Rosemary with students from Fifth and Sixth class of The Sacred Heart School, Granard. Photo: Lorraine Teevan

'It would kill us if anything happened to this place," says Therese Callaghan as her three sons diligently leaf through their books at the Granard Community Library in Longford.

In the tranquil surrounds of the old Market building, where tenor John McCormack sang in 1905, young minds are cultivated while older residents chat and share stories.

But recent proposals from the Department of the Environment to amalgamate library services in Longford with those in Westmeath have caused concern - locals fear their beloved library might see a reduction in services.

A spokesperson from the Department of the Environment said the proposed measures will "establish stronger, more effective and efficient public libraries and deliver better library services to local communities and citizens".

But many are unconvinced and the wave of concern has spread across rural Ireland. They say they've heard it all before and grow uneasy every time the word "efficiencies" is mentioned - to them it equals cutbacks and job losses.

Counties with combined populations of under 100,000 people could see significant changes to how their local libraries function. There are plans to amalgamate services in Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon; Laois and Offaly; Cavan and Monaghan; Carlow and Kilkenny and here in Longford and Westmeath.

The exact impact of the proposed amalgamations are unclear - one theory is that smaller libraries in rural areas will become self-service units with members using a swipe card to enter buildings and to check-out books and use other services.

This week members of Laois county council followed the lead of Leitrim by voting against proposals for the amalgamations but many fear the day of the librarian could be numbered.

"Engagement between the librarian and the person using the service is crucial in rural Ireland. We'd be concerned with any attempts to dilute the position of the local library and, if anything, would rather see libraries protected and enhanced further," says Longford County Librarian Mary Reynolds.

She adds: "The professionalism and knowledge of our librarians is something we should be very proud of. They are information managers who build up relationships with those who use the library and do so much more than just dispense books."

Rosemary Gaynor has worked in Granard library for 27 years and her love for her local community is reciprocated in spades. She goes above and beyond to help the people of the charming town and is assisted by Helen Martin who works in the library part-time.

"We bring children from our Autistic Unit to the library every Friday and Rosemary and Helen make them feel so welcome - they remember all their names and chat away to them and help them find their books," explains Mary Sharkey, a teacher at the local Ard Scoil Phadraig.

Eimear Gallagher, who works in the town's Sacred Heart Primary School, explains that the librarians read to the children each week and emphasises how the library has helped the youngest pupils to take to books.

"If my senior infants class is covering a particular topic, like say the weather or things you'd find in another country, Rosemary will source books from across all the libraries in Longford to do with that subject. We borrow about 30 specific books at a time. And if a particular book comes in, she will text us to let us know it's in. Rosemary has a smile on her face every day and we never want to lose that," says Eimear.

For 18-year-old Laura Murphy, the recently renovated Granard Library offers her a quiet, calming place in which to study in the evenings.

"I'm doing my Leaving Certificate this year and there are nine of us in the house - my parents and six siblings - so it's hard to get any peace and quiet. I've been coming here all my life. Not only are there wonderful resources and books which help with study, but the librarians are caring and helpful. I couldn't imagine life without our lovely library here," she says.

And in they come… one by one, explaining what a huge impact this library has made on Granard, its unique place within the local community and why it means so much to each of them on a personal basis.

"Everyone in Granard is so supportive to us so we're as supportive as we can be to them," explains Rosemary modestly. "Anytime I've had difficulty in my life and needed people, they came in through the doors here and helped me and I try to do the same for them. Maybe it's just a cup of tea and a little chat, but sometimes that can be a big help to someone in need."

Older members use the 'welcoming space' occasionally for yoga, reflexology, a sing-song, computer courses and many more events. Students, job-seekers and the self-employed pop in to access the broadband facilities and each day little eyes light up when touching and feeling a brightly illustrated book in the children's area.

Locals say the library is their refuge. Even when the economy took a battering and local businesses suffered, Rosemary was there with her books and her smile.

They, and others in smaller counties across the country, fear 'amalgamation' and the new 'Open Library system' (where members sign up and have their own self-service access) will see library services changed forever.

The great irony, of course, is that while those living in rural Ireland are demanding that their modest library services are maintained, there are some in South Dublin calling for the demolition of the new €40m mega-library in Dun Laoghaire.

Laois-based Labour Senator John Whelan has described Minister Alan Kelly's plans for change in the library service as "seriously flawed and not in the best interest of the library services locally or nationally".

Trade union IMPACT is also campaigning to have the proposals scrapped. Assistant General Secretary Richey Carrothers has said: "The concept of staff-less libraries is, we believe, part of a wider agenda to downgrade library provision and de-professionalise the service. The proposal to run libraries with no staff at certain times raises very real health-and-safety concerns, as well as child-protection concerns."

But in some parts of the country the 'Open Library' policy is being welcomed.

Since November, Tullamore and Banagher libraries in Offaly have been offering the swipe-in self-service model as part of a pilot scheme - and users, such as local business woman Louise Lyons, believe it's a clever use of library resources.

She says: "I go into the library in Tullamore in the evenings and on Sundays, sometimes up to 10pm. I can access reading material, check books out myself, photo-copy, use WiFi and do nearly everything I could do during normal working hours. At that time of the evening it's usually people doing research or studying so the atmosphere is lovely.

"It makes sense to maximise the resources we have in our libraries and to have extended opening hours for those who are working or busy during the day.

''All in all I think it's an excellent system."

Offaly County Librarian Mary Stuart explains that the 'Open Library' scheme, used in many Nordic countries, is designed to enhance the overall service.

"It's a reduced level of service at times when the normal full service is not available. The reaction has been extremely positive in Offaly and already we've over 300 users of the service.

"It makes the library much more accessible for commuters, students and families," she says.

Back in Granard, Rosemary is busy advising tourists where their ancestors might be buried, sourcing books for students and making a pot of tea for members of a senior citizens group who've popped in.

A librarian's work is never done - and that's how they want it to stay around here.

NO POST OFFICE, NO BANK, NO GP. NEXT, NO BOOKS

For the people of Annaduff rural isolation and mass emigration has been something they've had to live with for generations. But now residents say the closure of local services and threats to library access has plunged them further into despair.

The close-knit Leitrim parish has watched its three post offices close in recent years as well as local shops. Two pubs have also gone to the wall and a local hotel.

"Every area of Leitrim has suffered since the downturn and if they take our library services away from us we'll have little else left," says father of five and local independent councillor Des Guckian.

"The Government are allowing rural Ireland to die," he says, "unless something is done to stop this rapid decline we'll reach a stage where our rural areas are left with a very old population, all the young people will be gone and living in the countryside will hardly be viable."

Councillors here voted against the proposed amalgamation of library services across Leitrim, Sligo and Roscommon and have pledged to fight plans to centralise library services.

"We have no county librarian in Leitrim. Further branch closures are quite likely if the normal 'branch' system is changed to a mobile library service. We can't afford any further job losses," says Cllr Guckian, whose children are all living away from their home county.

"To post a letter we have to take a 13-mile round trip to Mohill or cross the county bounds to Roosky in Roscommon. It's difficult to get a GP here at short notice and bank branches are closing across Leitrim. We feel we've been totally forgotten about."

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