Clare people who have no access to information technology will be able to explore the benefits of new developments if the local County Council manages to secure computers in branch libraries throughout the county.
Following the Government sponsored "Branching Out" report, additional funding has been made available by the Government to spread the benefits of the provision of a new information society including the electronic delivery of public library services. This report also recommends that by the year 2002 each library authority should invest £2.50 per capita in bookstock annually which would result in an increase of 52 per cent in the current provision for purchasing books.
According to County Manager, Willie Moloney, the use of the library service as a gateway to the information society offers people, who have little or no knowledge of the Internet, the opportunity to explore the benefits of this new technology. He told councillors at a recent meeting that the Council had applied for funding under this Government initiative for the provision of 54 personal computers in branch libraries which should be functional by the end of the year.
Commenting on opening hours, he revealed the County Librarian, Noel Crowley, had reviewed these hours with a view to increasing them for the general public. He outlined that the general expansion of the library service, together with increased staffing in the Lisdoonvarna and Sixmilebridge libraries, had increased costs which had to be provided for in the estimate. The estimate for the library services also includes essential repair work which must be undertaken at the De Valera Library in Ennis.