The Europe Challenge

I am so pleased to get the opportunity to tell you how the library system in Ireland had  such a wonderful impact on my life and that of my family. I grew up in rural Ireland in the 1950s—there was very little work, wages were low, and no money to spare for luxuries. As a result, we moved a couple of times so that my father could get work. This meant a new school, making new friends, and trying to settle in. But everywhere we moved, there was always the constant of a local library in the nearest town, it felt like an old friend.

 

Our parents were both great readers and joined each one of us in the local library as soon as we were old enough. Each Friday night Dad drove us into the nearest town for our weekly trip to the library. I have such vivid memories of going up the steps and in the big wide door, into the hushed world of shelves of books. The four of us turned left into the children’s section and my parents went to the much larger adult section.

 

Back then you were allowed two books. The first I can remember that had an impact on me was the science fiction series, Kemlo. I was fascinated by the world it opened up to me, believed every word of it, and decided that it was only a matter of time before we would all be living in outer space. The librarians got to know us as a family and as we turned about 12 and had read everything we liked in the children’s section, would allow us into the adult section to pick books carefully supervised by our parents and the librarian herself. I felt so lucky to have what seemed to me this enormous source of books to choose from.

 

Back home, we all settled down to read. My mother and older brothers read detective novels; they always seemed to be able to solve the plot before they finished the book, something I couldn’t achieve as a teenager. I saw my parents with autobiographies, poetry books, books on politics, and heard the discussions that ensued from these. My world grew wider as I learned about countries and people I would otherwise not have encountered.

 

As I got older I could cycle to the library on my own, and would proudly bring home my books on the carrier of the bike. During the summer months and school holidays, the librarian allowed me to take out three books at a time. I was a fast reader so this was great. In my mid-teens, I discovered historical novels and was immersed in that world for some time.

 

When I left home and got work in Dublin, of course I joined the nearest library. My mother had often told me about the bigger libraries in Dublin where she had lived before getting married, and now I saw what she meant. I walked into the library in Rathmines and was amazed. I stood and looked around, and tried not to look overwhelmed. The redbrick building itself was beautiful in my eyes, and there were shelves of books everywhere.. My attempt at being cool obviously didn’t work because one of the staff came over and asked if she could help. My world of reading had opened up so much more: I borrowed cookery books, and learned to cook in my little bedsit, what for then was exotic food such as moussaka, and god forbid, vegetarian food. They even had all of the daily newspapers available, you could sit in a comfortable chair in a lovely warm place and read your pick of the papers.

 

I moved to a different part of Dublin and joined the branch in Pearse Street and after a while I realised that it had the same large and varied section, but because this was a working-class area, compared to Rathmines which was a middle-class and well-educated part of Dublin, it was much easier to get unusual books or books that might have been mentioned on a radio programme as the demand for them was just as high in Pearse Street. This difference resonated with me, as I hadn’t realised that even though we had very little money growing up, because we used the library service, we had this free and wonderful resource and our family had benefitted so much from it, it had widened our horizons in many ways.

 

As a direct result I joined the Adult Literacy group in Dublin, completed the training and worked with various adults for about 20 years, helping them with their literacy. This could vary from a mother needing to help her children with their homework, so she had to be able to read a few stages ahead of them, to a man who needed a certain level of literacy to apply for a promotion, or a teenager who had not managed well in school, but now realised they needed help with their literacy levels to get a job. When their literacy improved, I would recommend books from their local library that would be of interest to them and within their capabilities. Knowing that it was free meant their low level of income didn’t prevent them from accessing it. We would go with them at the beginning to introduce them to what was an alien environment to them, as they had never been in an adult library. I walked in one day to change my books and spotted one of my former students sitting reading the local newspaper. It felt great to know he would now be able to access what he needed and he told me this had a knock-on effect on his young children when they saw him going to the library.

 

I moved back to rural Ireland and joined the local library in Baltinglass in County Wicklow, as did my two daughters as soon as they were old enough. By then the schools had the mobile library coming once or twice and month and they used that as well. We used to take part in the annual Gay Byrne Quiz on RTE Radio 1 and we used some of the reference books from the library to look up answers. I think the two girls learned a lot from how to use the reference books and it was a highlight every year for us as a family.

 

Nowadays things have changed a lot in our Irish libraries, no longer the ‘shush’ from the librarian that I remember as a child and the absolute silence as you browsed the books. Now people chat and engage, as a result I have often heard a recommendation for a particular author which, with my natural curiosity, I followed up and took it out myself—as a result I was introduced to an author that I had never tried. Now you can borrow from a wide range of CDs, films, and what for me is the most wonderful of all—audio books. I just adore them, and while I’m sitting sewing my patchwork quilts I listen to all manner of detective books with gory murders every few chapters, narrated beautifully by actors with good clear diction. Another favourite are autobiographies, and it adds another dimension if they are read by the author themselves, hearing the upper-class accent of an English celebrity who had a lot of ups and downs in their life, something that was unknown before they published their book is fascinating. I also bring my audio book out to the garden when I’m working there, listening as I weed and plant our veggies, taking the drudgery out of it.

Some years ago I decided to brush up on my school French, so I borrowed the pack of CDs in audio format. I listened and repeated the phrases as I worked in the garden—to the amusement of my neighbours. These audio books also accompany me to the kitchen when I’m doing a big batch cook, and sometimes I lose track of the recipe if I’m listening too intently, hence the cake that went into the oven only to discover the bowl of beaten egg still on the counter top! Again for me it comes back to the wonderful free access available to anybody who wants to use it. If you look at the prices inside these audio books—the average cost is €49—imagine being able to borrow a couple of these at a time at no cost! Most people could not afford to buy these regularly.

 

There are a number of other changes, all for the better. Now you can take out a total of 12 items, made up of books, CDs, and audio books, which is great for a quick reader like myself. You can also go to any branch in Ireland to both borrow and return books which is so convenient. You can use the online facility to renew and order books, which means you have the entire range of to browse and order. If the particular book I’m requesting is in a library in Cork, when available, this will be delivered the following Tuesday to my local library for me to pick up. How wonderful, to have access to the full range of items in all the branches in the country.

 

Libraries also have access to a wide range of activities, most of them free, so we can be introduced to astronomy classes, arts & crafts, film nights etc. I have met new people who have made their lives in our community and learned their culture and crafts when taking part in the classes. It is lovely to see the school children coming in to return their books with their teachers and to hear the chatter as they pick their next selection, knowing they will grow up aware of the facility on their doorstep.

Libraries have been a constant fixture in my entire life as long as I can remember and have

enriched it so much with entertainment from a wide range of novels and learning from

reference books. All of the librarians I encountered have been invested in their job and

so helpful.

 

I happened to be back in the town where the first library I attended in the town of Hospital,

Co. Limerick, well over 50 years ago is situated. It is still there and in use, but the large

building I remember is no longer so big in my adult eyes, but the impact it had throughout

my life still looms as large.

 

As a footnote, at present I have two books on request, one is Tuesdays with Morrie. I

heard about this during a recent interview on RTE Radio 1, it sounded fascinating, but

obviously I was not the only person who heard that interview as it seems to be in high

demand. Is there any chance that my taking part in this competition would move me to the

top of the list to get this quicker!! I have also ordered a book on Swedish quilting, and am

really looking forward to reading that, so whoever has it out at present, could they please

return it?

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About the Author

Elizabeth (born in Ireland, 1955) is very proud to be Irish. She is married and has two daughters. She has worked in office administration all her life and continues to work at the age of 69. For years, she volunteered as a tutor with Adult Literacy. Her hobbies include reading, gardening, following the Irish and Leinster rugby teams, and indulging in her love for patchwork and quilting.