Ireland Reads Day: ‘Get lost in a good book’ in county Longford

People in Longford are being urged to ‘get lost in a good book’ on Saturday, February 22, as Ireland Reads Day comes to libraries nationwide.

Ballymahon Library will be hosting a ‘Ballymahon Scribblers Open Mic Session’, which will be followed by a reading from author Patricia Gibney.

The library’s creative writing group, Ballymahon Scribblers, will hold an open mic session reading some of their work to date.

The group will then welcome author Patricia Gibney, who will read an excerpt from one of her best-selling novels and participate in a Q&A session with the audience.

The event will take place from 11am-1.30pm on Saturday (Feb 22) and advance registration is required.

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Ireland Reads Day, led by Libraries Ireland, encourages people of all ages to pick up a book during the month of February and to embrace the joy and power of reading.

Award-winning author and Ireland Reads ambassador, Marian Keyes, feels strongly about the transformative power of reading, which she discovered as a child. 

“I was an anxious, lonely child, but when I read my first Enid Blyton book, The Twins at St Clare’s, my mind was blown,” she said. 

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“Suddenly, I had a gateway to another world – to infinite worlds. 

“I was able to escape the discomfort of being me by immersing myself in the lives of others. Since then, reading has been my saviour. The ability to read is my superpower.”

Ireland Reads is a great way to rediscover Longford libraries and all the services they have to offer, according to Stuart Hamilton, Head of Libraries Development at the Local Government Management Agency. (LGMA)

“Some may be pleasantly surprised to learn that library fees were abolished in January 2019 and all previous fines were removed,” he said. 

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“This means that you can return to your library with a clean slate – even if you forgot to return that last book.

“Libraries have hundreds of books and reading resources across people’s interests to bring great pleasure to people in today’s busy world. 

“Librarians are on-hand to assist you in finding reading for your enjoyment and support you in developing a healthy habit that is reading. 

“Also, people are always delighted to learn about Borrowbox - your library collection and services in one app. 

“It allows you can delve into ebooks and audiobooks - as well as a selection of e-magazines and e-newspapers - free of charge.”

There is also a wide variety of eEducation options available at your fingertips through the eLibrary, including language courses.

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From your first job search to a career change or support after time out of the professional world, your library can help. 

Users can also access a range of services, including career advice, employment research support and tips on how to prepare for an interview or write a job application. 

For reading recommendations and to see a list of events taking place in libraries in Longford and across the country, visit www.irelandreads.ie.

Led by Libraries Ireland, the campaign is an initiative of the Government of Ireland and is part of the Healthy Ireland programme.  

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