Call for Saturday opening hours at Tipperary's new state-of-the-art library

Tipperary town’s state-of-the-art high tech library - the 'most modern in Europe' - should remain open on Saturdays, heard the July meeting of Cashel Tipperary Municipal District. 

Director of Services Karl Cashen told Councillors that there has been a doubling of visitors using Tipperary’s library since it opened at the end of May.  

“It’s a tremendous asset,” said Cllr Michael Fitzgerald, and inquired if the library could be kept open “for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning. It’s something people feel very strongly about.” 

Cllr Mary Hanna Hourigan said it’s a “huge addition to Tipperary town. It’s certainly improved the whole of Tipperary Excel. It is necessary to open on Saturdays.” It would be preferable to open on Saturday than one of the weekdays if necessary, added Cllr Hourigan. 

Cllr Denis Leahy said there could be some system to self check out the books to make it more user friendly. “It’s the most modern library in Europe. Do we need personnel in the library at all times?” 

Could the library commit to setting up a self scanning system, asked Cllr Leahy. “People want to use it, but the hours clash with the hours people have to work.”

Mr Cashen said the Tipperary library “is the most modern we have.” 

Libary staff have agreed to vote on a new self scanning system called the 'open library initiative', and the government has committed to investing in public libraries so they can remain open from 8am to 10pm, along with a new swipe card system. 

There is funding for Nenagh Library and it will affect 200 libraries nationwide by the year 2020.

“We will be applying for Tipperary to be part of that roll-out,” said Mr Cashen. “We will certainly put your views to the library staff at a meeting this month.”

 Meanwhile, Tipperary Co. Council issued a statement saying the new Tipperary Town Library has recorded an unprecedented 97% increase in books issued. 

“The people of Tipperary Town are responding very positively to their new Library located in the Excel Centre, which began operating at the start of April 2018.

In the period, April/ May 2018, the new Library issued 7,100 books which is an increase of 97% on the same period the previous year. 

“Investment in a high quality bookstock,  for all ages and interests, particularly Children’s stock,  made possible by the decision of the Members of Tipperary County Council to increase Local Property Tax (LPT) and allocate €200,000 towards Library services, has been vital to the success of the new library. 

“Customers can now see what an asset a library with the best of stock and the best of design and technology can provide a town and its community. The new Library will be the first in County Tipperary to provide a suite of new technology solutions to the public. 

“These include the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) which will replace barcode technology on book stock and allow Library users to check out their own books. In addition, new services such as Wi-Fi printing from a phone or tablet, remote printing from home and access to a new suite of public PCs have been introduced.” 

Many of these new services will be accessed by a new Self-Service kiosk which utilises cutting-edge touch-screen technology as a point of access for the user. This kiosk represents the very latest in Library technology and it is the very first one of this new generation of self-service kiosks to be installed in Europe. 

There are plans to run Healthy Ireland at Your Library events and Children’s Book Festival events in Tipperary Town Library during the autumn and winter to come, further enhancing the quality and range of services the New Library in Tipperary Town is providing to the community.