| ID | 20496 |
|---|---|
| Collection | Kevin Street Library Collection |
| Collection Description | Kevin Street Library was opened in 1904 by Dublin Corporation following a recommendation in 1901by the Public Libraries Committee to buy a plot of land near the technical school on Kevin Street. The first chief librarian in the library was John Whelan who was transferred there from Thomas Street Library. The library suffered from many difficulties in its early years including the death of library assistant William Brinkley in 1906 and financial difficulties with staff not being paid and a large debt having been accumulated. During the First World War, the library was used as a way to recruit men for service when pamphlets about recruiting where made available. The library also allowed the Soldiers and Sailors Families Association to meet ever Saturday night throughout the war. From July 1922 with soldiers occupying the Peter Street Dispensary, Kevin Street Library was called upon by the law agents office to act as a distribution centre to hand out aid to those affected by the fighting in Dublin city. John Whelan was central to the foundation of Cumann na Leabharlann, an association that was integral in the foundation of Public Libraries across Ireland. Numerous individuals and groups wrote to the association on their efforts at convincing their local council or district to set up a public library in their area [DCLA] |
| Reference | C2/Lib/KK |
| Description | Scope and Content: Material created and received by Kevin Street Library that highlights the foundation and the daily activity in the library. The collection includes letters from publishing companies, bookbinders, lithographers and various types of repair workshops and shows how the library’s relationship with these groups was vital for the library to function. Letters sent in from members of the public highlights the role the library played in public life and the types of issues the public took up with the library. Material relating to the staff of the library highlights the life of the librarian in the early twentieth century, providing us with information on the duties carried out, the hours worked, wages earned and the type of relationship they had with their employers in the corporation. The collection also contains material from Cumann na Leabharlann [DCLA]. |
| Access | By prior appointment. |
| Date | 1899-1995 |
| Century | 19th, 20th |
| Keywords | |
| Note | Transferred from Kevin Street Library in 2012. A descriptive list is available from DCLA here. |
| Repository Name | Dublin City Library and Archive |
| Address | 138-144 Pearse Street Dublin 2 |
| Eircode | D02 HE37 |
| Telephone | (01) 222-4999 |
| Email Address | cityarchives@dublincity.ie |
| Email Address 2 | dublinstudies@dublincity.ie |
| Repository Web Address | https://www.dublincity.ie/residential/libraries/find-library... |
| Comment | The information listed from this repository has been extracted from lists available in the archive. The lists were compiled by archive staff and we are grateful for their assistance. It must be remembered that due to time constraints, not all items in this repository were examined individually. |
| latitude | 53.34320 |
| longitude | -6.24524 |