News » Archived News 2009

The Year of the Constant Reader

Pictured at the launch of The Year of the Constant Reader, L to R: Tom McCarthy, Cork City Libraries, Ray Lougheed, Evening Echo, Theo Dorgan, author of Sailing for Home, Lord Mayor Councillor Brian Bermingham,  Alannah Hopkin, author of “Eating Scenery: West Cork, the People and the Place”, Michael Conway Snr., Frinalla Development Ltd., Gina Reidy, 96FM.

Cork City Libraries has launched The Year of the Constant Reader, a year-long programme to promote reading and say a big 'thank you' to all its constant readers. With over 21,000 registered members, Cork City Libraries will host an exciting programme of free events in each of its seven libraries city-wide throughout 2009, including readings from guest authors, attractive reader competitions and public book club forums.

According to the Lord Mayor Councillor Brian Bermingham “reading skills have never been so important and this very welcome initiative should encourage the people of the city to get maximum benefit from their libraries”.

City Librarian, Liam Ronayne, added “this is what we’re here for – getting people to read more.  Library staff are really looking forward to this exciting programme, and to making 2009 a very special year for our constant readers”.

The library was delighted to announce the involvement of both Frinalla Development Ltd. and International Education Services (IES) Ltd. as key sponsors of the top reader prizes which will be held throughout the year, including a family holiday for four in ParcAsterix or Eurodisney in Paris . In addition, both the Evening Echo and 96 FM are proudly on board as media sponsors for the year. 

The programme will run from February to November 2009 with a different theme each month and all libraries carrying recommended book lists for that month. Kick-starting in February with the Month of a Thousand Lattes, there will be something for everyone, including vouchers for one thousand coffees in designated city cafés being given away. Amanda Brunker, popular newspaper columnist for the Sunday World and author of Champagne Kisses will be the first of many high-profile authors who will be coming to read at the Central Library in February.

As part of the programme, the project “Stories” was launched, where thirty books were released to Cork city book club members who will pass the books on to friends or leave in public places to be picked up by new readers. There are no limits to where these books might go, and library staff will track their journeys around the world on the Constant Reader website (www.constantreader.ie) during 2009. The books that were on released on Thursday include Theo Dorgan’s Sailing for Home, Alannah Hopkin’s Eating Scenery: West Cork, the People and the Place and Dervla Murphy’s ‘The Island that Dared: Journeys in Cuba’.

For further information, see www.constantreader.ie.  A full programme of events will be released in January 2009.

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