Reading Our Own
Clare Champion, Friday, 10th May, 2002
Those involved in CLASP [Clare Local Studies Project] are celebrating this week, following the news that their publications top the list of most borrowed non-fiction books in Clare libraries.
Figures for books borrowed in 2001 show that of the top ten, three are local Clare publications. Top of the list is "The Clare Anthology" edited by Kieran Sheedy and published by CLASP Press. The same publishers also occupy third place with Samuel Lewis's "County Clare: a history and Topography".
Female Irish authors dominate the adult fiction top ten with "Scarlet Fever" by Maeve Binchy at number one. In fact, one to nine are also Irish Authors including Sheila O'Flanagan, Cathy Kelly, Marian Keyes and Terri Prone. John Grisham just scrapes in at number 10.
In the children's
top ten section, Harry Potter comes in at one, two, three and five with Jacqueline
Wilson at four, six, seven, eight, nine and ten.