Ó An Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail
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Older people, families with low literacy skills and disadvantaged and marginalised groups are to benefit from a funding package of €713,500 that will be channelled through the country’s libraries.
Some €650,000 will be provided from the 2020 Dormant Accounts Action Plan and €63,500 will be provided from Libraries funding, which is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The funding has a specific focus and is aimed at groups such as the elderly, the Traveller Community, those with disabilities and people living in Direct Provision.
Part of the funding will be used to purchase literacy/numeracy digital skills licences/apps to assist people with low literacy levels, learning differences, visual or hearing impairments.
Other examples that the funding will be used for include:
The funding was announced today by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD.
Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said:
“This funding will have real positive benefits for so many people. I am delighted that this funding has been allocated to libraries across the country. The last few months have been very difficult and any funding which helps our libraries to reach out and engage with communities is most welcome.”
Also welcoming the funding, Minister O’Brien said:
“I am delighted to approve these projects under the 2020 Dormant Accounts Action Plan. The projects are diverse in nature and target a multiplicity of groups including Travellers, New Irish, residents of Direct Provision Centres, the elderly who have experienced isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, autism, deaf and blind communities, and people with learning differences such as dyslexia. This funding is building on the excellent projects which were delivered last year and will increase the public library capacity to continue that great work of fostering community well-being and building community cohesion.”
The funding will provide:
(i) €512,626 for events and programmes which reaches out to marginalised, socially excluded and disadvantaged communities.
(ii) €180,874 to purchase literacy/numeracy digital skills licences/apps to assist people with low literacy levels, learning differences, visual or hearing impairments.
(iii) €20,000 to carry out a review of library services in prisons and also to develop a ‘Design Thinking’ pilot for libraries.
Minister Humphreys thanked the local authorities and the library staff for their ongoing commitment and support to the public library service.
“The local authorities have supported the library service during what has been an incredibly challenging year and by matching my Department’s funding of €713,500 with €83,722 of their own they have shown their commitment to ensuring that these programmes will have a really positive impact in their communities.”
Minister O’Brien concluded:
“It is great to see the investment in literacy and numeracy digital apps and licences. These can be expensive and very difficult to afford for families who need them. I hope that families, schools and afterschool clubs avail of these and benefit from them.”
Details of the allocation per county is set out in Appendix 1.
Programming Element
Details of the projects are listed in Appendix 2. A table detailing the proposed County funding allocation is included in Appendix 1.
Digital Literacy Supports
This funding will purchase literacy, numeracy, digital skills licences/apps to assist adults or children with low literacy levels, those with learning differences or visually/hearing impaired e.g. Lexia; Touch-Type, Read, Spell; Nessy etc.
Review of library services in prisons
A number of Library Authorities provide a service to prisons across the country but there are variations in the level of service provided. The library is considered to be a unique normalised environment within the prisons and is very popular. There is a great opportunity, through the library service, to work in a meaningful way across the prison service to improve literacy, digital literacy and indeed rehabilitation back into society. The current prison library service needs to be reviewed and best practice/standards agreed and implemented across the country.
Design Thinking Pilot Initiative
A ‘Design Thinking’ pilot will see selected libraries engaging with disadvantaged, marginalised and socially isolated communities to develop services and facilities that address the needs and wants of the people they are working with. The core idea behind design thinking is that if you want to create a service you need to have an in-depth understanding of the needs and feelings of the people who will use it. It is a user-centred approach to developing services. When the users are involved in developing the service they will feel more included and hopefully use the library more. This is particularly important for engaging with disadvantaged or marginalised communities.