Future Developments
In February 2005, Cork City Council adopted a five-year plan for the development of the library service. The plan included the provision of new library premises in Tory Top Road; Bishopstown; and Blackrock–Mahon, and plans for a new Central Library of 4,500 sq. metres, alongside major expansion and improvement in the quality of library services for people of the city.
To read the full document, “Books, Bytes & Buildings: Cork City Libraries Strategic Plan 2005-09”
Executive Summary of Strategic Plan
Background and Context
This plan fulfils the statutory obligation on Cork City Council to prepare a library development programme. This plan covers the same time period — 2005 to 2009 — as the Council’s corporate plan.
Cork is the state’s second city with a population of 257,000 in the city and surrounding area, expected to rise to 320,000 in 2020. The city and environs have seen major infrastructural development in recent years, with plans for further improvements in road, rail, telecommunications and energy. Cork is a significant centre for third level education and training in Ireland, and has large numbers of primary and post-primary pupils. It has a vibrant cultural and artistic life, and has an industrial and commercial base which has seen considerable expansion in recent years.
There has been a public library service in Cork since 1892. For many decades the service was delivered solely through the Central Library, but in the 1970s and 1980s a network of local libraries was developed. More recently, development has centred on information & communications technologies.
A critical examination of the library service’s strengths & weaknesses and the external opportunities & threats which it faces indicates that the Council must
- provide adequate staffing levels and promotional opportunities;
- provide investment in recurrent and capital programmes;
- provide a clear vision for the future development of the service;
- raise the profile of the library service both within and outside the Council; and
- make Cork City Libraries a national leader in the provision of public library services.
The Purpose of the Library Service
Cork City Council provides a library service to support learning and the independent quest for knowledge, and to meet the public's interest in books and reading, and the arts. By so doing, the Council enriches the lives of every member of society, and increases their social and cultural opportunities.
The Council will provide a network of modern libraries in the city, with the Central Library at its hub, which will be a
- Resource for Children & Young People
- Resource for Information & Learning
- Resource for Culture & the Imagination.
Action Plan 2005-09
The Council will carry out a range of actions in the period 2005-09 to develop the library service.
A Resource for All
Action 1: The Council will prepare, make publicly available, and implement a collection development policy covering the selection and management of books and other stock.
Children & Young People
Actions 2-11: Children who have ready access to books and other reading materials acquire greater literacy and information handling skills than those who do not. The Council will therefore
- put in place a structure to support & promote services to children & young people;
- develop children’s collections to foster reading and information skills;
- organize children’s activities to nourish children’s imaginations;
- provide better collections and activities for young adults.
Information & Learning
Actions 12-19: Libraries have a unique role to play in serving the learning city, providing educational materials, programmes and activities to support both formal and informal learning. The Council will therefore
- develop a comprehensive reference & information service, and nonfiction collections to serve changing requirements;
- make libraries a cornerstone of the learning city, supporting learning initiatives and directly providing learning resources;
- make the local studies service the city’s collective memory.
Culture & the Imagination
Actions 20-31: Cork needs a culture in which reading, creative writing and access to and participation in creative expression can flourish. The Council will therefore
- foster a greater interest in reading, literature and books through reader development programmes and better stock provision;
- develop the Rory Gallagher Music Library to the highest standard;
- make each library a cultural centre for its area, for exhibitions, workshops and other activities;
- nourish Gaelic language and culture.
Library Infrastructure: New Library Buildings
Actions 32-39: During the lifetime of this plan, the Council will
- complete and open new libraries: Tory Top, serving the Southside, Bishopstown, serving the western suburbs, and Blackrock–Mahon, serving the southeast of the city;
- purchase a multi-purpose van;
- bring forward proposals for new facilities for the Central Library, Douglas, and the North Central Ward, and improved facilities for Mayfield and Hollyhill.
Library Infrastructure: ICT (information & communications technology)
Actions 40-43: The Council will develop a fully interactive online library service including a website which will be a comprehensive portal to the library’s resources. The e-Library service will introduce our resources to a wider audience, provide online value-added services, and attract more users for the library’s resources in general.
Libraries in Society
Actions 44-55: Making library services available is not of itself enough; we must ensure that libraries are accessible in a real sense, and are used to their full potential by everyone in the city. The Council will therefore
- provide for better access to and greater use of libraries by removing physical, social and financial obstacles to usage;
- put in place more effective promotion & marketing;
- provide for real social inclusion and effective outreach; and
- develop more effective co-operation with other libraries and agencies in the region.
Other Actions
Actions 56-64: Effective and efficient behind-the-scenes procedures are vital to the delivery of a quality service to the public. The Council will therefore
- provide for more focused and effective library administrative, distributive and other support services;
- develop the human resources of the library by putting in place a new staffing structure, and enhanced training and education;
- provide the revenue and capital funding needed to achieve the actions in this plan; and
- put in place the implementation and evaluation mechanisms needed to ensure the success of this plan.