South Dublin County’s newest library opens in North Clondalkin

The Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien T.D, joined the Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Ed O’Brien, in North Clondalkin yesterday (Wednesday, 9 June) to open South Dublin County Council’s newest library.

North Clondalkin Library is a brand-new state of the art library in the heart of the community.  The new library in North Clondalkin was identified as a priority in South Dublin County Libraries’ Development Plan. An expanding youth population and a strong demand for services from local schools and community groups underpin the need for innovative services to be implemented for young people in this locality. The new library will be ideally positioned as a key resource in the North Clondalkin area to promote inclusiveness and help young people to reach their potential.

South Dublin County Council invested €5.2 million towards the overall cost of the library with the Department of Rural and Community Development contributing €1 million from its Library Capital Programme.

North Clondalkin Library includes a lecture hall, an exhibition space, a digital training suite as well as a smaller meeting room. Further facilities include easy to use self-service units, extensive seating, a large study area, an internet café, as well as printing and photocopying facilities, adult tablets and free wi-fi available throughout the building. The children’s area has a dedicated storytelling area, junior tablets, a sensory wall for those with additional needs, child friendly shelving and seating, and a wide range of books and DVDs for the little ones.

The North Clondalkin Library also includes an innovative Creative Studio. The Creative Studio is a free to use digital maker space facilitating the creation of music recordings, podcasts, videos, digital stories, and oral histories.  At the centre of this space is a recording booth providing library patrons with access to a variety of audio and video recording equipment and software.

The idea of introducing The Creative Studio is to engage with younger people in particular - energise them and upskill them in digital media, with a view to expanding their horizons on future career possibilities.

Speaking at the launch, Cllr Ed O’Brien, Mayor of South Dublin County, said,

“I am delighted to open the North Clondalkin Library today and to see the facilities the library will offer the local community. I am impressed that the finished library is very modern but keeps a traditional library brickwork design.

The new library offers extensive seating and study areas, an Internet café, as well as 3-D printing, adult and childrens’ tablets and free Wi-Fi throughout the building. North Clondalkin Library also offers a Changing Places facility, two accessible gardens for outdoor events and specialist sensory equipment for those with additional needs, making it a welcoming space for everyone.”

Minister Joe O’Brien said,

“The public library strategy, ‘Our Public Libraries 2022’ seeks to establish a modern, progressive library service that connects and supports communities and provides a go-to-place for a range of integrated public services. This wonderful facility in Clondalkin certainly delivers on that. It realises the potential of a modern, evolving library service and offers lifelong learning opportunities - supporting literacy, and provides access to a wide range of online resources and modern technology.”