National Library’s buying power "plummets" amid stretched resources

The National Library of Ireland has said it is struggling to pay for new books and cannot open up some collections because of a lack of storage space.

Catherine Fahy, acting director of the NLI, also said last year had been “a difficult time” for the National Library and repeated cuts to resources and staffing meant the facility was now “in the unpleasant situation of assessing whether it will be possible to maintain certain services”.

Ms Fahy made her comments in the NLI’s National Review for last year, which highlights the growth in visitor numbers. In 2013 a quarter of a million people visited the NLI — up 42% on the figure for the previous year and 85% more than in 2009.