The Athy Library Project: Kildare Library & Arts Service. Evelyn Cooley, Laura Larkin

This project highlights the continued investment in the public library service, not alone in Kildare but throughout the country. This community facility received €1.65m from the Department of Rural and Community Development – Library Capital Investment Programme 2016-2021 with a further €2.1m provided by Kildare County Council.

The presentation will cover a number of aspects:

• Functionality, flexibility and accessibility of the building which have been achieved by the collaborative approach with the planning input and design.
• The position of Athy Library in the centre of Athy from a social, cultural and economic perspective
• How this new library has redefined and developed its role in the community
• The digital services and IT spaces and their role in the library
• The library as a space for all

Evaluation of the new Athy Library one year one from opening – what do the statistics show but more importantly what does the community think.