The public library service has benefitted from Dormant Accounts Funding of €1.3m during the past two years which has supported Library Authorities in their delivery of programmes to support disadvantaged, marginalised and socially excluded communities while at the same time solidifying the library's position as a community hub.
In 2019, Dormant Accounts funding of €650,000 supported the delivery of 87 programmes which provided access to educational supports including STEAM, lifelong learning, social inclusion, and community participation supports. The Dormant Accounts funding was matched by Library Authorities to the value of €83,722 giving a total investment of €733,722. Full details of the initiatives supported are provided in the attached table.
Among the initiatives providing support for people with physical and learning needs was the Cork City LitBit - Steps to Literacy and Inclusion programme which provided storytelling sessions for people with mild to profound intellectual disabilities.
Among the initiatives providing support for those with visual impairments were those delivered in Carlow where daily newspapers were recorded using podcasting equipment and uploaded to the Carlow Libraries website and in Donegal where a programme for visually impaired people was delivered with music and storytelling events.
In 2020, funding of €713,500 was approved for 104 programmes with €650,000 provided from the 2020 Dormant Accounts Action Plan and €63,500 from the Department’s Libraries funding. The funding contained two separate measures – one for programming and another for digital literacy supports.
Under the programming measure, 69 projects were approved Dormant Accounts funding of €454,126 which was match funded by €57,209 from Library Authorities. The programmes were diverse in nature and involved participation by a multiplicity of groups including the deaf and blind communities, and people with disabilities and learning needs. Full details are provided in the attached table.
Under the digital literacy supports element, 34 programmes were approved for Dormant Accounts funding of €180,874, which was match funded by €20,097 from the Library Authorities. This funding supported the delivery of a core element of the national Right to Read programme through the provision of literacy, numeracy and digital skills licences/apps (e.g. Lexia; Touch-Type, Read, Spell; Nessy etc) to assist adults or children with low literacy levels, those with learning difficulties or visually/hearing impaired.
DAF 2020
Table 2020
DAF 2019
Table 2019
