Letterkenny Library and Arts Centre

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Letterkenny Library and Arts Centre
Location Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland
Established 1995
Population served County Donegal

The Letterkenny Library and Arts Centre is located on St. Oliver Plunkett Road in the County Donegal town. The Centre opened in 1995 as part of the new Central Library building in Letterkenny, and is an integral part of Donegal County Council's arts provision. It is the first arts centre operated by a local authority in Ireland.

[edit] Facilities

Following renovations in May 1999, the premises in the Central Library building became a dedicated exhibition space, with occasional live performances. The Centre specialises broadly in visual arts, community arts, music, literature and film and represents a busy programme of exhibitions, performances and workshops in the Centre and other buildings. The Library is special in the fact that it has one of only two clock towers located in the town; the other being located a few metres away.

[edit] Building layout

County Donegal Library Locations
County Donegal Library Locations

As one enters the building, a door on the left reveals a set of stairs leading down to the arts centre in the basement. The arts centre is where regular exhibitions are heard and it has also been used to host youth drama workshops in the past.

The library itself is divided between the ground and upstairs floors of the building.

On the ground floor a vast array of adult books may be found as well as a children's section where silence is not so strictly enforced. A stairway overlooks the counter where computers are used to keep track of which books are being borrowed and by whom. Borrowed books may be returned by slipping them into a secure box outside the building should the borrower be in a bit of a hurry. Computers are also located on the ground floor which are easy to use for inquisitive locals and homesick tourists alike.

Detail of footpath outside the Library
Detail of footpath outside the Library

Upstairs is a study area regularly used by students and other townspeople who wish to avail of its comfortable tables and chairs, relaxed airy quiet atmosphere, and thousands of reference books, maps, dictionaries and encyclopedias. This is also where the local archives are held and a special area is designated for adults only who wish to mull over the daily newspaper or a specialist magazine; Hot Press and TIME.

The building is monitored closely by CCTV.

[edit] External links