Kilkenny County Council library service receives an Age Friendly status
Each Library Branch also partakes in providing an extensive programme of events for older people
Kilkenny County Council Library Service has received an Age Friendly Status for each of the eight library branches and the Mobile Library Service.
The library service has been working under the guidance of Age Friendly Ireland to achieve this status. Following staff training and a consultation process with local groups, organisations and library members, actions were identified at each branch. These actions were then implemented across the library network to improve the library experience for older people in our communities.
Some noteworthy improvements include the provision of Age Friendly parking at Castlecomer Library and Age Friendly trolleys at Graiguenamanagh, Ferrybank and Loughboy Branch Libraries. All branches have reading aids available for borrowers to use during their library visits too. Each Library Branch also partakes in providing an extensive programme of events for older people.
Kilkenny Library Service supports a dynamic programme of events throughout the year but a particular highlight is the Bealtaine Festival. This festival celebrates creativity as we age and in May 2024, our libraries hosted workshops that included memoir writing, drama, art and music.
This autumn, Kilkenny Library has been delighted to partner with the Kilkenny County Council Age Friendly Programme, The Older People’s Council, Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership, HSE, and An Garda to develop a programme of events and activities for older people at the new Mayfair Library. This programme ran over 8 weeks, with various speakers covering topics such as health and well-being, community safety, assisted decision-making and safeguarding.
Kilkenny Library Service Age Friendly Co-ordinator, Karyn Deegan says: “We are delighted at our recent achievement of receiving an Age Friendly Status for our libraries, as it recognises the effort of our staff to provide an inclusive provision of service to older people and we look forward to continuing our partnership with local organisations to develop future programmes and supports for our local communities.”
For further details visit www.kilkennylibrary.ie or contact our Age Friendly Co-Ordinator Karyn Deegan on 056 4440561.