The Donegal County Council library research project, Taobh Tíre was awarded a special category award at the Co-operation Ireland’s Pride of Place Awards in Tullow County Carlow on the 14th of October 2006. The Pride of Place awards now in the fourth year is an all-island competition which is directed towards recognising improvements by local communities to create civic pride in their area. The competition focus is on people coming together to shape, change and enjoy all that is good about their area.
The Taobh Tíre project has been investigating and implementing new and innovative methods of delivering library services to rural and isolated communities across Donegal. The project team works in partnership with local stakeholders- Community Development Projects, Family Resource Centres, commercial companies, a rural transport initiative and others. Fourteen service points have been set up across County Donegal. While Donegal is the location for the pilot the results will be applicable to isolated communities throughout Ireland.
In her presentation to the Pride of Place judges in July when they visited the county Taobh Tíre project Co-ordinator, Donna Quinn, emphasised that co-operation with the local community establishes a sense of ownership and involvement in the library service within that community. The project has had many other multiplier effects in the communities it serves e.g. community websites, reader development programmes, history projects etc. The provision of a Business Technology degree in Áras Sheáin Bháin in Fintown by NUIG would not have possible without the establishment of a partnership between Údarás na Gaeltachta, Coiste Éigse Sheáin Bháin and Taobh Tíre. County Librarian , Eileen Burgess stated that ‘The new partnerships created with local communities have demonstrated the real benefits of networking and co-operation in delivering local authority services.’ The service provided by Taobh Tíre is an important element in ensuring the sustainability of small communities and of the delivery of equitable services across the wider population.
For further information on the project contact Project Co-ordinator Donna Quinn 074 91 68743 dquinn@donegalcoco.ie