Clare Library Website is Coming Out on Top

Clare People, Tuesday, 10th July 2007

Clare County Library's website is one of the most popular websites in the country, according to an Internet survey.

Ranked at number 48, www.clarelibrary.ie is one of two public libraries to be included in the listing of 370 Irish sites and finishes ahead of such popular domains as goldenpages.ie, anpost.ie and eircom.ie. The website is also rated ahead of sites belonging to the National Library of Ireland, Irish Independent, Fáilte Ireland, TV3, An Garda Síochána and Meteor. The listing has been generated on www.top100ireland.com based on the amount of mentions each website address receives in multiple Internet searches.

Commenting on the success of the website, County Librarian Noel Crowley stated, "The number of Internet users – academic and personal – logging on to the website is continuing to increase. This growth in usage can be largely attributed to the free and unlimited access to the websites expansive range of historical documents, well-written history articles, thousands of photographs and suite of ordinance survey maps. The advent of digital technology has enabled the Library to host such a service, which has been availed of by thousands of people with an interest in all aspects of county Clare's history."

Over 2.3 million Internet users worldwide have logged on to www.clarelibrary.ie since it first went live in 1998. Recent additions to the website include Ecclesiastical Remains - Monuments of County Clare; 1841 & 1851 Census Search Forms; A Folklore Survey of County Clare by Thomas Johnson Westropp; The Grand Jury and Petty's Down Survey Maps, The United Irishmen of North West Clare, 1798; and Registry of Freeholders, Co. Clare, 1841. Meanwhile, 49 historical maps dating back to the early 1700s have recently been made available online by Clare County Library via www.clarelibrary.ie. The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection features the first maps to make reference to the West Clare Railway while others provide information on historic landmarks and tribal settlements.

Reaction to the website has been very positive with online comments being posted by Internet users from such countries as Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, USA, Canada and Britain.

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