Tramore in County Waterford has a new library offering a range of services.
Despite national and local government cutbacks, County Waterford has a new library which was built at a cost of £300,000. The library was funded by central and local funds. Prior to the opening of the new facility, the area never had a proper library. Library services, until now consisted of a makeshift affair in one room of a municipal building.
The new building brings them now to the forefront of the development of the library service in the country at large.
Thousands of books are now available in a modern building for readers to borrow. The library also has a sound tape lending service where people can order a tape in the same way as the do a book. There is also a video room which can be used for lecture sessions. The library presents itself as not just a book lending centre but as a broad community facility for meetings, lectures, exhibitions and events.
The service also recognises that Tramore is a tourist town. The population can jump from around five thousand in winter to around twenty five thousand in summer. Visitors can use the service by showing their library cards from home or leaving a small deposit.
Waterford County Librarian Donal Brady believes that given the current economic climate, library services are more important than ever. The people of Tramore have been waiting for this library for over 20 years.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 30 November 1984. The reporter is Michael Ryan.
