools such as the Mercy, The Project and St. Edwards invited to attend and take part in the various activities.

Quest Seekers Reading Challenge: Summer 2009

Sligo Central Library will be inviting children to join the Quest Seekers Summer Reading Challenge 2009,the theme of which is the power of the imagination.
At the launch in June once you're signed up as a Quest Seeker you will be issued with a membership card, poster and stickers.

There are three exiting stages to complete during July and August where participants have to read six books. A presentation will mark the end of the challenge where you'll receive a certificate and medal. Further details will be provided in the near future!

Sligo Central Library Events; May 2009

Organic Vegtables Workshop: Thursday 7th May
Learn how to grow your own Organic Vegetables with helpful hints and tips! Thursday 7th May at 7.00 pm. This event is free and all are welcome. Please contact us at 071 9111675 or sligolib@sligococo.ie for more information

S.E.I Workshops: Tuesday 19th until Friday 22nd May
Sustainable Energy Ireland Workshops for Primary Schools are being held in Sligo Central Library from Tuesday 19th until Friday 22nd May 2009. 3 workshops are being ran per day with 12 primary schools invited to attend and take part in the various activities.

Storytelling in Sligo Central Library: Tuesday 26th May
In order to celebrate Africa Day; Sligo Libraries are hosting a Storytelling event for Primary Schools on Tuesday 26th May in Sligo Central Library.

"You Lucky Thing" Book launch : Wednesday 27th May
The launch of Helen O’Leary’s latest publication You Lucky Thing will take place in Sligo Central Library, Stephen Street at 7pm on Wednesday 27th May. The launch will be the concluding event of Sligo’s Bealtaine Festival programme. Helen O’Leary was commissioned by Sligo Local Authorities in 2007 to produce an artwork based on the theme of Luck. The commission is part of Unraveling Developments, a series of public art commissions by Sligo Local Authorities.

You Lucky Thing is primarily a book of photographs of lucky objects, rituals, habits and sayings, uniquely local and Irish. Many people in Sligo kindly shared their objects, stories and family traditions for this book. Luck in some way has touched all of our lives making it a fascinating subject. Helen O’Leary has an amazing ability to visually capture the quirky and distinctive character of our every–day environment and landscape. You Lucky Thing will make you smile.

Sligo Library Writing Competition

Prizegiving Ceremony for Writing Competition. 28th April 2009

A Prizegiving Ceremony took place in Sligo Central Library, Stephen Street, Sligo on 28th April 2009 at 11am. This was to award the winners of the Schools Writing Competition which was run by Sligo Libraries; supported by The Sligo Champion. Author Niall Williams, Sligo Libraries "Writer-in-Residence" started this competition last year and as it was so well recieved decided to expand the categories to include Poetry aswell as Fiction this year.
The amount of entries were once again substantial which was testament to the work put in by all the Secondary Schools involved. Reports from the three Judges stated that the pieces were of an extremely high standard and so all writers who submitted their work, not just the winners should be very proud of themselves. Niall Williams remarked that "the day an Author gets first published is a very important one and will stay with them for the rest of their career and lives". Mayor Cllr Veronica Cawley and Cathaoirleach Cllr Jude Devins were on hand to distribute the various prizes and this ended the prizegiving ceremony.
All Category winners will have their work published in The Sligo Champion over the coming weeks. If you would like to know more information about this event and others run by Sligo Libraries please contact us on 071 9111850

CATEGORY WINNERS

JUNIOR POETRY
1. I DIDNT UNDERSTAND. LISA COGGINS, MERCY COLLEGE, SLIGO
2. LIFE PATH. NIAMH O DONNELL, MERCY COLLEGE
3. CLIMATE CHANGE. ELLEN PRENDERGAST, SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL

JUNIOR FICTION
1. SERVANT OF GOD, AMY KELLY, MERCY COLLEGE, SLIGO
2. HEROES SINEAD REILLY, MERCY COLLEGE, SLIGO
3. THE NIGHT OUT, HELENA O DEA, MERCY COLLEGE, SLIGO

SENIOR POETRY
1. gRUAige HILARY BOWEN-WALSH, SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL
2. REMINISCENT. HILARY BOWEN-WALSH, SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL
3. EMOTIONAL VACUUM. JULIE PATTERSON, SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL

SENIOR FICTION
1. THE DELETED SCENES. ADRIENNE MCMANUS, SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL
2 CASE CLOSED. LIAM O FLAHERTY, SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL
3. THE CAVE. EAMONN BELL, SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Inkwell Writers Open Mike Night

Inkwell Writers "Open Mike" Night. 22nd April 2009

The Inkwell Writers Group who are based in Sligo Central Library are holding a 'Live Mike' in the Yeats Building, Hyde Bridge, Sligo on Wednesday 22nd April 2009 from 8pm to 10pm . The night will consist of readings by members of the group and other invited guests, including published writers. Everyone is invited so come along for an inspiring nights entertainment. Refreshments will be served.

Sligo Libraries Bank Holiday Closures

Bank Holiday Closures : Library Notice

Sligo Library service will be closing all of its branches in County Sligo over Bank Holiday weekends in 2009. The Weekends in question are,

Saturday 11th April 2009 (Easter Bank Holiday weekend)
Saturday 2nd May 2009 (May Bank Holiday weekend)
Saturday 30th May 2009 (June Bank Holiday weekend)
Saturday 1st August 2009 (August Bank Holiday weekend)
Saturday 24th October 2009 (Halloween/October Bank Holiday weekend)

To renew items please use the "Renew my Books" link on the top right hand side of the Library Homepage www.sligolibrary.ie . Remember if items have fallen by their due date you will unable to renew by this method and will have to ring your nearest branch in order for staff to renew for you. To get full details of your nearest branch please click on the "Library Service" link and select "Our Branches", also on the Library website www.sligolibrary.ie .
Sligo County Libraries apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.

One City One Book Launch

One City One Book Official Launch: Monday 9th March 2009

The One City One Book idea, based on the concept of a community reading programme that attempts to get everyone in a city reading and talking about the same book, was launched in Sligo Central Library on Monday last the 9th March at 11am. A large crowd were present including some high profile figures such as the Cathoirleach Cllr Jude Devins, County Manager Mr Hubert Kearns and a number of local sports stars. The project in Sligo was co-ordinated by Home School Community Liaison Co-ordinators Ellen McKiernan, Una O’Gara and Sandra McNulty. Three primary schools were involved in the project, Sligo School Project, Our Lady of Mercy and St. Edwards. Students at Ballinode College were also involved.

‘Let’s Read Together’ was the theme of this project and Sligo Library Service were delighted to have been involved with and support this innovative project which aims to promote literacy. In celebrating this initiative a number of ‘high profile’ people in the community were asked to read the book selected entitled ‘The Tiger Rising’. This book is a National Book Award finalist by Newberry Winning author Kate DiCamillo.

The Tiger Rising, while aimed at children aged 10 to 13 is a book that everyone can enjoy. It is a story which strikes the very human condition of freedom, loss, hope, and most importantly friendship. It is a book that, once started, is hard to put down.

A glimpse inside...
"It seemed as if the tiger was a magic trick, rising out of the mist." It's six months since Rob's mum died and he moved to Florida. His dad won't talk about her at all. "Crying ain't going to bring her back," he says. So Rob fills a suitcase in his mind with all his forbidden thoughts - the rash on his legs, the bullies at school - and keeps it tight shut. But when he finds a caged tiger deep in the woods, his whole life begins to change. That same day he meets Sistine Bailey, another outsider who's bullied at school. She says they must set the tiger free - and when Rob imagines the tiger rising out of its cage, his suitcase begins to open..."

Welcome Message

Welcome to Sligo County Libraries Blogsite in which you can keep up to date with whats happening at our various libraries around the County. Details of various events and activities as well as core services will all be available here.

Please feel free to add your suggestions and opinions on how we can further improve our service to the public here.