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The Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has today (16 February 2024) awarded Age Friendly Recognition Charters to Ireland’s public libraries.
The award event took place in Edgeworthstown library, County Longford, one of Ireland’s newest public libraries.
The Age Friendly Recognition Charter recognises the progress made by the public library service in developing enhanced services for older communities. Public libraries have reviewed their collections and event programmes along with their facilities and services to identify improvements to meet older person’s needs.
Awarding the Recognition Charters today, Minister Humphreys said:
“I am delighted to be here today to recognise the superb work of our public libraries in developing enhanced services for ageing communities and to award the Age Friendly Recognition Charters to our library services.
"Libraries are a core service within our neighbourhoods, and they are particularly invaluable to older people as a source of information, and as community hubs, learning centres and cultural facilities.
"The Age Friendly Library Recognition Programme supports libraries to examine their facilities and services and to listen to older customers.
"Library staff across the country go above and beyond to create welcoming, accessible, and relevant services for older people and people who have diverse and changing needs.”
Catherine McGuigan, Chief Officer, Age Friendly Ireland welcomed the awards, stating:
“Today’s awards are a further step towards the vision of an age friendly Ireland. Age Friendly Libraries are vibrant, welcoming, diverse settings with an array of supports and services that enable older people to visit, learn and be part of the fabric of their communities.
"I thank the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Libraries Ireland and our network of Age Friendly Library Champions across the country who have facilitated this recognition process and achievement.”
There were several examples given at the event of the measures implemented by age-friendly public libraries, including:
Age Friendly Ireland is the organisation responsible for the national Age Friendly Programme, affiliated to the World Health Organization’s [WHO] Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities. The programme involves a multiagency, multi-sectoral approach to age-related planning and service provision. Age Friendly Ireland supports cities and counties to be more inclusive of older people by addressing their expressed concerns and interests under the eight pillars of the World Health Organization’s global programme.
Age Friendly Ireland operates as a shared service centre of local government hosted by Meath County Council. The shared service centre supports a network of 31 local Age Friendly Programmes which are led by local authorities and which involve many stakeholders from other public bodies, universities, community/voluntary and private sector partners. The shared service supports a number of strategic national structures and provides technical guidance to its networks.
Within the framework of the WHO’s Age Friendly Cities and Communities model, city and county based stakeholders are making commitments to shared action plans addressing pillars spanning housing, our health services, built environment, transport and employment. Under the leadership of the local authority, governance is anchored in the multi-agency Age-Friendly Alliances, supported by broadly representative Older People’s Councils actively engaged as co-design partners.
The programme has a strong focus on creating walkable, attractive and accessible communities and age-friendly spaces. By introducing actions to address participation and inequality it is intended that people of all ages will be supported to enjoy healthier, more active and connected lives.