Invaluable role library plays in  Cork community

AS a student doing History and English, book-lover Richard Forrest enjoyed helping out at the library in UCC.

Did it pay well?

“Two pounds fifty an hour!” recalls Richard, who now works as Executive Librarian in Mayfield.

The role is a professional management position, and he is responsible for the management and development of library services, staff, resources and facilities.

Richard is also a local runner, and he wrote a book on the history of the Cork to Cobh 15-mile race, one of the oldest races in Cork.

“I worked two summers in the UCC library, and I really enjoyed it,” says Richard.

“My job was to carry out bibliographic analysis on a list of books, including a book on St. Finbarr’s Cathedral dating back to the 1600s.”

Richard was in good company.

“The Mummy that UCC repatriated when the remains were donated by ‘African Missions’ in the Blackrock Road in 1928 occupied the same room as me! I was working as an archivist and there were three of us.”

Richard went farther afield to continue his studies and his career.

“I studied library information studies in Aberystwyth, Wales, for one year,” he says.

“Then I came back and worked in UCC and then in the Bons Secours Hospital staff library where nursing students and junior doctors were the prime users.

“The consultants housed journal collections at the staff library. If a specialist wanted a journal, they could get it from the library. And there was a general collection of fiction for all the hospital workers to avail of.”

With the county bounds extension in 2019, Richard joined the city libraries in 2020.

“Mayfield Library is a typical public library that serves everyone of all ages and conditions,” says Richard.

“The library serves the community, and it is a source of learning and enjoyment for people.”

The library makes people happy.

“I was an unhappy little boy,” Scottish comedian and author Billy Connolly once said. 

Going to the library changed my life. It may even have saved it. Amazing as it sounds, literature can do that for you. Books are your free ticket to the entire earth.

“Literature is amazing,” Richard agrees.

“And all the services in the library are free, which is amazing.

“Here, we have traditional collections of books, including collections on film and music. We have a host of online resources for people to use as well as current magazines and newspapers.”

Richard likes the focus the library has on events and activities.

“Our Book Club is very popular and very well attended,” he says.

“Story times and colouring competitions for the children are regular events here at Mayfield Library.”

Competition time is always popular.

“We had a fun competition for various collections and one year the winner produced their collection of mini perfume bottles, which was a very unusual and a very novel idea.”

Fans of the popular Match Attax cards are regular visitors to the library too.

“The children love having swapping sessions when we host a card swap day. There is always great excitement when the children descend on the library,” says Richard.

They swap cards, and they play card games. There is a Pokémon table and often we run quiz sessions where teams of four put their heads together.

The participants love the themes for the quizzes.

“We had a super-hero quiz, and we hosted a very successful Christmas quiz.”

Meet-ups are all the rage at Mayfield Library.

“A total of 65 youngsters arrived, a third of them in full costume who are fans of Manga, the graphic novel - they had a ball.

“We are always delighted to run such events,” says Richard. “They create a real buzz.”

The library is an escape, it is a haven, and it is a place to meet other like-minded people.

“General socialising goes on here all the time,” continues Richard. “People find their tribe.”

Richard finds his tribe.

“There are so many people coming to the library, it is great to take time to interact with the public and have little chats. I think that is what I like most about the job,” he says.

Richard is an authority on books, as you would expect.

“I love recommending books to people,” he says. They are delighted with a good recommendation, and we chat about our thoughts on the book afterwards.

He works with four staff at the library.

“And we often facilitate work placement requests. We work sometimes with ‘Ability at Work’ to give people the opportunity to experience working in the library. They are always glad of the opportunity to work in this positive environment.”

Lockdown didn’t offer a positive environment anywhere for people.

“After lockdown, I saw people who were wary of making eye contact. They seemed disjointed,” says Richard.

“I always said to the guys here, ‘have time to say hello and smile’ at the very minimum. It is so nice to see great relations back again.”

Richard likes reading and researching Irish history.

“I love delving into local history,” he says.

Richard is a member of Blarney History Society, and recently delivered an illustrated lecture titled ‘The Inn at Blarney’, a history of the Castle Hotel.

“History and athletics are my hobbies,” says Richard.

He is aware of the important role the local library plays in the community.

“The library’s role in the community is invaluable,” says Richard.

The library is a very democratic space. There is no money involved.

“Fines are no longer in use for the late return of books.”

As author Matt Haig says, ‘the library is a book in building form. It is somewhere we can escape inside and get enriched by. It is a place where anyone can benefit from’.

“That is very true,” Richard agrees.

“I think borrowing books also gives a sense of responsibility to people. They take care of the books and return them in good order.

“An introduction to the library is the gift of a lifetime.”

Everyone gets access to that gift.

“Students, young parents, retired people, children, adults, they all can avail of the library,” says Richard.

He knows his books inside out.

“The smallest book in the library is the size of my little finger,” says Richard.

“The heaviest book is The Atlas Of The Irish Revolution. It weighs 5kg. The oldest book dates back to 1786.”

Some books have amazing things among their pages.

“Shop receipts and memoriam cards are common, which we keep and return to their owners,” says Richard.

One of the most unusual things I came across was a biscuit!

Was it edible?

“It was a digestive, almost still edible in fact,” says Richard, laughing.

Books often tell their own story.

“A poignant one was a phone call I got from a gentleman who was sorting his recently deceased brother’s house and found some library books including Final Breath by John Francome.”

Books come in all guises.

“I got back a dog-eaten book,” says Richard, laughing.

“Remember years ago, when the teacher looked for the homework we hadn’t done, we’d often give the excuse that the dog ate it? Well, here, from time to time, the dog gets to eat the book! So maybe that boy in school years ago was telling the truth!”

Richard tells the truth about his job.

“I love coming in here to work every day,” he says. “The variety and the people make my day.”