Clare Library Budget Cut-Back

[petenv]

G'day All:
Don from Melbourne AU here. I believe that government budgetry restraints will/might have an effect on the Clare Library funding and believe that this is and will create a negative effect on people everywhere who relish the opportunity to touch base with unknown/known family through research which will possibly encourage them to take the one step further and walk the walk in Co Clare, the unknown financial spending with these "I'd Like to Visit Home, Where my Ancestors Walked" trips and journey's can only be great for the local businesses, letalone the local professional researchers.
Any perceived financial cut-back which could effect the great and vital service Clare Library extends world-wide is scroodge thinking, narrow visioned and "Budgetry Idiots" can't see beyond their desk-top's.
I'd understand that there'd be many, all around our small globe who would agree.

Best of Luck guy's and don't give up hope...

Don

[crissouli]

How disappointing to hear of proposed budget cutbacks for such an invaluable source of information for the Irish diaspora as well as all those at home.
I, for one, always have the sense of 'coming home' when I visit the Clare Library... at this stage I have to be content with online, but the long planned for trip, to see the homeland that my grandmother loved so much, will definitely include a trip to the Clare Library... if only to thank the fantastic staff in person, for all the help they so freely give to so many. As a member of the Clare Roots Society, I am pleased to say that we work with the Clare Library in making priceless family history records to all seeking them in Clare. We need each other. It is by viewing their information, much of which has been transcribed or donated by those working voluntarily for the good of the Irish diaspora as a whole, that we have been able to find from whence we came. If anything, the budget needs to be increased, for it is the "coming home" that will help the Irish economy as a whole and Ennis and surrounds, including the Clare Library, in particular.

Please stay as one of the most progressive, if not the most progressive, counties in Ireland and welcome your families home, online at first, and then in person, for they will certainly help support the county of Clare.

Chris in Brisbane, Australia

[irishgrammy]

Oh my - libraries are right up there with schools on my list of items NOT to fall under the budget cuts. And the Clare Library is a prime example of good libraries! I have personally visited the Clare library on 2 trips to Ireland from Kansas, USA. The help they gave me - far beyond what would have been required. I had let them know I was coming - they had things already looked up for me to research! And the personal interest they showed in my family research! Unbelievable. And this is only in the genealogy branch - as I walked around the library I saw the same assistance being offered to folks. We need the Clare library - County Clare needs the Clare library.

[margaretspearin]

I live in County Clare and am researching my family roots. Clare Library has been and is a marvellous resource. My Cousins in UK and US also use the resources that Clare Library have to offer. My UK cousins have been to County Clare many times on the trail of their ancestors, and will continut to come, as long as the resources are available for them to search. My US cousins are also interested in coming to Clare to walk the countryside where their great grandparents grew up. They will need the guidence of Clare Library to direct them. With the lack of Clare records online it is amost impossible for them to find their kin. With the lack of funding from the government, it looks bleak for them. COME ON CLARE COUNTY COUNSIL.. and open your eyes to what is important to all Clare people, both at home and abroad..

[JeanneDwyer]

Ireland is known the world over as "the land of saints and scholars" for a good reason. Clare County Library, operating on a shoestring budget already, is living proof of the existence of both saints and scholars. I cannot count how many times the saintly, scholarly staff at this library has come to my rescue in the research of my Clare family lines.

I keep reading news stories about the Irish government finally recognizing how important the Diaspora is to Ireland's tourism and heritage. It seems to me to be completely in conflict with that realization for the library's budget to be cut. Descendants of Clare men and women are steadily making their way back home, spending their money happily in Clare, but the vast majority couldn't even do that without having access to the enormous amount of data offered FOR FREE on the Clare Library website. I firmly believe it would be a tragic mistake to cut funding from the Clare County Library.

Sincerely,
Jeanne Foley Dwyer
Evansville, Indiana,
USA

[rryan]

Greetings from sunny but fresh Qld.Please Please don't cutback the funding for the Clare Library.They have been such a wonderful help to everyone including myself.When you live on the other side of the world obtaining info on your forebearers can be quite headbanging.With the Clare Library they have soo much info online & more to come I'm sure so please reconsider the funding cuts.It would be such a shame.
Rae Qld :

[fonziepage]

I too would like to add my voice to those requesting Council not to cut back on the Library funding, despite the difficult situation Ireland is in at the moment. In Sydney we have nothing to compare with your Genealogy Department, for Clare researchers it is without doubt the #1 site. I do not know where you found the staff, but for subject knowledge and old fashioned service, not to mention the great network of researches they co ordinate,they are unbeatable. I would just like to ask Council to take into account those of us all around the world who carry a bit of Ireland in our hearts when making their decision on this fantastic resource.

[Jim McNamara]

Hello from California. I have to tell all that I have been around the web lots and have not ever found a finer library site anywhere in the world. It has had a significant, positive impact on my research. It would be a shame to pull the plug on a great program like this. There will always be more finds and without this program, there will be fewer places to save it, especially any place that has such easy access to all. I hope this decision will not be reached lightly, and that those in power will take time to read some of these posts and reconsider the fate of the greatest library resource in the world.

Best wishes always,
Jim McNamara
Stanton, California

[Paddy Casey]

G'day All:
I believe that government budgetry restraints will/might have an effect on the Clare Library funding......

Don,

You and the other posters here refer to expected cut-backs. Can you (or one of the other posters) tell us the extent of the cutbacks, the departments and/or services which will be affected, the budget process timelines, the expected date of implementation and the source(s) of the information ?

I'm most curious.

Paddy

[Clare Admin]

Hello everyone. While I would normally hesitate to interfere with a topic on this forum - it is after all YOUR forum - I would like to say that this topic very much reminds me of Mark Twain's famous line "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated". Rest assured, folks, Clare County Library is alive and well and has all its budgets in place for this year. We do live in 'challenging times', but the library service as a whole is in good shape - in fact a recession can be a good thing for a public library. See http://clarelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... ssion.html

Having said that, we really do appreciate your support, and we hope you will continue to support us in the best way possible - by taking an active part in this online forum, and by continuing to send us your donated transcriptions, photographs etc etc.
Thank you,
Clare Admin.