Working in a library: It’s a dream I have had since childhood

LIBRARIAN Julie O’Donnell says the greatest gift a parent can give their child is the gift of reading. The second greatest gift a child can receive is a free library card.

“The present of a library card will prove invaluable to them,” says Julie, who works in Cobh library.

“This was the case in my own childhood experience when I joined the library as a young girl. I’ve never looked back.

“I’ve always loved reading,” says Julie. “It is your comfort, and it is your escape.”

She has been trading books since she was a little girl.

“I ran a library among my neighbours from our garage in Ballincollig, close to home,” says Julie.

“I loved the whole process, and I loved the camaraderie that built up between us book- lovers.”

Julie had an ambition.

“I always thought; wouldn’t it be great to work in a library!”

And that is exactly what she did.

“I worked in the RTÉ TV Libraries and Archives in Dublin for two years and the RTÉ TV library in Fr Mathew Street in Cork for 12 years. They were both interesting jobs.

“Working for RTÉ was brilliant and I loved every minute of it. The libraries were both internal so there was no interaction with the public,” says Julie.

“I left RTÉ to work in the public library. My first day at work was the same day as lockdown! I think reading books during Covid was an absolute life-saver regarding mental health.”

She is a people person.

“Working in a county library is much more sociable, and being part of the team is great.”

Julie applied for a job in the county library in 2019.

“I worked in Midleton, Youghal, and I’m currently in Cobh.”

Julie loves her place of work.

“Looking out the window, I can see the beautiful skyline,” she says. “I have the best views in Cork to look at. I am always fascinated by the big cranes and how they operate.

“Watching the massive cruise liners appear on the horizon is a lovely scene. I am spoilt rotten.

“This library is a beautiful old building with high ceilings. It used to be a market house, and the building has been here for generations.

“I have to say, I really like working here with the rest of the team; Ed, Clare, Niamh and Sheila.”

What else does Julie like about working in the library in Cobh?

“I love the variety,” she says. “Every day is different. No two days are the same. Over the decades, the library has really changed, there is so much going on.

“The library itself is usually a quiet place, but we are very fortunate to have a separate exhibition gallery which doubles up as our groups and events area, so the library is definitely a community hub.

“ Everybody is welcome and we have all types of users.”

Julie likes the library environment.

“The library offers a space of quietness,” she says. “It is a calm space where one can escape the world.”

The people who use Cobh library can avail of many varied enjoyable activities; knit and natter for the craft lovers, story time and colouring for young children exploring their creativity, and there is a Fás learning class on offer for anyone wishing to brush up on their literacy/computer skills.

“We have a huge variety of the newest books and back catalogue fiction and non-fiction titles, including a specialised local studies collection, along with audiobooks, large print materials and daily newspapers.,” says Julie.

Browsers and historians are catered for too.

“We have a big selection of reference books and books relating to the RMS Titanic and RMS Lusitania,” says Julie.

“Current newspapers and magazines are always available for people to read.”

Library users can keep up with what’s going on in their community.

“The Great Island Community News weekly newsletter is always a popular read for people,” says Julie. “People let us know what they want and we do our best to facilitate them.

“The library is service-focused and everybody who comes here is well satisfied. They enjoy their visit. And we are happy and glad to have reached that level of satisfaction and we strive to maintain it.

“The public are so appreciative, and we build up nice relationships. We always love to chat about books and recommend them. When borrowers drop back the books to the library, that’s when we have the most chats. We get to know what our patrons like. We catch up with our regulars regarding choice of books, their research, and their hobbies, for instance.”

Post-Covid, the patrons of the library welcome friendly interaction.

“We always try and connect with them,” says Julie. “I can talk about books all day long.”

“Interacting and connecting is one of the important facets of human life. A kind word or showing interest in another person can brighten up someone’s day and it can make a huge difference to their day.”

Interacting and connecting with people is a two-way thing.

“It is important for us too,” says Julie. “Building rich relationships is important.”

She had built up an impressive collection of books of her own.

“I have loads of books at home,” says Julie. “Tons of them! I have a universe of books I have access to. And I’ve had the benefit of the world of books here at the library that I can dive into.”

Library users have access to every book they might want.

“We work off a national catalogue and if somebody requests a particular book, we can request that from any library in Ireland; from any shelf in the country.”

Julie, passionate about books and reading, fosters her love of both working at the library.

“I’m very intent on fostering books and reading - books can offer so many benefits to people everywhere. My two daughters both love books; I shared my love of books with them and now they are both keen readers.”

Julie fulfilled her ambition.

“Working in the library is my dream job,” she says.