Kildare County Council to mark National Public Libraries Day with free services and events

Kildare Library Service is one of 300+ libraries marking National Public Libraries Day 2024 on Saturday, September 28. 

Kildare Library Service will host events around the county as part of the celebrations, including - Eco Lines: Festival of Climate Readers, Writers and Changemakers in Newbridge.

National Public Libraries Open Day is an initiative to promote the role of public libraries in Irish society, raise awareness of the range of services they provide, and encourage people to become members. 

To coincide with the Day, the Take a Closer Look campaign is encouraging people to take a look at the wide-ranging free services open to them through their libraries. 

Over 784,000 people, equating to around one in six of the population, are members of the 330 libraries across Ireland, with membership free. 

Gillian Allen, County Librarian, Kildare County Council said; “National Public Libraries Open Day provides a unique opportunity to promote library services and celebrate their role in Irish life.  Ireland’s public libraries have a proud and long-standing history of being integral within our villages, towns and cities in supporting people on an individual and a collective, community basis. They continue to fulfil an integral role in Irish life and, as their importance has continued to grow, the services provided have expanded to meet the needs of individual members and broader society.

"Libraries help people to go on literary and recreational journeys, to use their imagination and unwind. The broad-ranging events that they host interest people across communities and bring people together. They also play a very important role in supporting people access services such as technology and educational supports to help them in their life.”