Pádraig Rice: Cork City's library plans are too important to get wrong

Deciding how to upgrade Cork’s ageing city library will have a significant impact on our city for decades to come, writes Pádraig Rice

The current Cork City Library building at Grand Parade ‘isn’t fit for purpose’, and a promised new 7,700sq m facility is nowhere to be seen. File picture: Denis Minihane

The quality of a city library says a lot about a city. It is a good indication of the standard of public services and gives you a sense of a city’s priorities.

While Cork City Library has fantastic staff and services, the current building isn’t fit for purpose. The roof leaks and some areas have had to be closed to the public. The size of the library also constrains events and activities. We can and must do better.