Library staff to fight proposed amalgamations

The Cavan Branch of IMPACT are meeting this evening with elected representatives, local TDs and Senators to highlight the issues with proposals to amalgamate the library and fire services of Cavan and Monaghan.

A cross party motion, by Cllr Niamh Smyth (FF), opposing library amalgamation will be proposed at next Monday’s meeting of Cavan County Council. She was quoted in this week's Celt saying 'Jobs will be lost, make no mistake ' if the proposals to ahead (see text of full article below).

Meanwhile, Ray Ryan, assistant general secretary with IMPACT, told the Celt today that he is very impressed with the level of interest at the local level at campaign events so far. “Local library staff, representing all grades, are understandably upset by these proposals, as they will undermine the ability of counties to protect their own local services.'

He added: “The library staff are more than willing to fight to keep provision of this important service safeguarded, and a Joint Committee has been established to campaign on the matter.'

Concerns over libraries in Kingscourt and Cootehill, while Virginia project may be 'put back’ years

'Jobs will be lost, make no mistake' - Smyth

- Concerns over libraries in Kingscourt and Cootehill, while Virginia project may be 'put back' years

Paul Neilan

The possible amalgamation of library services in Cavan and Monaghan has alarm bells ringing for book-lovers across the county and, while the department responsible says no libraries will close, one councillor says jobs will be lost.
The Department of the Environment is seeking to amalgamate services in six cases across 13 counties - Cavan-Monaghan is one such amalgamation.
The trade union involved, Impact, is hosting a meeting resisting the amalgamation tomorrow (Thursday, February 4).
In a statement to the Celt the department says that a report, 'Managing the Delivery of Effective Library Services’, recommends a “unified management structure for the operation of the services only”.
The statement says that the plan “does not involve the closure of any library in the country” but that “shared management structures” will be in place.
However Tom Sullivan, librarian in Johnston Central Library in Cavan Town, is not comforted by the Department’s assurances.
“Staff are concerned where this proposal is going. Kingscourt is only over the road from Carrickmacross, for example, and there would be a natural fear that things could be coming down the road for Kingscourt library, not to mention Cootehill because Clones HQ is only over the road.
“For example, with the proposed new library in Virginia, in a shared service, this could see it put back several years. When you talk about more effective, leaner services what strikes me is a reduction in finances and we might not be able to offer the same services in a couple of years that we offer now because there’ll be two counties picking from the same pot,” he said.
Library staff too fear for their futures.
“With the amalgamations there is a fear that jobs would be lost,” explains Mr Sullivan. “The official line is that stronger and more efficient library services will be established but we have heard that before and that can translate to budget cuts, reduced hours and possible staff cuts.”
Mr Sullivan adds “irrespective of what the department says, fears arise about where we are going in the future. The library, especially in rural counties, plays such an important part in the lives of the people because they work with schools, the elderly, the unemployed, the employed - we have to look at the importance of literacy and in many instances the library might be the one outlet that people can engage with each day. If we look at what happened in rural Ireland we have the cases of shops, post offices, Garda stations, reduced Mass times, parishes being run with one priest, bank closures, you can easily see why people would fear the worst”.
The county has 27 staff between full and part-time (16) trained staff across the county and around 12 of them will attend tomorrow’s meeting in Clones, Co Monaghan.
“If you look at the bank of knowledge there - something a volunteer might not have - trained staff have worked in the service for so long and have a love of their work and bring huge experience with it. If a library has hours reduced, where can that slack be taken up? The social contact will be gone not to mention the service we offer to schools. For instance this year in Cavan we have an emphasis on folklore, next year we are providing commemorative events on 1916. We provide study spaces and refresher courses for junior and leaving cert students, not to mention class visits from schools in towns and villages.

'Savage attack’
Cllr Niamh Smyth, who is also vice chairperson of the Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board and an arts officer by profession, insists “jobs will be lost, make no mistake about it”. The Fianna Fáil councillor described the move as a “savage attack” on rural communities.
“While mergers will often bring apparent efficiencies in terms of back-end saving, the services provided to the people will be poorer,” she said.
“We have an obligation to ensure that those who rely on a quality library service, young people in school and older people in remote, rural areas have access to services.
“We cannot have a situation where branch libraries close, have their opening hours reduced or their book budgets slashed for the sake of saving money. This is a service that enables rural Ireland to stay connected,” she said.
“Jobs will be lost. Make no mistake about it. Under a merger, these library roles will be merged with their colleagues in County Monaghan.
Cllr Smyth has tabled a motion for Monday’s Cavan County Council meeting to resist library cuts. “I will fight tooth and nail to stop this attack on rural services and I am calling on fellow Cavan and Monaghan councillors to join me in this fight,” she said.

Department statement
A spokesperson for the department said: “Local ownership and decision-making will be maintained through ensuring that the role of the elected members remains unchanged and that local representatives continue to approve policies, priorities and budgets for their library services.
“For the public, the importance of the local identity of the library service is recognised and local branding will be maintained. This initiative has been carefully planned to maintain the local library service branding and identity. The frontline service will continue to be locally focused, people-centred, with opportunities for enhanced individual and community support services and engagement.
“The increased capacity resulting from the new structures will increase the scope for developing and enhancing services to the public, providing a broader range of services to the same high standard across the country. This initiative does not involve the closure of any library in the country, and over time the shared management structures will increase the scope for developing and enhancing services to the public, providing a broader range of services to the same high standard across the country.”