Jean's Journal: Our lovely library in Athlone
by Jean Farrell
Warning: this article contains the word ‘download.’ Don’t let that put you off continuing! Much help is at hand!
Do you know that you can read The Irish Independent, The Belfast Telegraph, The Mirror and almost every other daily paper, on your phone or laptop, for no cost at all?
You can also read every provincial paper, like The Tuam Herald, The Gorey Guardian and the many others that cover local news.
All you have to do is join your local library and download BorrowBox.
Using the BorrowBox app, you can then download any book in the library to read on your phone. You can also download audio books to listen to.
As well as Irish newspapers, you can read most international papers, like The Washington Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, Nepali Times and many more.
The range of magazines available to read is extensive and varied. They cover sports, hobbies, food, science, Hello magazine and much more. I could fill this article listing them. It is a marvellous service!
I met a man lately who sang the praises of BorrowBox. “I don’t sleep well since I retired,” he told me.
“Before I get out of bed most mornings I have read every word of the latest edition of ‘Amateur Photographer’, as well as ‘The Guardian’ newspaper. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep at all, I read ‘The BBC Sky At Night’ and the ‘Rugby News’ magazines, on my phone, in bed.”
Now, I do understand that all of us are not very ‘computer literate.’ However, help is at hand.
The librarians in Athlone are extremely helpful and pleasant. I’m well aware of this because I had to go into them twice before I finally could use BorrowBox. This was not because it was difficult, honestly. It was because I was slow to grasp it!
First, they helped me to set it up. Then, I forgot how to access it and they helped me again. Now that I have it up and running, I find it marvellous.
During the summer months, when I was away from town, I was able to read the Westmeath Independent on my phone, which was great.
I regularly dip into the many women’s magazines which are on it, as well as reading what other columnists have to say in their weekly columns, in a variety of papers. One need never be bored.
We are blessed to have a wonderful library in our town. “The contents of a library can take you further than your own imagination could begin to imagine. To open a book is to open your mind,” wrote Amberle Cianne.
My favourite quote about libraries is, “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” How true. One more, “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.”
This leads me onto the lovely helpful librarians in our local library. Indeed, those of you as old as myself will remember Ernan Morris in the original library, on the Connaught side of town. It was in the building where the Art Gallery is now.
Mr Morris was in charge of the adult section, which was on the ground floor. The children’s library was downstairs. I have many happy memories of running down the steps to it, with my bundle of books, as a child.
Of course, Gearóid O’Brien is the librarian we most remember. He retired a few years ago. Gearóid continues to be a wonderful source of interesting information, and I enjoy his weekly column in this paper.
The librarians there now continue to offer the great personal service synonymous with Athlone Library. I love going in, always sure I’ll get a smile from the happy staff who know me well.
Now, after all that, I have news for you. Our library is shortly going to close for eight weeks. This is in order to introduce a new concept called ‘My Open Library,’ which was mentioned in this newspaper recently.
‘My Open Library’ initiative means that the library will be open from 8am until 10 pm 7 days a week. It will be open for you to read, study and research, write, use the computers and have access to a printer.
In order to avail of all these services, Westmeath Libraries websites, states, ‘You must register in person and take part in an induction. This induction will point out the self-services available during unstaffed hours, and will demonstrate the safety procedures in place. ‘My Open Library’ membership is available to members aged 16 and over. Parents or guardians must be present to register members aged 16 and 17.’
I’m wondering how this will work. The helpful staff will be there during normal working hours. However, from 6pm until 10 pm no adult will be on duty, in the library, at all. Might one feel vulnerable in this big space alone? Young students study downstairs. Would a solitary girl feel safe down there?
In theory it will be great to have our libraries open all the time. However, I wonder how it will work in practice. It’s a whole new concept indeed.
Timothy Healy, former President of the New York Public Library wrote, "The most important asset of any library goes home at night – the library staff." I agree with him.
I don’t know exactly when our library is set to close for 8 weeks. I do know that it will be before Christmas. So, now is the time to sign up to BorrowBox and get help to do so from the lovely libraries - while they are still there.
jeanfarrell@live.ie