Kerry county library donate 1,000 books to children in direct provision

Tommy O'Connor has been Kerry's county librarian for the past 14 years said the idea came about when trying to engage new groups with the library's services. 

1,000 books were donated to direct provision centres and family resource centres in Kerry. Present at the launch of the initiative was Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Patrick Connor Scarteen,  Kayleigh Power, Family Resource Worker, Ballyspillance Resource Centre and Bethany Wynne-Morgan, KASI, Killarney Immigrant Support Centre, and Anne Fitzgerald, Project Co-ordinator from Kerry County Library. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan

Kerry county library services have donated 1,000 books to children using family resource centre services and childing living in direct provision centres throughout the county. 

Funding provided by the Dormant Accounts Scheme 2020 and Kerry County Council for children from marginalised and socially excluded communities supported the initiative. 

Tommy O'Connor has been the county's librarian for the last 14 years said the idea came about when trying to engage new groups with the library's services. 

The organisers have previously worked with adult literacy and disability groups in the county. This time they decided to focus on children using family resources centre services and children living in direct provision centre. 

"Really it's an attempt to try and encourage reading among those groups but also to link in with the library service with a view to engage with them on an ongoing basis so that they will develop a taste for reading and use the free library services available for everybody. 

“It is hoped that this will introduce families to the concept of sharing a bedtime story this Christmas and that it will promote a long-term interest and love of reading and a future ongoing contact with library services,” said Mr O'Connor.  

Mr O'Connor said the idea is one of many the library has brought in to engage with young readers including spring and summer reading programs, an autumn book festival, and a dedicated December reading month for families in the library. He said staff in any of the county's nine libraries are able to help new members register and that membership can also be applied for online.

"It was very rewarding to see these groups and the engagement and take up. We have now made that link and we hope to further it in the next while," said Mr O'Connor. 

In the coming days, 1,000 Christmas books, suitable for pre-school children, will be gifted to children in direct provision centres and children who are clients of the many family resource centres across Kerry.

Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Patrick Connor Scarteen launched the initiative at Killarney Library and commended Kerry county library's work for the donation. 

December's "Family Time with the Library” programme" aims to support family involvement in children’s reading. Children can register and agree to read six books, e-audio or e-books during the month. All who complete the programme will receive a library book bag which will include a selection of books. 

Those interested in taking part can find a link to Kerry county library's website here: http://www.kerrylibrary.ie/online-resources.html

"I think it's important that children start to read at a very early age and that they develop a love of reading within the family, parents, guardians and siblings. 

"If you start at a young age that love will continue to develop throughout the rest of your life," said Mr O'Connor.